Heather on the Hill festival 2026

John, Stevie, Alan, Nathan and Mhairi

WOW!

Last weekend my family and I were fortunate to attend the inaugural Heather on the Hill festival in the Royal Highland Showgrounds, just outside Edinburgh. The sun shone through the day and created a glorious mix of colours as it set later in the evening.

Outdoor shows, especially when the weather is kind, are incredible. There is an extra sense of occasion to them. And we have a range of magnificent venues and locations throughout the country in which to host them. 

However, the vast majority of outdoor summer shows (not including festivals like Belladrum) in Scotland are 16+. Nathan Evans and the Saint PHNX Band were determined to change that.

This is an ambition that Stevie and Alan from Saint PHNX have held for a while. A few years ago they put on an all ages show (with Nathan as 'secret' special guest) at Hamilton Town Hall. And it worked. People took note. Family values are extremely important to Nathan, Stevie and Alan.

Quite a lot has happened since then! Hit singles, viral videos, two albums, a World Cup anthem and shows all over the world. It has been a beautiful whirlwind for Nathan, Stevie and Alan.

Stevie and Alan

Sunset at Heather on the Hill

Those of you that have followed this blog over a period of time will recognise the names of Stevie and Alan from their old band Vigo Thieves who I helped manage for a while. I've seen them play to 30 people and now 30,000 people! I love the sunset photo of the two of them above. I'm so pleased for them.

DF Concerts, Scotland's largest promoter, contains people who have known and worked with Stevie and Alan for around 15-years (how time flies!) in various sizes, shapes and forms. From playing the basement of Maggie Mays to 30 people, to selling out 2-nights at King Tuts, the ABC, Arches and the Barrowland Ballroom. They absolutely get their humour, creative energy and ambition. 

When Nathan Evans and the Saint PHNX band played the Hyrdo last year, it was all ages. It sold out quickly and it was a phenomenal show that I was fortunate to attend. DF listened to Nathan, Stevie and Alan's idea for a family friendly festival and presented solutions. The Heather on the Hill Festival was born and the DF team worked on it for over a year ... and they nailed it. It will be back in 2027! Tickets are on sale NOW. The early bird sold out quickly!

What a success! The sun shone, which always helps! The festival site layout at the Royal Highland Centre was perfect - there was space to chill, plenty of food options, large bars, kids playparks and activities, soft play and a wide variety of music. 

My wife and kids (aged 15 and 11) arrived on site around 2.30pm and were immediately taken by the layout. One of the key strengths (at least for me) about the site is the fact that it has actual buildings that can be utilised - including toilet blocks. The cleanest festival toilets ever! But aside from that, there was immediate green space, tents were set up for art, storytelling and face painting (huge queue of course - I am so glad the face painting days are behind us!), the dance stage was on, there were plenty of trees for shade and clear pathways that were kept clear to aid movement about the site. The sun meant that people could stretch out on the grass (or on picnic rugs) and enjoy the music.

Cammy Barnes was on the main stage and all of use could see and hear why he is a Scottish artist on the rise. Barnes sold out two nights at King Tuts earlier this year and has two sold out dates at the Barrowland coming up. He also announced that a huge Hydro show will be going on sale! Barnes has a rich and soulful voice, cheeky charm and a huge sound. He went down a storm.

Towards the end of his set, Lynn and the girls left to go back to the dance stage for GBX Anthems (Rosie later regretted this decision!). This meant that I had some 'me time' to grab a Corona zero, wander round a little and get ready for Brooke Combe on the main stage. Sadly, about 85% of the festival decided to go to GBX anthems, meaning the front pit only had a few hundred people in it and there was also plenty of space behind. 

Combe and her band still played a blinder. Her recent run of singles that commenced with How Can I Tell You? last Autumn, took in Tears Won't Lie in April and now Love Was Made of Stone have been phenomenal. Working with James Skelly of The Coral on production duties is really helping her Motown/Northern Soul influences to shine. Combe danced around the stage looking super cool in flared jeans, Adidas t-shirt and shades, waving to her nieces and generally looking like she was having a great time. Her next album will be her breakthrough and I confidently predict she will be selling out the Barrowland as a result. 

It took a while for the crowds to disperse from GBX and once we caught up we decided it was time for food. I had a lovely cheese burger! Rosie and I caught Skerrymore, not normally my thing, but they were excellent, creating a huge celtic soul sound complete with 2 bagpipes. They were perfect for that early evening slot in the sunshine.

We decided to chill afterwards. Rosie and I found ourselves at the Rest and Be Thankful area which was super green and chilled. On a small hill with trees, a nice large pond, picnic tables, chill out tents and also a larger tent with fairy lights offering massages and yoga. As we walked up, there was a sign saying that they did kids massages as well as adults. We were in!

The massage was absolutely tremendous. We both felt relaxed and energised. Lynn and Zoe were a little jealous when we hooked back up.

Our strategy for Nathan and Saint PHNX was the old Strike It Lucky choices - top, middle, bottom. We started off quite far down the side, near the barrier for the front pit. As a result we had a good view of the stage and screens. Darkness was falling, adding to the palpable sense of anticipation around the crowd of all ages. 

Nathan and Saint PHNX wasted no time in getting fans onside, opening with the insanely catchy Arabella, swiftly followed by Milarrochy Bay, one of my personal highlights of the night. People were dancing, singing, up on shoulders, smiling and laughing. Wellerman was next, the sea shanty that kicked everything off for Nathan, and it went down a storm.

 

Angels' Share was introduced by Stevie, a song for people who couldn't be there, but they were there and always will be. This is a side of Nathan and Saint PHNX that can get lost and under appreciated.  among their fun songs and easy going nature. Nathan and Stevie as main songwriters have been hurt, they have lost loved ones and gone through extremely tough times, and they do portray that in their songs. 

What a view!

We then had a section of the show that called for immense audience participation. Stevie and Alan took charge as Nathan left the stage, splitting the crowd into two sections. Stevie's side were the woah, oh, oh's and he got them warmed up before handing over to Alan ... who, before warming his own team up, got 30,000 people to shout Stevie's a big jobby! 

Alan's team were on yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah's and soon Stevie was singing the Saint PHNX song Mountains, leading to the woah, oh oh's and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah's. Great fun. This was all backed by phenomenal guitar playing by John Cargill who was playing cool, chilled and funky riffs that could easily have been for Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Meanwhile, Nathan had somehow got to a small b-stage behind the sound-desk where he delivered a slow and aching version of Caledonia followed by his own Paper Planes. The recorded version of this begins with a voice note by Evans at his lowest point in his mental health struggles. I find it incredibly moving. 

My mind is like a wrecking ball, destruction in its wake

I've been working 14-hours, for just as many days

My brother sees me crying, but it's not that kind of pain

So I write my dreams on paper plans and let them fly away

Nathan Evans - Heather on the Hill

We moved back a little to find some space and it was quite amazing to walk through the crowd. Kids were on parents shoulders, people were dancing to Cotton Eye Joe, EVERYONE was smiling and I mean BEAMING with joy. Driving To Nowhere is one of my favourite Nathan and Saint PHNX Band songs. It flows with ease and the melody for the chorus is instantly memorable. It sounds even better live.

We moved back a little further to allow for toilet breaks before the final stretch and to try and get Rosie's long awaited Churros. The Churros stalls had been rammed all day. They must have made a small fortune. We were VERY lucky as Rosie got the last churros of the day. And the Belgian chocolate sauce was absolutely delicious!

With a wee sugar rush we wandered past the Big Wheel (should definitely get a bigger one for next year) to an area with picnic benches where a small crowd had gathered with plenty of space. We could see why, we grabbed a table and before long Rosie and I were up on top if it singing to Highland Girl. Around us kids were twirling each other around ceilidh style and we could see the crowd bouncing down the front. It looked incredible from the back - like a film scene.

Happy Place is a song that means a lot to so many people. Notably Stevie and Alan on stage. I don't mind admitting to having a wee tear in my eyes when they played it. Footage from the stage showed phone in the air with torches on and it looked sensational. 

Nathan, Stevie, Alan, John and Mairi (violin) took a deserved bow and departed the stage to a tremendous ovation. But of course, they were coming back on.

What an encore. Home, with its tumbling, flowing verses and rousing chorus, complete with bagpipes was an absolute anthem. And of course, Heather on the Hill was the closing song for the festival of the same name. 

Fireworks explode overhead, wives, kids and family were welcomed onstage for hugs and photos, memories that will last a lifetime. 

Well done to all involved. 

Tenement Trail 2025 - preview

The air in Glasgow has a beautifully fresh autumnal chill, the leaves in the parks are turning all kinds of glorious colours and there is the unmistakable buzz of a city preparing for one of its best days on the music calendar: Tenement Trail. 

On Saturday October 11th, the area around The Barrowland, will be transformed into a sprawling, multi-venue festival, and if you're a fan of discovering your new favourite band, this is where you need to be.

Five things about the Tenement Trail;

• This will be the 11th Tenement Trail.
• It is named after the very platform that spawned it - the beloved Tenement TV sessions filmed in a flat. The website still highlights and supports new music on a regular basis.
• The festival used to run up on Sauchiehall Street and take in Sleazys, Broadcast, the ABC and ABC2 plus other venues. I think the new 'arts district' in the East End really suits it.
• Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender and Yungblud all passed through the "Trail" at the beginning of their careers.
• McChuills holds a special 'midnight slot' for those with any energy left!

Dead Pony - Photo by Josephine Best for Clunk Magazine

The legendary Barrowland Ballroom itself will host the headliners Dead Pony who I blogged on HERE back in 2021, but the real magic of the Trail is found in the surrounding venues. Places like Saint Luke’s, BAaD (Barras Art and Design), The Winged Ox and Van Winkle will open their doors to a staggering number of bands, creating a dense, under cover, walkable festival experience that's second to none. The journey between venues is part of the fun, as the streets around the Gallowgate pulse with the energy of thousands of music fans. Check out Ho Lee Fook for amazing street food!

But what truly sets Tenement Trail apart is its commitment to championing new and emerging talent, both from Glasgow and further afield. The lineup for 2025 is a carefully curated mix of breakout artists and underground heroes. It's a platform for local bands to play to bigger audiences and for touring acts to get a taste of Glasgow's famously electric crowds.

Last year my friend Joe and I particularly enjoyed YesAndMaybe (below) playing an early afternoon set in Barrowland 2 - I described them as a cross between The Strokes and Phoenix. Shortly after we caught Dallas Love Field (pictured further below) in BAaD. I described their set as a glorious shoegaze psychedelic racket with some dreamy lead vocals. 2024 blog

The previous year (2023) I'd caught Kerr Mercer open the festival at Saint Luke's. The young singer songwriter has since gone on to support all kinds of artists to hone and tone his live performances and road test the dozens of songs he has been writing. Make that hundreds. Kerr's soulful voice has been making real connections and I look forward to his first release.

So a top tip is to get there early to spot up and coming artists who maybe haven't quite got the profile of those playing later on.

One of the most talked-about slots each year is the "midnight slot" at McChuills, a tiny, intimate venue that hosts a buzz band for a lucky crowd of a hundred or so that still have the stamina to keep going. 

Whether you're looking to catch a jaw-dropping headline set or simply wander the Gallowgate and stumble upon your next obsession, Tenement Trail is the place to be. It's a celebration of live music, a showcase of new talent, and a reminder of what a day (and night) Glasgow can put on.

Based on research and what we have heard to date (largely based on band names we like!), here are five bands/artists Joe and I are hoping to catch;

Five acts to check

• Fatale - my current favourite band. Teenagers from Lanarkshire who love Eugenius, Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits - right up my street! Check my introducing blog HERE. Fatale haven't even played a handful of gigs - get into them nice and early. Check their demo Moves You and cover of The Velvets Femme Fatale on their soundcloud. 

• Chloe Slater - a young singer-songwriter based in Manchester who I have heard on 6music. Her song Harriet has a brilliant video that has her singing (as Marianne) in scenes from Normal People.

• Jelly - Surely there must have been a band called Jelly before? Anyway, I haven't bothered to google. I like the name, checked the artist and found out that Tenement TV has tipped them as one of their ten to watch in 2025. It turns out that Joshua (Jelly) has worked with Youth - which sounds quite interesting. His website claims that he draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists ranging from David Gray, MGMT and The Streets. Summer single Forever Has A Feeling isn't really like an of those acts, although with some synths behind it the chorus could have an MGMT vibe. 

• Cloud House - Again, I checked Cloud House based on their name. Right from the off, you can tell they are going for big anthemic songs that could fill arenas. So it will be interesting to check them out in a small venue and see if they get the reaction that they are going for.

• Girls.Speak.French - One of the first bands I checked based on their name. They have a single called Britpop Genius, that sounds more in tune with American indie guitar bands from that time. Do I hear a tinge of Idlewild in there? Sounds promising and I'll be going to check them out.

Tim Peaks - Podcast

Everything Flows Podcast #5

Electric Fields - Tim Peaks diner line-up

Tim Burgess has curated a wonderfully eclectic line-up for his Tim Peaks diner at Electric Fields. It is going to be like a festival in a festival with the incredible talent he has discovered and is promoting.

I have just discovered the vast majority of these artists for the first time and I've been blown away by what I have listened to so far. Enjoy this special PODCAST 

Come Home Baby - The Charlatans
Angharad - Yucatan
Rattlesnakes - Blueprint Blue
Spanish Artist - Documenta
Vagabond - TeenCanteen
Disappear - Horsebeach
Quiet Handed - Hot Vestry
Rocky 99 - Riding the Low
White - Tim Burgess

Mark W Georgsson is also playing but his album, recorded with Rod Jones from Idlewild, is currently being mastered. However you can listen to an unmastered Faces and Places HERE

Loads of other fun things going on, fuelled by quality coffee, including a DJ set by me!

Introducing - Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5

Mixing with the fans Colonel Mustard style, crowdsurfing in an inflatable boat!

I first became aware of Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 at the Wickerman Festival a couple of years ago. You just couldn't miss them, half the campsite seemed to be wearing yellow or Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 t-shirts. 

For whatever reason, I didn't see the band - although everyone I met over the course of the weekend that had seen them was raving about them.

I've still not caught them live, although the bands growing reputation led to them winning the Best Live Act at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards this year.

The video for their latest single These Are Not The Drugs That You Are Looking For (that I have unfortunately only just discovered) highlights why they were deserved winners of that award. Filmed at the Kelburn Garden Party, they have an absolute blast on stage and get the audience jumping, dancing, singing and generally having the time of their life. Watch the video HERE.

The single is like a melting pot of the Beta Band, the Polyphonic Spree, ska, funk, soul, a dash of Screamadelica and more than a dab of euphoria. Stretching out to over 8-minutes, this is ambitious, fun, eclectic and uplifting.

The band have fun on stage and off but, despite their apparent lighthearted take on life, they are not afraid to comment on political issues.

Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 refer to their fans as the yellow movement. It is a movement that is growing and the band are set to cap a memorable year with a huge all-dayer at St Lukes in the East End on Saturday 19th December. I imagine a few more people will be joining the yellow movement in 2016 and I intend to be one of them.

Sufjan Stevens at Edinburgh Playhouse

Every now and then I ask a friend to write a guest review; if I can't make a gig, or if they feel particularly passionate about an album or a band.

Sufjan Stevens was playing Edinburgh at the weekend. I could't go, thankfully my friend Kat could.

Here is Kat's amazing review - I think she may well become my Edinburgh correspondent! You can check Kat's photo website HERE 

Sufjan Stevens

Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh International Festival - 30^th Aug 2015

When Murray asked me to write a guest review about Sufjan Stevens gig I obviously jumped at the chance without first thinking about how I was going to put my experience into coherent full length sentences, rather than just a collection of one word hyperbolic gushes. Whilst I will stand by every single one of them it runs the risk of sounding trite and overblown so I will try and be as literate as possible.

Whilst Sufjan Stevens fans are a generally loyal bunch and appreciate, at the very least, the lion's share of his work, Carrie and Lowell has seen a welcome return to the sound many of us first fell in love way back when. To have the opportunity to see him live, following what many have deemed his best album yet, is something I don't think many of us thought we'd get the a chance to witness. I very nearly didn't, relying on social media to source a ticket barely 2 weeks before the gig, but lets not think about that now. With that in mind, the atmosphere at the Edinburgh Playhouse is understandably palpable with the highly anticipated arrival of Sufjan Stevens. But when the house lights go down and the stage lights bathe the audience in a bright orange glow there is a definite heightening of palpability and the man himself walks onstage to an unsurprisingly, raucous welcome of Glasgow crowd proportions.

Starting with 'Redford (For You Yia-Yia & Pappou)' from his third album Michigan (fitting in that he is wearing his Michigan T-Shirt) he moves onto Death with Dignity which begins our odyssey through the entirety of Carrie and Lowell. Devoid of onstage chatter Stevens takes us on a seamless journey through the songs that explores his coming to terms with the recent loss of his mother. The audience are spell bound; barely a noise made; hardly a phone lifted. The continuous swapping of instruments by his multi skilled band, which included sporadic appearances from The National's Bryce Dressner, couldn't even break the spell that Stevens was casting on the audience.

He ploughs through the album staying mostly loyal to the track list, each song accompanied by visuals of sprawling landscapes coelescing into super 8 home movies of which we can only assume are his own family, given the nature of the album's content.

The sparse sound of Carrie and Lowell is embellished by the band's additional instrumentation which allow the songs to swell and fade, filling the venue and enhancing the intensely emotional nature of his most personal and honest album to date. With his band never dropping a beat and his voice never faltering the audience are with him ever step of the way. So much so that there is an audible  intake of breath when he launches into Vesuvius from his last album, the critically acclaimed Age of Adz, before finishing with a sonorous electronic version of the final track from Carrie and Lowell, Blue Bucket of Gold  and exiting the stage to a standing ovation which didn't cease until he re-appeared for his encore. This time we are greeted by a more relaxed Sufjan Stevens who laughs and jokes his way through a 7 song encore which includes John Wayne Gacy Jnr, the first song of his I ever heard  on a compilation album I got free with Mojo nearly 10 years ago.

And soon it really is time for him to go. He finishes with, of course, Chicago, tells us he loves us and eventually walks off stage following another standing ovation of nearly 10 mins, leaving the audience awestruck. 

As the audience leaves the building and exhales for the what feels like the first time in nearly 2 hours, it was clear this was one of those gigs that will remain a stalwart in the list of best gigs of all time for almost every single person in that audience. With many of having waited 10 years or more to see Sufjan Stevens live this gig was proof that the best things really do come to those who wait.

Post gig social media is awash with those one word hyperbolic gushes that I mentioned at the start but, to say that they are merely hyperbole is to do Sufjan Stevens a huge disservice because this gig truly was 'phenomenal' 'breathtaking' 'inspirational' 'mesmerizing' etc etc but don't take my word for it, just type in #sufjanstevens and you'll see for yourself.

 Pic from The Guardian

2014 review by Chay from Electric Fields

As we were nearing the due date of our second baby I didn't make the very first Electric Fields Festival this year. Not a bad excuse I hope you agree!

I am kicking myself as the line-up, location (Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries) and weather looked fantastic and price tag was pretty unbeatable. Not even I would try for a guest list when the ticket price is £25!

Check this fantastic promo film from 2014 HERE

Electric Fields was the idea of a couple of people who are well versed in the independent, DIY and new bands scene in Scotland. I'm fortunate to have got to know Chay - the booked for Electric Fields through his work with the Solus Tent at the Wickerman Festival. Chay's line-up for the Solus Tent this year was exceptional - that is because he has his finger firmly on the pulse, so keep an eye out for the Electric Fields line-up and check out the amazing early bird offers for tickets. 

So lets see what has stood out for Chay from the huge amount (and variety) of music he will have listened to and watched in 2014.
1. What singles/songs that have been released in 2014 have stood out for you?

I'll keep all my answers mostly Scottish.  Anything by Neon Waltz, even the covers as they've got great taste.  The new United Fruit stuff is fucking awesome, so all of that.  Hector Bizerk's The fish that never swam EP.

Neon Waltz

2. What albums released in 2014 have you enjoyed?

I still haven't bought the new Twilight Sad album yet, which I need to rectify, and The Xcerts.  Aphex Twin.  Bear Arms.  Dead by Young Fathers.  Rave Tapes by Mogwai, but the t shirt that came with it has gone awol.  

3. What old music/bands have you discovered/gone back to in 2014?

I picked up two particular music biogs at the same time earlier this year so I spent some time revisiting the respective artists - Billy Mackenzie with 'The Glamour Chase' by Tom Doyle and James Young's 'Nico.  Songs they never play on the radio'.  My wife bought me the Viv Albertine autobiography for my birthday, which was handy as I dig out The Slits now and again.  I'll throw Locust Abortion Technician by Butthole Surfers in there too.  It's been a few years and evil is as evil does.

4. What has been the musical highlight of 2014?  

Electric Fields.  I don't think I can begin to explain how good it felt doing it.  It took so much work to put it together but it was totally worth it because we've got such a fantastic team of people working to achieve the same goal.  Having a beer with the stage manager Kenney Harris after the last band had packed up and left, it was a mixture of relief and adrenalin.  We didn't stop grinning for about 2 hours.  

5. What are you plans for 2015?

Right now I'm working on Electric Fields, as are the rest of the team.  There's some other things brewing that I can't go into so 2015's going to be a busy but fantastic year.