{"id":452,"date":"2019-08-12T10:14:54","date_gmt":"2019-08-12T09:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.synergynews.co.uk\/?p=452"},"modified":"2019-08-12T13:43:47","modified_gmt":"2019-08-12T12:43:47","slug":"belladrum-tartan-heart-festival-is-a-hidden-gem-in-the-highlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.synergynews.co.uk\/?p=452","title":{"rendered":"Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is a Hidden Gem in the Highlands"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWell. You\u2019ve been keeping this a secret\u201d says Guy Garvey from purveyors of fine festival anthems Elbow<\/strong> at Belladrum Tartan Herart Festival, and he\u2019s half right. This family friendly festival in the north captures the warm, slightly bonkers feeling of Glastonbury but on a \u00a0delightfully manageable scale. It may be a secret to some, but to festival goers in the know it\u2019s the one to return to year afetr year.<\/p>\n

It does have a home -grown vibe, so might not be as slick as some of the bigger festivals, but it makes up for that with its friendliness and easy going, welcoming atmosphere. It is, as you would expect, uniquely Scottish with home grown talent and trad music finding an easy fit here. Bands such as Torridon <\/strong>with their folk rock, Skerrryvore<\/strong> with their high energy Celtic fusion, and The Dangleberries<\/strong> with their good time Celtic pop covers are welcomed with enthusiasm by an overwhelmingly Scottish audience. \u00a0But it is far from isolationist, a nd acts from around the world stop it becoming overly tartan. The bagpipes are here, of course, but so is the sound of the Appalachian Mountains.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s enough variety for young and old to find their own festival, whether you your thing is high octane dance music, some laid back folk or the draw of the big acts like headliner Jess Glynn<\/strong>. Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival lets you find your tribe and share your happy place with like -minded friends.<\/p>\n

Families will find their Belladrum In the wonderfully child friendly Walled Garden, among the crafts and activities for the small people. New his year is the Science Dome, or Boffinarium, where all ages can find out more about science and technology. Festival goers can observe our nearest star, the Sun, through a special solar telescope courtesy of the Highland Astronomical Society.<\/p>\n

The Royal Society of Edinburgh brought Dr Heidi Burdett to talk about Scotland\u2019s answer to the Barrier Reef. Her fascinating talk about a little known marine ecosystem, includes some hard hitting facts about climate change.<\/p>\n

Whilke it would be easy to while away the weekend Whiskey Tasting, practising Yoga or learning the finer arts of Burlesque, music is really the heart of Belladrum Tartan Heart. It is the ideal place to find new talent, and the Grassroots and Seedlings stages often showcase the stars of the future. A fine example is Stephanie Cheape<\/strong> who returns to a bigger stage this year, and surely will be one to watch.<\/p>\n

As well as up and coming talent there is always the big names to draw the crowds.<\/p>\n

Jonny Marr<\/strong> brings his legendery guitar skills and some well-beloved Smith\u2019s memories to the main stage. He is the acceptable face of the Smiths now Morrissey has become less of an anti-hero and more of an embarrsssing elderly realitive.\u00a0 The covers in the set were nothing special, but the Smiths favourites such as This Chrming Man and Please Please plesAse let me get what I want were brilliantly renderd. Indulging in some miserabilist nostalgia and its it associated pathos is great fun when you\u2019re enjoying it in a sunny field, and these songs at the hands of Marr and friends still ring true.<\/p>\n

Dodgy<\/strong> provide a laid back, feel good performance with plenty of chunky guitar. \u201cStaying out for the summer\u201d is, as expected, the ideal track for the sunny afternoon set.<\/p>\n

Tom Odell<\/strong> and his Absolute Unit of a piano work magic in the garden. He is clearly having an epic time, happy to return to \u201cthe best festival in the world.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThis was the first festival we ever played\u201d, he reminisces, and gives a performance of incredible virtuosity and energy. He raises the bar with his vocals so loud and long they could practically be heard from space. He takes the audience from laid back to bouncing, back down with an emotional version of \u201cPiano Man\u201d, then slams the tempo back up for hit song \u201cAnother love\u201d. His immense talent unites a field of festival fans of all ages and is one of the best received performances of the weekend.<\/p>\n

An even more excited audience is the smaller, but noisier one that gather for YouTube sensation Dodie. <\/strong>The UK\u2019s answer to Sigrid, this delightful young woman brings a fresh, open expression with her honest, bright and catchy pop tunes. Her excellent performance is backed by stylish strings. She gives the best cover of Sweet Caroline I have ever heard, sung sweetly and joyfully with enthusiastic backing from the chorus of the crowd.<\/p>\n

A defining festival moment is the barefoot dancing on the grass to fabulously funky Swampfog<\/strong>. This jazzy Edinburgh seven piece capture the party mood in the sunshine perfectly, bringing a taste of New Orleans jazz to the Highlands. Another deliverer of feel good vibe is the Oxbow Lake Band<\/strong> whose brassy brass brings a bluesy dance party to the Icehouse stage.<\/p>\n

A firm festival favourite is the Phenomenon that is Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5<\/strong>. For those who embrace the mustard, this is an all- encompassing experience with audience participation to the max. Uniquely, hilariously quirky, they delight the kids of all ages, and exhort the men to get \u201cTap\u2019s Aff\u201d for \u2018air conditioning\u2019 in the hot Saturday sun. If you don\u2019t take part in sublimely silly \u201cCrossing the Road\u201d and \u2018does- what -it says- on- the- tin\u2019 catchy number \u201cBouncy Ball\u201d you are dead inside and there\u2019s no hope for you.<\/p>\n

The big draw this year was Glasgow lad Lewis Capaldi<\/strong>. Thanks to this year\u2019s chart -topping debut album and sterling performance at Glastonbury and TRNSMT festivals, he was greeted with rapturous chants and ecstatic cheers before he sang a note. Such was the demand to see \u201cChewy\u201d Capaldi that crowd control got dicey, not pleasant for the family vibe and a warning to the new organisers that popular as it is, selling more tickets would be a mistake.<\/p>\n

His performance is everything the crowd could have hoped for. The songs are strong, the melodies infectious and the lyrics are honestly emotional. \u00a0His patter with the crowd is amiable and self- effacing despite the level of excitement. Out of this unassuming bloke comes the most marvellous vocal performance, with his heartfelt lyrics delivered impeccably by a tight band. Highlights are the euphoric \u201cGrace\u201d, emotional \u201cHold Me While You Wait\u201d, and of course the anthem of heartbreak that\u2019s taking the world by storm \u201cSomeone You Loved\u201d to close the set. The Garden stage area was packed capacity and the singing of the audience to these well -loved songs was delightful to be part of.<\/p>\n

In the current pollical climate, as well the current Climate climate, it seems more important than ever to grab every opportunity for joyful celebration and a sense of togetherness. Belladrum Tartan Heart is an opportunity worth seizing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWell. You\u2019ve been keeping this a secret\u201d says Guy Garvey from purveyors of fine festival anthems Elbow at Belladrum Tartan Herart Festival, and he\u2019s half