Doune The Rabbit Hole - Sunday 2022

What a brilliant day! I wasn't sure where to start! So, to fully capture the vibe, eclectic nature, site and family friendly nature of Doune The Rabbit Hole, I thought I would write in photo & text form to showcase what we packed into the day!

We started off in the family area. Rosie (7.5) loves arts and crafts, so it was good to get some shade (even early on) and let the kids potter about designing and making masks/headpieces.

With the permission of one of the team in the tent (and the promise I would bring her back a coffee) I went off in search in coffee and stood in 2 queues where coffee sold out. Aaaahhhh! Coffee, on the 4th day of a festival, is something that many were searching for. Any coffee traders reading this should pitch for a stall at Doune next year! 

On the way back I stopped at the Main Stage for a bit to see Brass Eye, who had decided to come down and play in the crowd. They were brilliant and I wish we'd managed to catch their set.

After a while we headed to the Whistleblower stage for Dopesickfly who delivered a set that was just perfect for a festival. Cool, loose, fresh, upbeat soul with a little bit of a dancey/disco vibe at times. There was audience participation and a general feeling of positivity on stage and off. I hope to catch the band again and wouldn't be surprised if Doune ask them to return for a bigger slot next year. Zoe (11) declared frontman Ant to be super cool. So she was delighted to meet him shortly afterwards.

Back in the family area, we caught up with our friends Kyle & Julie for some Unicorn Dance party fun! they were up for the full weekend with their 2 kids and raved about Saturday (Julie is writing a guest blog). Julie was also super chilled after attending Stuart Murdoch's Guided Meditation session

Rosie and her pal Phoebe loved the Unicorn Dance Party - so did I! 

Next stop, after ice cream, was the Whistleblower Stage for an inspired piece of festival booking - Baccara ... of Yes Sir, I Can Boogie fame!

Baccara drew a large crowd and their euro pop went down a treat in the afternoon sunshine. Everyone was only there for one song, but many others got people dancing and singing-a-long. The reponse to Yes Sir, I Can Boogie was so good that Baccara came back on to sing it again! Pure pop music and good fun in the sunshine. A real festival moment.

Time for food and a chill. So we set up camp at the Main Stage and watched the excellent Heisk who had left Wick at 5.30am in the morning to get down to play. And play they did, their modern take on traditional/ceilidh music was warmly received by the crowd.

The Bluebells were warm, charming and the perfect soundtrack to the early evening sunshine. Ken McCluskey was funny - leading a slosh on at least 2 occasions, warning of brown acid (Woodstock joke) and enjoying good natured banter with Bobby Bluebell on guitar - a couple of Smash Hits references were appreciated by those of a certain age in the crowd.

I'm Falling is guitar pop perfection in my book. Then again, so is Everybody's Somebody's Fool, Forever More and Cath! And of course Young At Heart is just incredible. It was great to look around the crowd and see so many people smiling and singing along - for 4-minutes everyone was Young At Heart. The power of pop. The sound of 2 electric guitars and an acoustic warmed my own heart.

There were a couple of choice covers. Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth started from nowhere, a losse jam, ending with the bands kids and friends on stage singing. And a lovingly raw What Goes On by The Velvets was just glorious. 

Before long it was time for my favourite band in the Scottish summer sunshine. We had the added bonus of being able to watch them set up and line/sound check. Norman Blake's smile makes me smile, the twinkle in his eye is as bright as it was when Teenage Fanclub burst on the scene. 

Home opened the show, like it opens the Fannies most recent album Endless Arcade. Stretched to over 7-minutes, there is plenty of time for the band to jam and for McGinley to bend notes and create spine tingling moments. 

New songs mixed with old favourites, being down the front with Zoe (my 11 year old daughter) for Alcoholiday was a moment to cherish. Norman finding a sharpie to use on his xylophone for Raymond's sublime Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From brought laughter across the venue. We were back down the front to see the band race through I'm In Love and I was really grateful to be with Zoe for My Uptight Life as the band slowed it right down until it was eventually just Raymond playing guitar and Norman harmonising with him, with Fanclub Fanclub members in the crowd gently joining in.

All my life I felt so uptight

Now it's all alright

It's become a real highlight during Fanclub shows - beautiful. We'd bumped into a couple of friens down the front and Zoe got a little shock as I attempted to pull her into a pogo-ing session for The Concept! So we went back to Rosie and our friends and watched from the side. Norman said they were running out of time and blasted into debut single Everything Flows, although the band jammed on at the end as if they were waiting for someone to pull the plug. Eventually they ended and warmly thanked the crowd who returned their own appreciation.

I've lost count of how many times I've seen Teenage Fanclub over the last (near) 30-years, but this show will always remain with me. The first time I saw them with my two daughters. ❤😀

Could the band fit in a little show or two before the end of the year?

I hope this trilogy of blogs on Doune The Rabbit Hole makes you (and your family) consider going next year. You can check my Friday & Saturday blogs.

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!

Doune The Rabbit Hole preview

Scotland has no shortage of outdoor gigs/festivals on offer this summer. TRNSMT, Big Top shows in Edinburgh, Primal Scream in Queens Park, Belladrum, Party At The Palace, Summer Night at Kelvingrove Bandstand, Edinburgh Castle shows, Edinburgh Bandstand shows, Harry Styles at Ibrox, multiple Hampden shows ...

You'd think promoters were trying to make up for lost time or something!

And so are music fans! Most of these shows are selling out, the cost of living crisis is banished to one side as people scrimp & save, or stick thing on credit cards to get out with friends to experience the joys & escapsim of live music.

The festival/outdoor show that is exciting me the most is Doune The Rabbit Hole ...

Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, Orbital and Camera Obscura at the one festival, less than an hour from Glasgow?!

Sure fire festival hits like Boney M, The Bluebells and 10CC.

Then you have legends like Patti Smith, breaking bands like Yard Act, the hugely respected Sleaford Mods and a huge range of Scottish acts like Stanley Odd, Poster Paints, Honeyblood, Girobabies, Free Love, BiS, Happy Tears and many, many more...

It's time, and long overdue, for my first trip Doune The Rabbit Hole.

Add in the fact that it's regularly highlighted as being incredibly family friendly ... I'm going with the kids! My wife is away on a hen do!

My sister Carla has played before and has urged me to go. So now is the time! 

Without putting too much thought into it, I've selected my top 10 acts I hope to see this weekend. But there are many more! And I tend to find that just wandering around creates the best festival memories - stumbling across a DJ playing one of your favourite songs, or a band/singer you've never heard of who blows you away.

1) Yard Act - they've released one of my albums of 2022 and I missed them at their sold out Mono show earlier in the year. VIDEO _ 100% Endurance

2) Poster Paints - fresh from releasing the gorgeous summer single Falling Hard and a 6Music session with Marc Riley. VIDEO - Falling Hard

3) Craig Charles Funk & Soul - always good fun, Charles generates an infectious energy from the stage and plays brilliant soul music.

4) Happy Tears & BiS - I like what I've heard from this band and hope to make their set and then stick around for BiS. VIDEO - Euro Disco

5) Sambayabamba - That said, there could be a clash with the superb Sambayabamba on the main stage - they always get people going. All ages will love this band. VIDEO 

6) Camera Obscura - A very special and underrated band, a new album could be in the pipeline, their comeback shows at Saint Lukes were spine tinglingly good. VIDEO - French Navy

7) Belle & Sebastian - Another very special band from Scotland. Fun, soulful and with an exceptional catalogue to draw upon. Could you get up on stage with them to dance to The Boy With The Arab Strap?! You might be lucky! I do hope to catch some of Orbital too! VIDEO _ The Boy With The Arab Strap

8) The Bluebells - Riding high on the success of the reissue of their seminal Sisters album, The Bluebells guitar pop is perfect for a summers day. And Young At Heart will be a festival anthem. VIDEO - Young At Heart

9) Sacred Paws - A very energetic live band. I think it was November 2019 when I last caught them.  How time flies! The kind of band that, if you stumble across them, could be your favourite band from the weekend. VIDEO _ Everyday

10) Teenage Fanclub - It kind of goes without saying, but closing the weekend with my favourite band playing in the evening sunshine (everything crossed!) would be perfect. VIDEO _ What You Do To Me