Britain is bursting with festivals. Festivals of all scales; even boutique is becoming boring. It seems to be having a knock on effect. Ticket sales slow, line-ups diminish. It is fair to say that for Yvonne and Bruce MacGregor (Blazin’ Fiddles) to launch a festival in 2012 was risky business. However, I think every one of the tender 600 that came, would pronounce it a risk worth taking.
To enlighten those in the dark, Brew at the Bog is the collaboration between farm-turned-venue ‘Bogbain’ and punky Scottish beer brand ‘Brewdog.’ Get it? It’s not in any way a reference to festival portaloos!
Bogbain farm proved to be a delightful venue. Think the odd vintage plough rather than the usual fairground ride. Think a barn strewn with fairy lights rather than the normal floodlit field. Think a cute caravan where it’s permanently afternoon tea rather than an ordinary van where it’s always dicey dinners.
The Brewdog connection was successful. Their beer goes from 1.1% to 55% which kept the punters, ironically, high in spirits. The alternative beer brand was a perfect match for the festival who’s line up was full of exciting, independent and up-coming music.
The line-up included: Tommy Reilly, Stanley Odd, Findlay Napier & The Bar Room Mountaineers, Fatherson, Open Swimmer, Jonathan Powell, Laki Mera, Seventeenth Century, The Little Kicks, Beerjacket, Megan Blyth, Bensh, He Slept on 57 and KOBI. A predominantly Scottish mix that supported local acts as well as scattering from further afield.
One thing had more of an impact on the festival than anything else… the weather. The rain and snow – yes, snow – had people seeking shelter in the solace of the barn and farm outbuildings. Numbers were already wee, but the weather meant that, at times, the main stage looked a tad deserted. For example, I listened intently to Kitty the Lion’s performance, but admittedly with my feet on a heater and tea in my hands in the ‘Tea Posy’ caravan.
On the bright (well, warm at least) side the acts on the smaller GoNORTH stage and acoustic stage got wonderful exposure that was probably quite unexpected. In the evening, campers swarmed around a homemade fire before returning to their tents, shaking like Jack and Rose in the Titanic, puffing white breath onto the icy zips of their tents.
One of the first bands were from a warmer place far, far away. Woody Pines and his band, currently based in North Carolina, were a genuine delight. It wasn’t try-hard, it wasn’t attempting to be vintage, it was assured Americana… washboards, harmonicas ‘n’ all. In the cold Highlands of Scotland, a taste of Tennessee was very refreshing.
A highlight of the day was Endor. Endor have been playing in Glasgow for a quite a long time and are represented by recently launched record label Comets and Cartwheels. Endor attracted a large crowd, the majority of which sang and bounced to favourites from their self-titled debut. Personally ‘Two Lovers’ and ‘Chapel Doors’ were fantastic and demonstrated perfectly how the band can make melancholy, quite slow paced indie music feel really buoyant. Go look them up!
An act representing Wales on the GoNORTH stage was Sion Russel Jones. His songs were poppy and heavily lyrical, quite similar to Ed Sheeran. His set was playful with hints of Rusted Root, Paul Simon and Newton Faulkner. His unusual guitar style and cheeky high-pitch vocal made the audience move which was no mean feat in a chilly afternoon.
Later on the same stage was Quickbeam. The band’s songs are subtle; a tapestry of echoes, quiet singing, gentle instrument playing. On some occasions, their fragile style can be soothing and beautiful but in this case it was too quiet and many people moved to another stage.
Over The Wall, a two piece currently based in Glasgow, packed the GoNORTH stage, providing some much needed heat! One particular song - ‘Thurso’ – was hotly anticipated. A sweet song sang with a strong accent that sounded good … “wait for it” the person beside me instructed, with an expectant grin. The song then burst into trumpets! Bold as brass. Brilliant.
The Three Blind Wolves were triumphant at Brew at the Bog. Part of Communion Records, the band play anthemic rock songs with a country soul. They have the passion and stomp that gets festival crowds going. It was great to see the band play with the sun already down in the firth behind them. They suit and should have night-time, ‘headline’ type slots. Fortunately small, music-savvy festivals like Brew at the Bog can give them what they deserve. The howl of ‘Emily Rose’ captivated the audience’s attention from the start and the roar of ‘Black Bowl Park’ was knackeringly danceable! As Washington Irving topped off the night – in similarly fine form – the audience (by this point half human, half Brewdog) demanded the Three Blind Wolves join the stage for a rowdy super-band encore.
Brew at the Bog will almost certainly be around next year. Yvonne and Bruce MacGregor have big plans for Bogbain, with hopes that it will become a recording studio soon. This year, it was very much a bands and media affair and the festival will need to more ticket sales to cope in the crowded market. Hopefully the word will spread that Brew at the Bog may chill your bones but it will also warm your heart.
Published on 13 May 2012 by leoniecolmar
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