Grass Roots Festival Award 2008 http://www.festivalawards.com/index.cfm?section=awards.category&year=2008&id=86
Often the best small festivals spring from an organic labour of love and a long-time dream which has been shared by thousands more. These festivals should be celebrated, not just for the courage and vision shown by their organisers, but also because they never forget where they've come from, supporting their local communities and new music along the way whilst retaining an independent spirit and resisting the allure of commercial sponsorship.
The Winner Is:
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2008
Italian Gardens, Inverness-shire, UK
"Belladrum is sometimes described as the "Glastonbury of the North", but it is much broader in its appeal. People from all social and class backgrounds are here and you quite literally see three generations of the same family all jumping to the same infectious rhythms. It is becoming a real focus of community cohesion and not a little pride among the thousands who gather here that they can stage something like this in the Highlands. The food is pretty damn good too". Ian Macwhirter The Herald http://iainmacwhirter2.blogspot.com/2008/08/belledrum-cuttings-from-verb-garden.html
The Sponsors Choice "Southern Tenant Folk Union"
Belladrum Tartan Heart Fringe and Potting Shed stage programme is sponsored by Square Wheels Cycles of Strathpeffer
The Nessmp3.com Potting Shed Stage, featured anchor acts appear as part of the Tartan Heart Fringe and are featured on Nessmp3.com as well.
When asked about his love of music and his support of Belladrum Fringe and The Potting Shed Stage Steve Macdonald Square Wheels boss says "Ive always loved music and Clancy and I have always loved going to gigs, we decided we wanted to do something to help live music, so when Rob Ellen Medicine Music offered us the opportunity to get involved we jumped at it". Steve and Clancy are event organisers themselves delivering the now famous extreme mountain bike race Strath-puffer in January in and around their home town.
Steve continues "our way of thinking is we need to advertise the Bike Shop anyway, so instead of monthly adverts in the press we thought the money would be better put to promoting music". "The Fringe and Potting Shed Stage is a really exciting way of making a difference to the local music scene". Steve and Clancy also have established a thriving House Concert scene at their home in Strathpeffer. Steve says "recently we've invited some of our favourite artists to play a gig in our front room and we invite our friends family and other music fans to share it with us. We've had some great nights so far, one of the best being "The Southern Tenant Folk Union" London's acclaimed folk Bluegrass combo and Nessmp3.com favourite". "So when we heard they were playing Belladrum Grass Roots Stage Friday 8th its only right we invite them to play the Potting Shed too. Were delighted they agreed to"
The Southern Tenant Folk Union play the Potting Shed Stage Saturday 9th August 4.10 - 5.pm.
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Fringe and Nessmp3.com Potting Shed Stage
The Nessmp3.com Potting Shed Stage offers an area where artists and festival goers can relax and socialise, offering music spontaneous and organic, under the supervision of www.nessmp3.com and Rob Ellen of The Medicine Show. We will schedule five of the leading lights of this years Tartan Heart Fringe to play per day, the rest will be ad hoc and impromptu.
The only stipulation is artists must do something they don't always do in their sets, a collaboration with other artists or obscure covers etc etc. We will have backline available, so all you'll need is your instruments. Its a place for musical magic to happen and somewhere where the Festival goers might see something that may never happen again.
Please come and see us with your idea's on the day.
The full programme will be arranged among Festival artists and special guests on the day, posted on a daily menu at the venue, and festival goers will be alerted by text. The idea being that it becomes a place for some magical musical collaborations happening spontaneously, in the most hospitable of surroundings. Our own Dave Sidley (Strat) and Retrosmith (Harmonica) "Flat Rabbit" will be musicians in residence joined by Iain Barbour (Pedal Steel and B bender Fender) they will be available to augment artists sets and Retro and Roberto Cassani share compere duties.
We are delighted to announce Scotlands Wynntown Marshals http://www.myspace.com/thewynntownmarshals will be playing Saturday afternoon on the Grass Roots Stage and Iain Barbour (pictured here with Jason Ringenberg) will be supplying B bender fender and pedal steel duties on the Nessmp3.com Potting Shed Stage.
Iain joins our own Dave Sidley (Stratocaster) and RetroSmith (Harmonica) as a musician in residence to back up any-one requiring his/their services on Belladrums Guerilla Stage.
Iain Barbour is the first phone call pedal steel and country guitarist for the likes of Jason Ringenberg Chuck Profit when touring here and was steel man with Chicago's legendary Country Rocking combo The Riptones before returning to his native Edinburgh where he was instrumental in forming The Sunshine Delay http://www.nessmp3.com/music/The_Sunshine_Delay and now is a resident member of the Wynntown Marshals.
with organic support from The Black Isle Brewery
