Drams 2008
"Bring your dancing shoes and waterproofs."
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Now in its nineth year the Glenelg Music Festival, 'Drams in the Field’ is once again giving a stage to good music on this remote peninsula in Skye & Lochalsh.
Known for providing a platform for local talent and its great craic, in breath taking scenery, this year the festival is moving back into the village and is playing out of the Community Hall.
Glenelg is a corner of the world renowned for knowing how to have a good time, keep this tradition alive and join with 300 others at Drams in the Field to celebrate good music in good company.
Featuring over the weekend, dance and concerts from:
Face the West. Bramax. Jim Hunter & MPH. MacGregor, Brechin & O'hEadhra. Cast Ewe Band. Felix Magnus. Fiona MacAskill & Friends. God Damnd Saints. Lochalsh Junior Pipe Band.
For the second year the festival includes family entertainment during the day on the Saturday.
DRAMS 2007
“We keep it small for a reason. Good music in good company.”
“Drams in the Field”, affectionately known as ‘Drams’, was constituted on 20th October 2000 and the inaugural Glenelg Music Festival was held on Saturday 23rd September in a Marquee on a field in the Avenue. From one night of music it has developed into two nights of music and this year for the first time includes a family day.
As part of that continuing development this is the second year Drams in the Field is working in partnership with the Glenelg & Arnisdale Development Trust to produce the festival with the renewed focus on making the Glenelg Music Festival a community spirited event.
Plans are underway to put that partnership on a firmer footing and watch this space for a potential joint venture with the intention of bringing more entertainment to the area and providing further opportunities to showcase the wealth of local talent throughout the year.
Since 2000 and over six festivals, Drams in the Field has had a turnover in excess of £90,000, raised over £8500 (grants, sponsorship, donations) towards its running costs and made donations to the community of £6272."
Donations this year totalling £4150
Guy Fawkes Fireworks £300
Over 60's Christmas Dinner £200
Glenelg Fiddle Club £250
Football Pitch New Shed £1500
Arnisdale Ceilidh House £1000
Glenelg Primary School £250
Lochalsh Junior Pipe Band £250
Jetty/Peir Renovation £400
Drams in the Field 2006
After six years in a field on the avenue this year
Drams in the Field moved location and was held on Bernera Farm in
Glen Bernera. This was also the first year that the Glenelg Music
Festival was produced in partnership with the Glenelg & Arnisdale
Development Trust.
Friday 8th September
Bodega. The Wang Dang Delta Blues Band. Skerryvore.
The White Hare Band. Paddy Rasta. Box Club.
Saturday 9th September
The Cast Ewe Ceilidh Band. Babydocs. Sandra Macbeth.
The white Hare Band. Stereoglo. The Picts.
The Drams Committee continue to be able to make
donations to the community this time exceeded £1700, with
support being provided to Glenelg Mountain Rescue, Glenelg Primary
School, Glenelg Church Youth Group, Glenelg & Arnisdale Community
Hall, the over 60’s Christmas Lunch and the Bonfire Celebrations
Fireworks.
Drams in the Field 2005
Friday 23rd September
Ian and Murdo Cameron & friends. Bramax. The
Darien Project. The Golden Hour. Six Foot Ginger. The Tuberians.
Saturday 24th September
Inflatable Haggis. Sandra Macbeth. Scott MacDonald.
Stereoglo. Session A9. The Finlay MacDonald Band.
With another successful year the Drams Committee
were again able to make donations to the community this time exceeded
£2700, with support being provided to Glenelg Mountain Rescue,
Glenelg Primary School, Glenelg Church Youth Group, Glenelg &
Arnisdale Community Hall, the over 60’s Christmas Lunch and
the Bonfire Celebrations Fireworks.
Drams in the Field 2004
If it’s the last weekend in September, then
it must be time for the annual Glenelg music festival; Drams in
the field.
Hundreds of people travelled to the Glen to hear
an excellent line up of musicians. Many of them are now regulars
at the event but others came for the first time from as far a field
as Ireland and Devon. There was something for everyone; traditional
to progressive Scottish music, played on a wide range of instruments;
harmonicas to bagpipes; accordions to electric flutes.
Friday nights line up included Scott McDonald;
the Jim Hunter band; Glenelg’s very own Sandra MacBeath a.k.a.
Teuchstar and ended with the outstanding Peatbog Faeries from Skye
who headlined the night.
Although there was some rain on the Friday night,
it failed to dampen the spirits of those who were camping in the
football field. Many of the campers were delighted to find that
breakfasts were being served in the village hall. The Glenelg Inn
was very busy over lunchtime and throughout the afternoon. The pub
shut at five, which allowed people plenty of time to make their
way back up to the marquee in time for the start of the evening’s
entertainment. This kicked off with some local young musicians including
Iain and Murdo Cameron who got the night off to a superb start.
This was followed by the “Cach Mhor Ceilidh Band” who
hail from Fort William; the excellent Donald Black on harmonica;
the Harris Tweed Brogues and finished up with the boys from Croft
Number 5 who headlined the Sat night.
Sunday morning was very wet and many festival-goers
did not hang about but left as soon as possible. Both the festival
field and the football pitch soon became very water logged. Once
again Duncan digger’s tractor performed an excellent service
in extracting vehicles from the football and festival fields. The
organisers thereafter began the clear-up operation and helped dismantle
the large marquee. By the end of the day both the field and the
football park were cleared of tents and equipment (which was also
aided by the gale force winds on Sunday morning).
Sound and lighting were supplied by Perfect Beat
Audio; catering was once again provided by “The Crack”
editorial team, who this year added salmon steaks to their range
of festival food. These proved to be very popular and quickly sold
out on the Saturday evening.
The event overall was a success with a profit of
around £1000 being made. It is the intention of the committee
to make donations to local community organisations, this year hopefully
the New Hall, the Glenelg Mountain Rescue Team and the playing field
fund (football pitch) benefiting.
The organisers would like to thank this years’
sponsors; J & B Whisky; The Royal Bank of Scotland; Brightwater
Holidays; Inverinate Estate and Highland Council. Special thanks
are due to the two Duncans (Barracks and Digger), Roddy McPherson
and especially to the local community for its continued support
for the event particularly those that helped on bar duty, door duty
and stewarding. Thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success;
you know who you are! There will be an AGM held later in the year
and the existing committee is actively looking for new members to
help run the event.
Drams Committee.
Friday 24th September:
Peter McDonald, Jim Hunter Band, Teuchstar, The
Peat Bog Faeries
Saturday 25th September:
The Cach Mhor Ceilidh Band, Donald Black &
Donnie Mackenzie, Harris Tweed Brogues, Croft No. 5
The Drams Committee were once again successful
in an application for grant this time from the Highland Council
for £500. This year donations to the community exceeded £1400,
with support being provided to Glenelg Mountain Rescue, Glenelg
Primary School, Glenelg & Arnisdale Community Hall, the Tsunami
Appeal and the Bonfire Celebrations Fireworks.
Drams in the Field 2003
This is the confirmed line up for this year's Drams
music festival, which will be held on the 26th and 27th September,
in Glenelg. Diamh, (pronounced “dive”) a young fiery
Scottish “acid croft” band will be there, along with
Dochas, a beautiful, all girl 5 piece band with Skye connections
– that’s one for the boys! Back after popular demand
are Les Miseres, the s**t kicking Cajun band who lifted the roof
last year, Ambajack a talented 4 piece blues and country band, Farquar
MacDonald from Skye has put together a very fiery bunch of sesh
merchants - including band members from the Peatbog Faeries and
Skirler, Coinneach who hail from Invergordon who are essentially
a rock band with strong Celtic overtones. There will be the usual
local talent on display and more bands to be announced – watch
this space. The set up has changed slightly, with both nights being
held in the tent this year and starting at the later time of 6 pm.
We hope there will be something for everyone. Please check back
for more information on the festival, nearer the time.
The Drams Committee donated over £450 from
the surplus generated by this year’s festival to the community.
Badminton & Indoor bowling equipment was purchased for the hall.
Fireworks were bought for the annual Guy Fawkes beach bonfire and
celebrations.
Drams in the Field 2002
Wet and windy conditions failed to dampen the spirits
of those who attended this years' Drams in the Field music festival.
Although the weather was undoubtedly a factor in the slow build
up of visitors to the main event on the Saturday, the well-attended
gig by Les Miseres in the village hall on Friday evening probably
didn't help, as it went on until the early hours of Saturday morning.
The first band onto the stage on Saturday, were called "Willie
Turnup". Indeed they did and provided excellent entertainment
for those who got there in good time, as did another local band,
Doc Livingstone. The marquee steadily filled as the afternoon and
entertainment progressed with people arriving from all points of
the compass. Two girls hitch-hiked from Uist to attend, the Hunt's
travelled from North Yorkshire and then there was Bob, who was staying
at Upper Corrary and who had, according to Grey Neil, flown in specially
from Singapore to take in the musical extravaganza.
There were plenty of children around during the
day. Some of the older children were selling raffle tickets in aid
of the Glenelg Youth Group. By the time the raffle was drawn in
the early evening a grand total of £226 had been raised for
the youth group. Farquhar from Willie Turnup stepped in to help
compere the early part of the event and well-known alternative comedian
Phil Kay, bravely took on the late shift. There was plenty of dancing
down at the stage, especially when Les Miseres were playing. At
the other end of the marquee the drink was certainly flowing and
at one point more had to be brought in from Balmaccara. The entertainment
continued into the evening with Andi Neate, local band Kelpie, the
Lush Rollers, Skirler and finished up in the early hours of Sunday
morning with local band Ahm-Ur. The late finish meant that the organisers
and their support crew didn't get much sleep, as the marquee was
due to be dismantled early on the Sunday morning and all the equipment
and fittings had to be removed from it by then.
Glenelg's music festival is certainly growing,
with this year a bigger marquee, two large diesel generators and
sufficient chemical toilets to cater for a large crowd (sadly not
sufficient toilet rolls - but that's another story). The sound and
lighting systems were once again supplied by PBA with Peroxide Brian
on lights, Stewart on sound and Kirsten Webster assisting at band
changeovers. Catering was provided by "The Crack" editorial
team and big thanks are due to everyone who "volunteered"
their services to work behind the busy bar and those who braved
the elements to mind the gate and take the money while dispensing
the brightly coloured wristbands. Special thanks are due to Duncan
(and his digger), who battled the elements and mud to get equipment
in and out of the field. Lastly, big thanks are again due to Charlie
Mac, Koko and Donald G and their assistants - Chris Main, Graham
Sutherland, Roddy MacPherson and Fiona Cameron for providing another
great Drams music festival. The figures raised by the event will
be displayed on the village notice board and the web site in due
course. For those who want to view snapshots from the great day,
click on the camera icon button in the left hand frame. Anyone who
took photographs on the day, which feature different shots/groups
of people to those on the web site, please contact Graham Sutherland.
Friday 24th May: Glenelg & Arnisdale Community
Hall
Les Miseres
Saturday 25th May: Marquee in the Avenue
Willie Turnup. Doc Livingstone. Les Miseres. Andi
Neate. Kelpie. The Lush Rollers.
The Drams Committee were also successful in their
application to Awards for All for a grant of £2750 towards
the running costs of the festival.
Drams in the Field 2001
The Drams Committee, in consideration of the bereaved
family, cancelled the 2001 festival at short notice due to the unexpected
death of a well respected member of the community.
Drams in the Field, Inaugurated 2000
Saturday 23rd September saw the start of the Glenelg
Music Festival in a marquee on the Avenue in Glenelg and The Glenelg
Football Club ran the bar. The festival broke even in its first
year and was a great success.
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