Music festivals are great right? Especially when you don’t have to travel far and with a line up as impressive as Arbroath Fest this year, I instantly knew I had to be there. The North East of Scotland is often forgotten about on the musical grid but Andrew and the team behind the festival truly brought a festival worth celebrating – keeping with the small town feel given the names on the bill it was the right size of intimacy, with a sense of community in the air.
Arbroath Fest brought some of the best Scottish Rock bands together for one night and it’s most definitely one for the history books. It had probably been a long time since Idlewild, The Xcerts and Fatherson had shared a bill so alongside what felt like a trip down memory lane for fans, it possibly felt the same for the artists.
Ben Walker waisted no time in getting the crowd involved, singing dancing and clapping along. Having enjoyed watching his growth as an artists over the past few years there was something truly wonderful about watching his dedicated young fans, front and centre showing support – even in the rain! It highlighted the importance of music festivals being all ages, where live music is accessible and can be enjoyed by all.
Having followed Calum Bowie online for a long time and never managed to make a show it was great to see him and the band live in Arbroath. A tight band, great fun to watch and with songs you can’t help but smile and sing-a-long to you were able to tell why he’s got such a loyal following and is selling out shows across the UK and beyond. Callum knew his fans by name and thanked them for coming which I felt was really sweet!
It was Arbroath singer-songwriter Jenna Ritchie that caught my attention, last time I saw her was in Andreou’s bistro for a Battle Of The Bands a couple of years ago playing her ukulele but watching her set at the festival the maturity in her song writing and confidence on stage had shown that she’s found her style and worked on her craft. I chuckled away as she sang “Don’t date musicians they will ruin your life“.
Cloth, Paws, Witch Fever and Pulled Apart By Horses were all new bands to discover – I feel that this is the BEST part about a festival, I went with no expectations and have come away with new (to me) bands to check out and all of them I would go and see again. They all brought the energy up in the crowd with their heavier rock edge, all bringing a change of pace and tone to the sea air.
The Signal Tower stage was a space for singer-songwriters to shine and saw the likes of local talent Rebecca Connelly, Katie Nicoll, James Liandu and Brown Bear all fighting the sound of the main stage for their intricate sets. I honestly admire those that can stand up solo and demand the attention of the space they play as much as these artists did! How lucky are we to have so many beautifully talented creatives in Scotland?!
Lastly – I saw my top 3 favourite Scottish bands in one place – The Xcerts, Fatherson and Idlewild and just wow! All three were top of their game and just looking around the audience belting back the songs that shaped us – and cemented the bands name in the Scottish Rock scene – so close to home was just incredible.
With The Xcerts just releasing their new album hearing tracks from this such as Wow, Do It To Myself and Pretty Ugly alongside firm favourites such as Crisis in The Slow Lane and Kids On Drugs was something special as it was a moment shared between friends – both old and new! Fatherson had not long celebrated 10 years of Open Book how I do not know?! and their set was a fantastic discography spanning their first 3 albums – which the crowd sang along to loud and proud.
Idlewild were sensational, joined by Murray from The Xcerts on guitar. As expected the crowd of 30+ year olds were in their element hearing tracks from both Warning/Promises and The Remote Part. I don’t think Arbroath has seen such a high calibre of music since the Viewfield closed it’s doors in 2012. An absolute treat for Scottish rock fans and it was great to know people had travelled from all over Scotland to this wee seaside town to celebrate some of the best in Scottish music on a fine August day.
The night wasn’t just memorable for great performances, a scenic view and the 2nd best halloumi I have ever eaten (Andriou’s Bistro is my fav). It was a real trip down memory lane, I bumped into music fans I met through going to gigs to see some of these bands 17+ years ago, I met gig promoters who used to put on the shows – albeit we have all grown up now – many married and with kids but the spark is still there to support the Scottish rock scene and by gosh were we musically spoilt!
This is your Tuesday evening reminder to grab a ticket to your local grassroots music venue, take a chance and go see live music! Without doing these things, you are missing great opportunities to catch bands nearer the start of their careers – I’ve loved Idlewild, The Xcerts and Fatherson for over 15 years and have second hand joy every time I see them take to the stage. On the other side of the same coin I currently get to enjoy the newer up and coming Scottish artists.
Our wee island is packed with gifted, creative and exceptionally talented bands and artists – go out there and support them on a random Thursday night because Arbroath Music Fest was filled with nostalgia with pals, all because we loved music and crossed paths on the regular and standing in a field with your friends, singing the songs from your youth is a pretty remarkable experience BUT those artists didn’t just appear there over night.
So take this as your Tuesday evening reminder to grab a ticket to your local grassroots music venue, take a chance and go see live music! Without doing these things, you are missing great opportunities to catch bands nearer the start of their careers – I’ve loved Idlewild, The Xcerts and Fatherson for over 15 years and have second hand joy every time I see them take to the stage. On the other side of the same coin I currently get to enjoy the newer up and coming Scottish artists who will be the next big acts to grace your bigger venues and larger stages AND take the humble brag that you got in there first.
2027 is already on sale – with 2 days of live music and camping too – get your tickets here.
