LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: GoNorth Festival

Inverness is home to GoNorth Festival this June. The annual Creative Industries Festival features a broad range of music, screen, publishing, fashion and interactive content. Each year the event brings a wide programme of panels, workshops, film screenings, training opportunities, Q&A sessions, keynote interviews and live music showcases to the North of Scotland.

Now in its 13th year, today the music showcase lineup was announced. “We are delighted with the quality and range of acts invited to showcase at this year’s goNORTH,” said director for Music Shaun Arnold. “The A&R process to establish our 2013 list proved particularly challenging as we received a record number of high quality submissions. As goNORTH continues to develop, each year the music element becomes increasingly competitive. We would like to offer a huge thank you to all the acts that applied to play this year and look forward to delivering our most ambitious showcase programme to date.”

2013 SCOTTISH SHOWCASE LIST:
ALARM BELLS
ALGERNON DOLL
ARCHES
ATLAS:EMPIRE
BE LIKE PABLO
BEAR ARMS
BEHOLD THE OLD BEAR
BIRDHEAD
BLACK INTERNATIONAL
BOOK GROUP
CALL TO MIND
CAMPFIRES IN WINTER
CARNIVORES
CASUAL SEX
CLEAVERS
DAVEY HORNE
DONALD MACDONALD & THE ISLANDS
DUNCAN OVERMEER
DYLAN TIERNEY
EUGENE TWIST
FAKE MAJOR
FAT GOTH
FLUTES
FOREST FIRES
FRIENDS IN AMERICA
GALOSHINS
GARDEN OF ELKS
HECTOR BIZERK
HOMEWORK
JEMMA TWEEDIE
JO MANGO
KOBI
LIDH
LIONEL
LITTLE FIRE
MIKE NISBET
MINIATURE DINOSAURS
PINACT
PLASTIC ANIMALS
POOR THINGS
PRONTO MAMA
RED RONSON
ROMAN NOSE
SAINT MAX AND THE FANATICS
SHAMBLES MILLER
SO MANY ANIMAL CALLS
THE BOY WHO TRAPPED THE SUN
THE BROKEN RAVENS
THE DEADLINE SHAKES
THE IMAGINEERS
THE LAFONTAINES
THE MOUSE THAT ATE THE CAT
THE OK SOCIAL CLUB
THE OXIDES
THE RECOVERY
THE SEA ATLAS
THE VELVETEEN SAINTS
THE YAWNS
VASQUEZ
WILLIE CAMPBELL
WOODENBOX

UPCOMING EVENTS/PREVIEW - Brew at the Bog 2013

Returning for its second year, Brew at the Bog festival will bring new music and new beer to Bogbain Farm in Inverness on Saturday 4th May. The festival showcases the best in homegrown Scottish talent combined with craft beer from the controversial brewery in an award-winning setting. 

This year's lineup has many notable bands/performers worth checking out. Here are my picks:

Shambles Miller - You won't find many other acts who can offer the same brilliant witty reparté and folk-pop tunes like Shambles does. It'll no doubt be one of the most memorable performances of the festival.

Michael Cassidy - Another solo performer Paisley's Michael Cassidy is a singer-songerwriter who offers dreamy tunes that will make your hairs stand on end. Having received great praise in the last year, he's certainly one to watch.



Trapped in Kansas - One of my favourite Glasgow bands for many years, Trapped in Kansas are a math-pop band whose sounds can make a special impact on the listener. The lyrical and sonic talent of this band suggests they should be much bigger than they are.



Fake Major - Hot off the release of their debut EP Fake Major will be gracing Bogbain Farm with their stunning arrangements and live show. They're anything but another indie-folk band and will not be a hidden gem for long.



Olympic Swimmers - Another longtime favourite of mine, their folk-filled power pop is taking Glasgow indie to new levels. They have a supreme talent for writing intense, powerful music that stays with the listener.


The full lineup is as follows:
Olympic Swimmers, Three Blind Wolves, Randolph’s Leap, Discopolis, Homework, Found, Miaoux Miaoux, United Fruit, Chris Devotion & The Expectations, The Little Kicks, Cherri Fosphate, The Stagger Rats, Fatherson, Kitty the Lion, Fake Major, Trapped in Kansas, The Whiskys, This Silent Forest, The Winter Tradition, James MacKenzie, JP Jones, Michael Cassidy, Donald MacDonald and the Islands, Adam Holmes and the Embers, Seznec Brothers, Sion Russell Jones, Jonathan Powell, Davey Horne, Tomos Lewis, Sienna, Bronagh & the Boys, Poor Things, Seven Summits, Shambles Millers, Verse Metrics, Ashley & the Cosmonauts, Sharfla.

Tickets are £30 (with camping)/£20 (without camping) and are currently available online as well as at BrewDog bars.

Full details are at brewatthebog.com.