Belladrum tartan heart festival is officially the nation’s friendliest festival. Whether you bring your dancing wellies and glitter or your picnic blanket and grandchildren, all are equally welcome.
The atmosphere is laid back and likeable, exuding a special kind of warmth. Leave the world at the gates because inside there is wall to wall sunshine, even, or especially, when it rains.
Like many festivals, there is so much variety to choose from you will inevitably spend a fair bit of time walking around the green and leafy site. Often when heading from one stage to another you will be distracted by a haunting cello or insistent disco beat and never make it to the act you were heading for. Yet Tartan Heart is a manageable size to navigate around. It has as you would expect activities for toddlers to teens and those of a more mature vintage. Poetry, comedy, and crafts can be found in delightful low key areas such as the Walled Garden, while the energy is fever pitch high at the Temple of Dub.
But music rules, of course. Music is the lifeblood that flows through every aspect of the Belladrum tartan heart festival. The oft over used term eclectic really is applicable here. From jazz, to folk to funk the mash up of genres is impressive; the acts too numerous to describe in full.
Highlights include The Fun Lovin’ Criminals well delivered set, which has the appreciative crowd bouncing, while scots songstress Amy MacDonald oozes talent and musical credibility.
An unexpected treat are the Tenement Jazz Band at Icehouse Jazz and Blues bar; their crisp banjo solos and air of exuberance get everyone dancing, young and old.
The La Fontaines lay on some addictive beats and the crowd respond with arms in unison and heads nodding. Other notable performances include The Charlatans. “Let the good times be Never Ending “is delivered with joy and affection. A guaranteed crowd pleaser is “North Country Boy, the refrain taken up by the north country crowd.
The Only one I Know brings Belladrum and Madchester much closer on the musical map, even if there is a fair distance between them as the crow flies. A stunning festival moment comes when The Charlatans pay tribute to the late Scott Hutchinson. Grant Hutchison and Billy Kennedy from frightened rabbit join them on stage for FR song “Head Rolls Off. The crowd roar their solidarity with the bereaved band, mourning the tragic loss of irreplaceable talent Scott Hutchinson. A moment of unity between bands, also a musical highlight not to be forgotten.
Paloma Faith provides a perfectly polished set, her legendary vocal performance not in the least affected by what she describes as a ”nursery cold”. She remains positive despite some technical problems which clearly irritate her, and much of the audience, but as a true professional she carries on regardless, and once resolved is soon belting out summer anthems. She encourages the audience to start an “epidemic of kindness”, with a message of body positivity and gratitude. Her set is well rounded, with a succession of flawlessly delivered hits, particularly “Only Love can Hurt Like this”
This happy vibe is carried on over in the Ice-house Jazz bar by Belladrum regulars The Retrophones. The provide sheer good time dance-along fun, expertly delivered.
The Filthy Tongues make a hugely successful Belladrum debut with their signature dark and dirty pop rock. Their tunes and themes are too dark for the summer sunshine outdoors and are appropriately housed undercover at the Hothouse Stage. Martin Metcalfe and company supply excellent post punk guitar rock with added electric violin for pathos and melancholy. The audience are captivated by a deep, primal, insistent beat while the violin mewls like an angsty cat in a fabulous, mesmerising set.
Siobhan Wilson gives an incredible performance. She has a voice of marvellous sweetness and purity, but adds guitar riffs and cello and intelligent song writing to cut through the sweetness and add depth. Her performance is complex, fresh, honest and utterly brilliant.
A complete contrast are The Dangleberries. They deliver an energetic cover of “I Got A Feeling” and a souped-up rock’n’roll version of Wild Mountain Thyme for some feelgood fun in the sun. Bagpipes are in evidence but are kept in check by some raucous guitar.
Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 are the marmite act of the weekend .“You either get it or you don’t’” explained a mature fan. For those that do, with yellow T-shirts and Banana costumes, the delight and participation is life enhancing and wonderfully silly.
Gerry Cinnamon is incredibly popular with the Belladrum crowd. This cheeky Glaswegian singer songwriter brings his A -game along with guitar, his harmonica and his honest and appealing songs. Seemingly the entire festival audience squeeze into the Garden Stage to dance, sing and bounce along to catchy yet insightful songs such as Fickle McSelfish and Canter.
One of the best acts of the Hothouse stage is the Bhangra Rock fusion ban Kissmet. They share their incredible infectious sounds, a cross cultural melting pot of inventive percussion paired with outstanding rock guitar solos had the whole tent literally jumping. The Bollywood theme of this year’s event had seemed a little like cultural misappropriation times, but here, for a short time at least, it seems less misguided and more encouraging of diversity and a damn good time.
One of the planned highlights was an appearance by the critically acclaimed Scottish band Frightened Rabbit. Due to the tragic and untimely death of Scott Hutchison, this set could not go ahead. Instead, fans come together to listen to FR album Midnight Organ Fight which accompanying a film celebrating his life and talent. This seems a wonderful way to share in the sadness of his death while celebrating the joy he and his fellow band members have brought to many around the world.
Primal Scream area huge draw as undisputed scots rock royalty. It takes them a few minutes to really engage, but once they do they bring hypnotic version of “Swastika Eye “. They top this with Perennial favourite Moving On Up which soars to the sky. “Rocks” funky rhythms have the crowd screaming the refrain.
Clearly this is a snapshot of but a brief few of the full line-up. The joy of Belladrum Tartan Heart is that you can make your own festival experience depending on your preferences. Add whiskey cocktails and Scottish craft Gin Palace to the mix, and its no wonder a fellow festival goer told me, with no sense of irony. “There are no strangers at Belladrum, just friends you haven’t met yet.” He really meant it. Now I do too.