AS the first day of Belladrum’s tenth birthday got under way there was a great buzz around the quaint festival site. The Belladrum festival site is bursting at the seams with enchanting areas, quirky festival logos of tartan hearts on tree branches extended on twenty foot strings and there’s even a few large comical noses dotted around the place- all adding to the character of the festival that one cannot deny is exciting to experience. This is again, like Wickerman, a very family-orientated festival, so chilled out that even Seasick Steve was caught wondering around the site as he made his way to watch Ferocious Dog in the Grassroots Tent before his performance.
And his performance was a highlight of the day. Playing on handmade guitars and telling the crowd great tales.
Close to his heart, Belladrum is where it all began for the blues star. A star being something he never thought he would be, with his fantastic rise to the top coming very late on in his life. As he took to The Garden Stage, he told the crowd just what Belladrum meant to him: “It’s amazing to be back at Belladrum, the first ever festival I played was here back in 2006.
“That was before Jools Holland and everything, man. Before anyone was interested.
“I think the guys here got talked into letting me play. And I am glad they did.
“I never really cared for festivals. I went to one in 1969 and I didn’t really like it,” his conversation was met with cheers and claps from the crowd.
Getting sentimental and with love in his eyes he added: “I wanna thank you guys for giving me my foot stop.”
Starting the set with a small diaster, Steve broke the strings on the instrument he was playing. In a state of shock, he told the crowd his friend made him the guitar out of an old wooden box and it had never broke before, “After all them years, its broke now, here. During this song. I don’t know what I am going to do now……”
His roadie ran to the rescue with a replacement guitar, but Steve had lost his confidence: “I hope this works, I have never played this song with this guitar before. Here goes.”
The crowd loved this moment, it was something special that the Belladrum crowd could share with their favourite bearded man.
The set got into full swing, Started Out with Nothing, Don’t Know Why She Love Me But She Do and Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks all fired out with a great energy.
Recent single Down on the Farm is one of those songs that was made to be played live, and tonight its performed amazingly-well. With its upbeat tempo and catchy riff, the track gets the crowd dancing.
I personally couldn’t think of a better stage to be witnessing this performance, the stage is surrounded by tall green trees, closing in on the stage to make it feel like a secret party that fans have managed to stumble upon.
There are steap steps from the top of the festival giving a pathway down to the stage making it an original stage area that’s fantastic to catch the acts on this year’s impressive line-up.
As the set draws to an end, Steve introduces another makeshift guitar. This time the handle from a Chevrolet gun, Steve assuring the crowd that it “don’t do nothing,” he adds, “It’s got a sweetcorn tin on it and some christmas decorations, it’s a diddly board and it sounds like shit. Oh well.”
Only moving from his stool to give a bow after Keeping on Keeping on, Steve gave a great performance with endearing conversations with the crowd and some impressive tunes from questionable instruments.
On the Hot House stage were chart-toppers The 1975– the tent so packed that they had to close it as the band began to play their set. A lot of the younger crowd were here for this one, and as they introduced Chocolate, they were met with screams of happiness.
The set also included hits Sex and The City, each receiving a great reaction from the crowd as they recited the choruses to perfection.
Closing the festival were Twin Atlantic on the Main Stage and country hip hop legends Alabama 3.
Twin Atlantic‘s set was greatly anticipated, their first headline slot was a truly remarkable endeavour for the band. The crowd were packed into the sweet stage area, bouncing along to hits from the Glasgow rockers. The band have went full throttle with their career in the last 12 months going from two sell out shows at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom to headlining a festival like Belladrum.
The band played the popular track What is Light Where Is Laughter? from their first album Vivarium. This track caused the crowd to erupt and proved their slot this evening was truly deserved. Sam McTrusty talked of their first Belladrum experience in 2007. The band played the Seedlings tent, their popularity with the festival crowd second-to-none as security were brought in to close the tent.
They also played Crash Land. McTrusty taking the solo acoustic lead for the first part of the song. This made way for the rest of the band to enter the stage once the momentum was built from the lone McTrusty on the stage. The chello was introduced into this track as the rest of the band began to play. This was a great moment for the crowd as the soaked up the energy from the band.
A track from their forthcoming album was also including which seemed to go down a treat with the crowd. Playing new songs at a festival is testing for any band, but it was great to see them get a positive reaction to their new material.
Their last track was Make A Beast Of Myself – the atmosphere was brought up to a monumental level as confetti and pyrotechnics burst into the crowd causing everyone to go nuts. Twin Atlantic played a great set interacting with the crowd requesting that everyone go ‘fucking mental’ regularly throughout their performance in true headlining style.
On the other side of the festival were the headliners of the Hot House stage, Alabama 3. They also had a packed crowd of revellers for their set. The band are full of characters; the interesting to watch vocalist Jake Black particularly so in his shades and crazy hair.
Hits Woke up This Morning and Hello, I’m Johnny Cash saw the crowd really go mad as everyone let their hair down as the first day of the festival draws to an end.
With a packed day one wrapped up, day two is in full swing with the rain managing to stay off for the time being. Stay tuned for a round-up of todays performances from the likes of James and The Horrors.
You can read our review of Baby Strange and The LaFontaines who also played on Friday here.
Also read our review of day two at Belladrum HERE
