Hootananny announce the Ten Years of Hoots Mini-Festival, to be held between June 14th and 16th, to celebrate a decade of gigs at one of the most established music venues in town.

The role the venue has had in promoting music in the area is unarguable having started originally as a home for Scottish traditional music  whilst the opening of the second floor, Mad Hatters, opened the venue up to contemporary music. Hoots has called on a wide range of acts and genres to help them celebrate.

The line-up includes the return of four piece instrumetal band  Shutter who made a massive impact with their debut album ‘Pillars’ when it was released in 2010.They will be joined by another “blast from the past”, whose brand of  “high energy rock and roll conjures up images of classic Motley Crue and Kiss”, Ketimine Deco.

Always home to some of the best touring acts, the weekend will see performances from The O’s, The Winter Tradition and The Manic Shine . Certainly not betraying their traditional roots, Skerryvore and the Hootananny Session Band, will bring the a Scottish feel to the festivities.

Also on the bill are some well known faces to the local scene in Red Ronson, Iain Mclaughlin & The Outsiders and The Mystic Shoes.

This will surely be a weekend to remember, and a fitting celebration for one of the finest music establishments in the area.

Further acts to be announced, you can keep up to date with Hootananny at their website.

We have become quite accustomed to KOBI playing a range of local venues and festivals, but they are reaching out to a younger audience when they play a special end of term concert at Smithton Primary School on Wednesday June 19th as a fundraiser for the Special Care Baby Unit at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.

The band have recently expanded their line-up with the introduction of a trio of local brass musicians: Brian Mitchell (trumpet), Louise Sutherland (alto sax) and Andrew Morgan (trombone). The event was the brainchild of Louise, a teacher at Smithton Primary School, who said ““I am really looking forward to playing for the kids at Smithton.  I love playing in bands and it will be fantastic to have the opportunity to share this with the pupils I teach”.

Louise explains why SCBU was chosen for this fundraiser “Over the years many families associated with the school have been very grateful for the work that SCBU does to for many children. As a school we want to support this work and to ensure that SCBU continues to help children get the very best start in life possible.”

KOBI frontman Gary Thain said “We have had some strong support from people in the Inverness area since releasing ‘All The Way’ and wanted to do something in the community to show some support in return so when Louise mentioned the end of term concert we thought this would be a perfect thing to do’.

The event will also feature a performance from Smithton Drummers and will take place at Smithton Primary at 1.30 pm on June 19th and is open to Smithton Primary pupils and parents only.

The show is part of a series of high profile shows that the band will perform in June, and for those that don’t meet the entrance criteria, they can be seen the length of the country:

Thursday June 6th goNORTH Festival at Hootananny, Inverness

Friday June 14th King Tuts, Glasgow (supporting Ultrasound)

Wednesday June 26th Death2Disco at Notting Hill Arts Club, London

For more information check the KOBI Facebook page.

You can read our last KOBI interview here.

Wakefield trio The Cribs are set to appear at The Ironworks, Inverness on Wednesday 13th August.

Formed back in early 2002 in Wakefield‚ The Cribs are comprised of twin brothers Gary and Ryan Jarman and younger sibling Ross.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 2004 and championed by the likes of Steve Lamacq and the NME. ‘Another Number’ quickly established itself as a firm fan favourite and is rarely left off the set list. ‘The New Fellas’ quickly followed in 2005, and was an altogether more vitriolic affair. Produced by Edwyn Collins, the album broke new ground for the band providing them with several Top 40 singles including ‘Hey Scenesters’‚ a dig at the indie scene of the time and further backed with the chart success of the singles ‘Mirror Kissers’ and ‘Martell’ .

2007 saw Gary relocate to Portland, Oregon, where a chance meeting with Johnny Marr resulted in the ex-Smith joining The Cribs in 2008. Work started in earnest on the band’s fourth album ‘Ignore The Ignorant’ and was released in September 2009. This became their first Top Ten album, garnered support from hitherto uncharted waters and saw the band extend their fanbase across the world and continued the band’s ever increasing upward trajectory.

Their most recent and 5th album ‘In the Belly of the Brazen Bull’ was released May 2012, “I just want every record to do better than the last one” says Ryan “so more and more people get to hear us and hopefully understand us, that’s always the main goal with our records, for people to understand us.”

In March this year the band released a Best Of… compilation album ‘Payola’ to mark their ten year anniversary. Released by Wichita Records it features a new song ‘Leather Jacket Love Song’.

Tickets go on sale at 10am Wednesday 22nd May and can be purchased via Ironworks.

It’s strange to think that there are a generation of people old enough to drink, but not old enough to remember the impact of the Alan Parker directed film, The Commitments, had at the time. It is unsurprising to note that 16 million copies of the sound track were sold off the back of the film based on the rise and fall of an Irish soul band.

Since the release the band have been touring, fairly relentlessly, in various guises, and have seen them play with the likes of BB King and Wilson Pickett. Expect a sing-a-long of soul classics from ‘Dark End of the Street’ to ‘Mustang Sally’ and pretty much everything in between.t’s strange to think that there are a generation of people old enough to drink, but not old enough to remember the impact of the Alan

As in previous years BFest are strongly supporting the local music scene with Gales, The Vandal, Jamie Reid, Cactus & Cardigan, Sid Davidson and Sheppy joining the billing. From a little further afield are Inverness based bands KOBI, The Oxides,Toby Michaels Rolling Damned and returning James Mackenzie.

You can see more about the festival via the BFest Facebook page.

Please also check out our review of BFest 2012, whilst seeing what acts have also been announced for BFest 2013.

In the first of a short series of interviews we speak to some of the acts that are playing goNORTH 2013, first up is Protection Patrol Pinkerton.

PPP is a five piece indie pop styled band from Ghent, Belgium. They consist of Jelle Denturck (vocals), Laurens Vansteelandt (guitar), Pieter-Willem Lauwers (guitar), Nils Tijtgat (bass) and Floris Kesteloot (drums). Their promotion promises “The sounding crackling guitars of The Strokes, the southern twist of Los Campesinos, the wink of Arctic Monkeys and the soul of Perfume Genius”.Quite a mix indeed, so were keen to have a chat…

Where did the band name come from?

Our band name found its origin when our lead singer Jelle was watching a Belgian quiz show called ‘De Canvas crack’ where question was posed about Alan Pinkerton. Alan founded one of the first ‘detective’ organisations called Pinkerton Protective Patrol. Add to this that at the time we had a very hard time agreeing on our band name – everybody turned down everybody else’s suggestions – and you can see why we picked a name so absurd and that everybody could settle for.

Can you tell us a bit about the band’s background?

The band has a common background, we’ve known each other for over 10 years now (we all went to school together) and all of a sudden we decided to play music together. Everybody had been playing in other bands but we’d never had a project together. We decided to play together and automatically new songs came pouring out, whilst having great fun. Having fun, playing music and drinking beer were the founding values of our band and things haven’t changed since then!

What do you think of the title “one of the most exciting bands in Belgium”?

‘One of the most exciting bands in Belgium’, what a title! Honestly, there is so much great music in our country at the moment that it would be very hard to agree on this. We’ve met wonderful people over the time and sympathise with many bands that play awesome tunes. Neverthless, we’re very happy and proud that people appreciate our music and have fun watching us play live. We’ve put a lot of effort in our first album and spreading our music right now is an awesome experience!

You guys are firmly in the “indie pop” bracket who do you consider your peers and inspirations in the genre?

Describing our peers is a hard thing, our taste in music is very diverse and everybody in the band has his own preferences. Bands we would define as being very inspirational range from The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys to bands as Perfume Genius, Tool and many more.

How are you feeling about coming across to Inverness?

Coming over to Inverness is something we’re eagerly looking forward to! It’ll be the first time we play across the pond and man are we ready It’s very interesting because here in Belgium there’s a certain buzz about our band, coming over and playing for an audience that doesn’t know us at all will prove a new challenge! Plus we’re always in for some adventure and we expect the trip will be.

What are the future plans for Protection Patrol Pinkerton ?

Our future plans are not clearly lined out, we have a lot of gigs coming up this summer all over Belgium. We’re hoping to find the time in between to write some new material, the idea of releasing a second album is very real. For spring 2014 we’re currently thinking about playing a tour in the Netherlands, we’ve played twice there and got amazing response!

Protection Patrol Pinkerton play Blackfriars at 10pm on the 6th of June and you can catch up with them on their Facebook page.

Read all our goNORTH 2013 news and follow us on twitter @invernessgig to keep up to date with the festival.

Dylan Sneed plays Hootananny, Inverness on the 30th of May as part of his European tour to promote second album ‘Texodus’.

The singer-songwriter and “fully fledged road warrior” following an “escape” from hum drum office life in 2006. “Sneed is a terrific songwriter who knows how to turn a phrase and plays a mean acoustic guitar”, heralds website No Depression.  Album ‘Texodus’ explores themes of love and relationships appropriately described in his bio as “personal and intimate, yet they explore universal themes”.

Retaining a strong DIY spirit he has received strong support from his fans through Kickstarter which has supported his album and forthcoming European tour.

Dylan will be playing the Tea Posy, Dingwall and Ullapool on the 25th of May then Aviemore on the 29th before playing Hootananny, Inverness on the 30th of May.

You can keep track of Dylan Sneed on Face book.

It seems almost compulsory to have a “must see” list for Rockness, and failing an ability to think creatively we have plumped for a “should see” list (it’s a bit nicer, don’t you think?):

Fatboy Slim

Norman Cook is very much in the fabric of the festival, yes he headlined the first event  and subsequently returned in that spot a couple of times and, yes he is back. It’s hard to deny his talents especially in his ability to build a relationship with the audience, whether that’s through his personality, grasp of the latest trends or his extensive back catalogue which he is well known for cannibalising to great success.Expect plenty of posing with saltires, humble applauses of the crowd and ultimately a great party.

The Vaccines

Great things have been promised for the band, who had NME salivating at the bit when they exploded onto the scene (albeit it in a very well stage managed way).’What did you expect from the Vaccines?’ fuelled the passion for the band and whilst arguably “nothing new” what they do, they do well with punchy little anthems like ‘Wetsuit’, ‘If you Wanna’ and ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’. They are our tip for “Getting the party started” on Friday, be there.

Public Service Broadcasting

A very recent addition to the Rockness billing, the London duo have been getting a great respone from their recent live tour that brings a blend of sample from old broadcasts to newly formed tunes.They combine to make masterful sense of creativity that has not gone unmissed by reviewers of debut album ‘Inform – Educate – Entertain’; “Artful and evocative” or a “A sampladelic delight” depending on your choice of broadsheet. If your looking for something different, you’ll not need to look much further.

The Futureheads

We suspect that the band will abandon their acapella styling that impressed with 2012 release ‘Rant’,but who knows? The band have a penchant for creativity and testing limits, their cover of ‘Hounds of Love’, which won best single of 2005 by NME, emphasises this well. High speed pop-rock will no doubt win out for the gig.

Alabama 3

Maybe cliche but Alabama 3 are a festival band or possibly the festival band. They have a clutch of tunes that are as high profile as their live antics. “Woke Up this Morning” of course will be the must hear song but you can’t help but be won over by the soulful / funk blendings. You’ll be converted by Reverend D Wayne Love and Co. without a doubt.

Daniel Sloss

He’s an old hand at Rockness, but his growing stature despite his youth is undeniable. Indeed there is something very alluring about the self deprecating charms of the “half xbox” poster boy. Daniel was described as a “self-proclaimed ‘miserable bastard’ who is willing to call just about anyone a ‘c***’”. Easy to see why he’s been asked back,then, expect the tent to be chocca.

Plan B

Difficult to write one of these lists without referring to one of the headliners and you can’t ignore Plan B. With, Ben Drew you get someone who is not afraid to challenge convention, the most successful of which was his steps from rap to soul with ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’. There is no doubt he is a showman and expect quite a show indeed.

Please also keep an eye open for the local acts playing the festival they won’t disappoint.

You can see our article on how to survive Rockness.

Music is all about opinion and we would love to read you suggestions for Rockness 2013 (see the Facebook comments underneath).

Texas are to play Inverness Leisure Centre as part of “The Conversation” tour on the 10th of November, 2013.

Twenty-five years in the business, Texas are celebrating by touring with new album, ‘The Conversation’. The new album is the first for the band in eight years is described as “a perfect marriage of Hawley’s 50s rock’n’roll frills and the timeless Texas magnetism to cast-iron melodies”. Texas’ lead singer and guitarist Sharleen Spiteri said: “We’re really excited to be playing in Inverness, as part of our UK tour. It promises to be a great night, with performances of some of our greatest hits as well as our new material.”

So without doubt the band will be playing their classic hits including “”I Don’t Want a Lover”, “Halo” and “Say what you Want”.Their response from the audience at Belladrum 2011 shows that there is a clear apetite for the band in the Highlands.

The gig is part of the Live in The City series of which Rick Astley has already been announced.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 17th May 2013 priced £37 and are available online at www.ticketline.co.uk; by phone 0844 888 9991 or in person from Caffreys Menswear, Union Street, Inverness.

See our pictures of Texas from Belladrum 2011,by McIntosh Photography, below:

Rockness 2013 announce the final list of acts to be playing the Festival.

The “icing on the cake” , the final announcement of Rockness introduces a great smattering of talent to the already impressive bill. It includes London Grammar, the Hannah Reid led band promise “soul drenched, chill-out-esque pop music to lift your heart”. Or to steal a quote from The Guardian “just indie enough for Zane Lowe, just dancey enough for Annie Mac”. Winning Best Live Act of Glastonbury two years in a row,swing/hip-hop duo, The Correspondants bring more than a fair share of chaos to the proceedings. Jakob Banks has had his voice likened to Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Louis Armstrong combined with a line in emotional poignant lyrics that have reviewers describing his live act as spine tingling.

Also on the bill are two acts that have been in the Inverness area recently, although the similarities end there for Fatherson and Public Broadcasting Service.PBS have a masterful sense of creativity that has not gone unmissed by reviewers of debut album ‘Inform – Educate – Entertain’; “Artful and evocative” or a “A sampladelic delight” depending on your choice of broadsheet. Fatherson on the other hand the bands rock/ indie/ folk styling have continued to win fans, and with the release of their debut album imminent, 2013 promises much for the boys from Ayrshire.

Veterans of the local dance scene, Filth DJs, make a welcome return to the festival and making their debut are joined by young guns Them & Us, aka Mark and Liam Mackenzie.

Snafu also brings a party to a party with “the love child of Delphic and Daft Punk” Fenech-Soler, the “DJ’s DJ” Hernna Cattaneo, San Franciscan MiMosa, returning Bigfoot’s Tea Party, and finishing off their line-up The Snafu Residents.George Russell of Snafu said of Rockness: “ The memories come flooding back as soon as you arrive and RockNess is like a second home for many people who have now grown up with the festival. It’s great for Snafu to be back and contribute once again to what will be a fantastic weekend for all.”

For all the other previous announcements please see our Rockness news. But please check out the local acts in particular .

You can buy tickets direct from www.Rockness.co.uk.

Jemma Tweedie talks to Inverness Gigs about her music, her plans for the Summer and her love of Rockness, among other things…

It’s hard to ignore Jemma Tweedie at the moment, probably the equivalent of the Tasmanian Devil, should he have chosen to pick up a guitar and pursue his passion, although I suspect that his styling would be significantly less melodic.

The 20 year old from Nairn is currently studying Radiography in Glasgow and whilst she claims to be limiting her gigging due to her commitment to her studies, this would not be readily obvious to an onlooker!

She refers to this being the calm before the storm and indeed the summer offers much for Jemma who has already been announced on the goNORTH line-up, the Cornbury festival Oxfordshire and most recently been announced on the bill of Rockness as part of the Inverness Gigs and Netsounds Unsigned curated list of acts.

Jemma speaks fondly of Rockness, a festival that she has attended loyally every year. Jemma recalls 2011 as being her favourite catching the likes of Kasabian, Favourite Son and Zane Lowe. For 2013 however Jemma had resigned herself to not attending mainly due to a lack of funds, but attempts to play the festival had also been unsuccessful. “ I was chuffed when I was told that I was going to play the festival” although admits to it being a bit surreal.

Also on the agenda this summer is a forty plus date tour of Caffe Neros taking her round the UK. Indeed her tracks are already being played in the cafes as part of their playlist, after she had sent the chain a copy of her EP. “It was only going to be a Scottish tour, but it got a bit out of hand”she comments with a slight laugh, perhaps out of nervousness given the size of the tour? “I gig a lot anyway” alleviating any thoughts of nervousness “ I live on buses… It’s kinda normal for me” She did resist the temptation to book gigs at night as well, which is probably a wise move.

Jemma talks about the many demands on a singer including the management element “I spend a lot of time on my computer booking gigs.. chasing up things…” She acknowledges that it detracts from her passion for music “If I don’t write a song every week I go kinda insane”. Her inspirations for her songs come from various sources such as feeling strong about something or just a snippet of conversation that has poignancy. She referred to her song “Draw the Line” which a couple of her friends cried at “if people can connect to my song at that level it’s really cool”.

It is her gig at King Tuts last year that stands out for her so far in an albeit relatively short career. Jemma talked fondly of her experiences as a fan at the venue and her last gig before performing there was watching Tom Odell and Jake Bugg. When she played, Jemma played the same position as Tom (first support), and was pleased with the amount of audience that watched her play “ I still get pumped up thinking about it”.She returns to play Glasgow, this time at the O2 ABC, on the 30th of May when she will be supporting Danny Shah.

It’s difficult to remember that Jemma’s career is a particularly young one, this time last year she had only owned a guitar for a few months.On talking about her first steps into music, she frequently refers to her dad both for his musical preferences and that she decided to learn the guitar after her dad did, a couple of years prior. “I watched him.. I liked making a noise and trying to figure out the chords”. For Christmas that year she received a guitar and struggled to put it down after that.

At the moment Jemma is drawn to the 1920’s referring to acts such as Muddy Waters and Minnie Memphis although also referring to The Clash, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and the more contemporary Miles Kane and Jack White. “All my influences tend to be men” she observes. Although on reflections she also holds Amy Winehouse in high esteem.

As for her own recordings, a follow up to debut EP ‘Two Hands’ maybe a while off although the intention is to record material for electronic release at some point although finding the time is a challenge.” I don’t want people to get bored and think that I have disappeared”.

Getting a sense of where Jemma is at I don’t think she will be going off the radar anytime soon, in fact we’re even more convinced that Jemma’s profile will continue to grow over the next few months.

You can see more of Jemma Tweedie on Facebook.

Please also keep track of what’s going on in Invermess by signing up to the Inverness Gigs mailing list.