Doune The Rabbit Hole - Saturday 2022

Sadly the girls and I couldn't make it up to the Saturday of Doune The Rabbit Hole. I was gutted to miss Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura among many others.

Thankfully my friend Julie agreed to write her first blog! Julie was up with her husband Kyle, two young kids - Phoebe & Keir, plus her in-laws Sandra and Andy. Their company on Friday & Sunday was extremely welcome and it was great to hear Andy & Sandra's many musical stories.

Thanks Julie.

Julie's blog

Saturday, Doune the Rabbit Hole 2022 - the day we had been looking forward to since 2019 and it did not disappoint.

We started the day with a trip to the fully stocked family area. Firstly we took in the traditional games and skittles, before trying our hand at the circus skills. Our son swiftly returned to the marble run which so solidly captured his attention the previous day. While at the family area we took in the chance to attend a unicorn dance party - turns out all we needed was some sparkle!

After this it was time to camp out in front of the main stage for the stellar Saturday afternoon line up. We found a spot with plenty of space and a great view where we could enjoy a lazy afternoon with some great performers. Doune is really well set up for families, with everybody being relaxed and ready to have a good time.

BC Camplight came first, setting the tone by opening his set with the lyrics This afternoon I thought about buckfast and space. After the confusion was cleared up about the location (we were in Lake of Monteith, not Stirling) he continued with his deeply personal lyrics, playing his song written following deportation with a video of Theresa May dancing in the background! He received a warm Scottish welcome, especially when sharing it was the best thing that had happened to him all week following being broken up with! Our only complaint was no Shortly After Take Off, the son our 5 year old son had been asking about all day.

Tide Lines were up next, a band that were new to us but we'd like to hear more of. There was no denying their Highland roots with the crowd dancing along to the Far Side of the World and The Young and the Restless. I can see how they managed to sell out the Barrowland and hope to see them continue to have success.

Next on the line up were Stockport's finest - 10cc. Not a band I was familiar with but one of those bands where you recognise more songs than you expect to - with the lyric I don't like cricket - I love it being sung on repeat in our home for the last few days. They delivered a set covering all their hits with many in the crowd joining in for every line.

The day was finished off by two of Glasgow's finest bands. Second last of the day and a big favourite of mine, Camera Obscura. Back on stage after a hiatus, Tracyann's distinctive voice was a welcomed sound, kicking off with Sweetest Thing and finishing with Razzle Dazzle Rose. And we loved everything in between.

An finally as the sun began to set, Belle & Sebastian arrived on stage to the first and very brief rain shower of the day. There's little that can beat a live B&S show (in my view) but even better watching with your two kids who are equally enjoying the show. They played a mix of new (Unnecessary Drama) and old (Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying), much to the crowds delight and were joined by the bands kids on stage for The Boy With The Arab Strap. Stuart Murdoch was enjoying the Scottish crowd after returning from an American tour, and the crowd were equally happy to be there.

After a short break, they returned for an encore with Another Sunny Day and luckily for us, it had been just that.

Doune The Rabbit Hole - Friday 2022

Welcome to the first of 3 blogs on Doune The Rabbit Hole 2022.

Rosie - ready to go Doune The Rabbit Hole?!

Sadly we couldn't make it up on the Thursday night, but by all accounts the legendary Patti Smith smashed things out of the park, while Tim Burgess defied rail strikes and cancellations to make it up for his DJ slot. Going by his video tweets of him dropping The Chemical Brothers, The Human League, Underworld and The Charlatans own The Only One I Know - he had a good time and he'll be back. 

This was my first trip to Doune and I already know it won't be my last. I've followed the festival online since inception and it's grown from very humble beginnings into a really brilliant family festival.

More on that later, as my daughters Zoe and Rosie accompanied me to test that out! Zoe has promised a vlog on the weekend, but that might come later on.

Firstly, the setting is absolutely gorgeous. Doune was under an hours drive from Uddingston, once we got off the motorway we marvelled at the rolling green hills and hundreds of bales of hay neatly rolled up, stretching as far as they eye could see.

The skies were grey and rain was falling, however as we got closer to the festival site, the clouds parted and before long blue skies were the order of the day. 

Doune's festival site is absolutely stunning. Each stage area is well thought out, Nothing is too far away, no stage is overwhelmingly huge, yet there is plenty of space. There are beautiful trees to chill under and get some shade - needed yesterday, cool food stalls, lots of quirky festival stalls and an AMAZING family area!

My youngest (7) could happily have pottered around there most of (if not all of) the day; storytelling, the legendary Singing Kettle, arts and crafts, a sandpit, giant bubble workshops and parties, drumming workshops ... and loads more. As my friend Julie (who is up with her 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son for the full weekend) said - 'if they had a coffee shop and bar here then we wouldn't need to leave!'

It was great to see kids getting up to good old fashioned fun, with a marble run proving to be a big winner! There was also a 'junk yard' for kids to play with all kinds of things, or see what they could make. Plus supervised tight rope walking and rope climbing.

Could they introduce a kids club! 

We spent our first couple of hours hanging in the kids club and taking a walk round the site to get our bearings. Then we headed to meet my sister Carla who was playing the Baino's Tolbooth Stage with her band Poster Paints at 1.30pm.

Poster Paints played a shimmering, summery set. Singles Number 1, Never Saw It Coming and Falling Hard were indie guitar pop tastic. While slow groove burners like Circus Moving On, Hard To Sweeten (a personal favourite) and Blood Orange show a very different side to them that will be displayed on their forthcoming debut album. The latter, with the hook, bursting blood orange, seemed made for the sunshine. Closing with My Song, which soared into New Order territory thanks to a sublime combination of bass, synth and infectious guitar, Poster Paints won new fans.

I got evidence of this through my daughter Zoe who went a walk round the festival with Carla afterwards. 'Lots of people wanted to speak with Aunt Carla!'

Poster Paints

Zoe with Aunt Carla

We kind of flitted between the Baino's stage and the family area for the rest of the afternoon. The next band Peaness (much amusement to the kids!) were really cool and also just a perfect summer soundtrack. 

The Rezillos were brilliant fun, they really got the crowd going. Although they went on earlier than billed, so there were a few disgruntled fans who sadly missed them. I think they went on earlier as The Deep Blue (from Ireland) were late. So credit to the Rezillos for that and due to the grassroots nature of Doune, it's difficult to spread the word of any changes across the site. Their cover of Land Of A Thousand Dances got people of all ages singing and dancing, then their punk hit Top Of The Pops sparkled with energy.

The Deep Blue showcased effortless 3-part harmonies and had a real Fleetwood Mac vibe going on. Very nice indeed. We also caught a bit of Liverpool's She Drew The Gun on the main stage who drew a cracking crowd. They are a very hard working band and word of mouth seems to be growing.

The Deep Blue

After some delicious German hot dogs we went over to Esperanza play a superb set on the Whistleblower stage. Their infectious and highly energetic ska set got loads of people dancing. I really enjoyed their set and the chance to cut loose.

The need to dance had arrived, so we decided to check out Optimo in the Comhla tent. There were loads of parents in with their kids and the Optimo guys were acknowledging that with nods and winks. The way they were layering and building their set was superb. I could happily have stayed to see what they played towards the end of their set, but the kids wanted to see what a festival headliner looked like. They were starting to flag a little, so we headed to the main stage for Amy MacDonald.

Amy seemed thrilled to be playing, packing the main stage area and swiftly getting into her stride with her excellent band. We only stayed for a few songs as after a long day in the sun of playing and watching bands, the kids were ready for rest.

Unfortunately Yard Act were on just a little too late for the kids. I'll need to see them when they play Saint Lukes later in the year!

Dua Lipa at The Hydro

Way back in 2020, when the country was locked down, Dua Lipa released Future Nostalgia on 27th March. Around that time our eldest daughter Zoe discovered Tik Tok and on it she discovered the song Don't Start Now. Before long, we all knew it!

And before long we all fell in love with Future Nostalgia, an album that would go on to be one of my albums of the year. Rammed full of hits; catchy, clever and euphoric pop. We tuned into Dua's Studio 2054 online concert and longed for the day when she would visit Glasgow.

Last night she did!

Oh what a night!

Pure pop with a clubby edge at times. We had outfit changes, dancers, roller blading dancers, lights, balloons, confetti cannons, a levitating stage, a catwalk, a pop star on top of her game backed by an excellent band and with (even after only 2 albums) an incredible selection of pop songs.

The set was largely lifted from Future Nostalgia, a truly stunning pop album in its own right, but every song could (and many were) be a single. 

First, I must mention support act Griff who played a super 30-minute set and got the crowd singing along. Not only with her cover of Whitney Houston's classic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, but also with her own songs like One Night and Head On Fire. Tipped as one to watch at the 2021 Brits, I can only echo this and I'll be digging into her releases to date with as much eagerness as my kids. Only 21, Griff could explode over the next few years.

But last night was all about Dua Lipa. Her band, backing singers and dancers all took to the stage, introduced on the giant screens .... and then it was Dua in a pink PVC cat suit, strutting confidently on to the stage as her band jammed an extended intro to Physical.

And then things got physical! Dua and her dancers rarely stopped for the next 100-minutes. The crowd responded, cheering dance moves, breakdowns, singing choruses, singing full songs, waving mobiles, getting up on shoulders and generally going crazy. Many had been waiting almost 2-years for this performance. 

Cool is one of my favourite Dua songs, cause it is super cool, the synths are just sublime. Break My Heart is ridiculously catchy while being euphoric and clubby with it. Posing the brilliant question

Am I falling in love with the one that could break my heart?

Be The One was Dua Lipa's second single way back in 2015 and it was possibly my favourite song of the night. Dua and her band broke the song down and played off the room against each other to sing the chorus.

Boys Will Be Boys was euphoric, lifted in pace slightly from the album version? It certainly seemed that way. A clubby mix with the dancers going crazy on the catwalk stage while Dua changed outfits was really cool, a great show.

The big songs were really kicking in now. One Kiss was incredible, lifting everyone on to their feet (although many in the seats were up already), Hallucinate was pure pop perfection and even Cold Heart, Dua's duet with Elton John sounded euphoric in the way it was played. My kids love it, but I'm not a fan when it comes on the radio. I loved it last night!

Dua was simply sensational. Oozing confidence as she strutted, danced, hair flicked and sang, seemingly effortlessly. Her outfits were pure pop, catsuits, dresses, clubby outfits ... a pop superstar.

The dancers left the stage and Dua sang the euphoric Levitating from .... a levitating stage - of course! Theatrical and pure pop. Closing with a double punch encore of Future Nostalgia and Don't Start Now, confetti rained down on the crowd who were now deliriously giddy on a pure pop high.

Wow! Dua Lipa put on an incredible show. This was pop, theatre, a dance club, a disco, a dream and pure pop escapism. At only 26, Dua Lipa has the pop world at her feet. I can't wait to see and hear what she does next.

Setlist

1. Physical (extended)

2. New Rules (extended)

3. Love Again

4. Cool

5. Pretty Please

6. Break My Heart

7. Be The One

IDGAF

8. We're Good

9. Good In Bed

10. Fever

11. Boys Will Be Boys

Club Future Nostalgia Mix

12. One Kiss

13. Electricity

14. Hallucinate

15. Cold Heart

16. Levitating

17. Future Nostalgia

18. Don't Start Now

Echo and the Bunnymen 40th anniversary at the Barrowland

A half silhouette, half human, bathed in a spotlight, mumbles in a broad scouse accent; 'This is the best song ever written' and his band take off, playing The Killing Moon, released back in early 1984. 

At one point band and singer fell away to let the Barrowland crowd sing;

Fate

Up against your will

Through the thick and thin

He will wait until

You give yourself to him

2,000 people give themselves 100% completely to him - the half silhouette, half human. His name is Ian (Mac) McCulloch who formed Echo and the Bunnymen way back in 1979, quickly going on to release their debut album Crocodiles in 1980. 

It's a beautiful moment, the crowd uniting behind a beautiful song in front of author.

Echo and the Bunnymen are a special band. Their first four albums in particular created the kind of devotion that is only saved for the very best of bands. People followed them like a football team and many gigs were like cup finals. Their 1997 comeback with Nothing Lasts Forever could have a case for being the greatest musical comeback of all time, coming over a decade since they had done anything of note. And after Mac had left the band.

Last night wasn't the most euphoric Bunnymen gig I've seen, it wasn't the best, but the best teams with the strongest leaders can still pull a performance out when they need it.

Early on Mac said he was nervous, playing the Barrowland on the last night of their tour. This was after he joked 'it only feels like yesterday that we were here.' This was their second sold out show in a row and I'm sure many in the audience will have attended both nights.

Will Sergeant on guitar coxed exquisite sounds and freaky psychedelic sounds, introduced on stage by Alan McGee as the best post punk guitarist. His playing on Ocean Rain was simply sublime, truly beautiful. Sergeant could attack his guitar with grace one moment, then play stunning solo's on just a couple of strings next - incredible.

And Mac, the half silhouette/human? Well his presence was felt by every single person in the room. All eyes were on him. He berated the sound engineer a little at the start, took drinks from the drum riser during and in between songs, talked nonsense and ... most importantly ... he sang his heart out. His brittle heart. When he pulls way from his microphone, head tilted back, then you know he is at his best.

Sure at times he was croaky and hoarse. But at other times he thrilled as he reached as high as he could go and at others pulled us closer with a mere whisper. Throwing in Walk On The Wild Side during Nothing Lasts Forever and then bringing it back is an old and seasoned Bunnymen trick, as is a little segue into Roadhouse Blues here and The Jean Genie there.

Over the wall, hand in hand felt important and urgent, especially so given the current news and seeing such bravery from Ukranian citizens. It electrified the Ballroom, the band played superbly. See you at the barricades.

Highlights? Rescue lifted the crowd early on and it was followed (perhaps a little too early in the set) by Bring On The Dancing Horses, but it dazzled and it always will. An extended Lips Like Sugar that went pretty psychedelic was a delight. But it was the encore that raised the roof. 

The Cutter was skyscrapingly euphoric, the crowd singing say we can, say we will, not just another drop in the ocean before those incredible strings and Sergeant's guitar reach heavenly. And then the aforementioned greatest song of all time with the best choir in the world that Mac said he wished he could take on their American tour.

And then? Then it was Ocean Rain. An even better song than The Killing Moon for me. So pure, heartfelt, soulful and true. Beautifully played and sung. 

All hands on deck at dawn

Sailing to sadder shores

Your port in my heavy storm

Harbours the blackest thoughts

They'll be back. And we'll be there.