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wicker
20-Apr-04, 16:58
I was having some wee thoughts to myself the other night and was thinking that why doesnt caithness do its own music festival type thing, like a mini t in the park with our local bands.
There is many good bands in caithness and i think it would be a great idea to get a field with some sort of stage on it and the local bands playing, its just the type of thing that is needed up here rather than having to goto a small pub where everyone is squashed in.

Have mentioned this to a few people and they also think it is a good idea. Just wanting to know what others peoples opinion is.

jjc
21-Apr-04, 14:28
Wicker,

As somebody who was in a band (back in my school days), I think it’s a fine idea

…but you might want to visit the ‘Edge of the World – More’ (http://www.caithness.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2305&highlight=bands) thread from last spring before you decide whether to spend your time organising it. I got the impression last year that there are some people in Caithness who will make getting such an event off the ground as difficult as possible unless they get their name in lights as co-organiser (and, more importantly, a say in where the money raised gets spent).

trex
21-Apr-04, 16:54
Would be good for local bands, and could be a good showcase.

T...

Naefearjustbeer
21-Apr-04, 22:06
Why not have some bigger name bands I am sure there are plenty wide open spaces that could cope with 1000s of people and it would be good for the tourist industry. It might even help local bands be seen playing along side some signed artists, maybe pick a record deal or something!

Caledonia
22-Apr-04, 01:14
If Inverness doesn't have such a thing, why does anyone think it would work up here?


When 'big' bands have come here in the past the response has not always been gratifying.

;)

Naefearjustbeer
22-Apr-04, 07:28
If Inverness doesn't have such a thing, why does anyone think it would work up here?


When 'big' bands have come here in the past the response has not always been gratifying.

;)

I supose you have a point, people up here tend to complain that we have nothing to do or see up here and then when something good comes along they dont go!!! with stupid comments such as I am not paying £15 to go to the waterfront / skinandis (insert approprite venue).

guitarzan
22-Apr-04, 07:48
That's just the problem though. It's narrowmindedness that has blocked these kind of things in the past when this could be used as such a good opportunity for the county. We have such an inferiority complex when it comes to things like this, and just because a place which is bigger, such as inverness, doesn't have it all the more reason to go for it to raise our profile! :)

Caledonia
22-Apr-04, 09:31
Why do we need to raise the profile of Caithness?

We get enough property vacuums turning up here with their equity and southern ways.

Anyway, the problem you get here is that when 'big' bands play, the audience is mainly constituted of folks just there for the beer and a fight. The atmosphere is completely different than when you have an audience made up mainly of fans of a particular act.

What Caithness does do well is pub crawls and scraps by the chippy.

Perhaps we could have a National Pub Fighting Festival?

#)

Anonymous
22-Apr-04, 10:32
Caledonia, raising the profile of Caithness is very important and not for the reason you suggest. Caithness needs a better profile to keep the people here happy, to make this a better place to live. I agree that people moving up here to purely take advantage of the property is a bit distasteful but I dont mind people coming here because they want to become part of a small community and reap all the benefits of rural life (yes there are benefits).

Something like a Music Festival should be run for the benefit of the people that live here. We should be looking forward to it every year and full of stories of previous events in the meantime. If we ever want to effect tourism in a positive way there needs to be events on that WE enjoy going to. Would you go on holiday to a place where everything was "laid on" for the tourists. You want to go to a place that has life and where the people enjoy living. You want to be surrounded by people that are proud of the place they come from.

Imagine the thoughts in the minds of all those people who came here on holiday and then had to endure things like the northlands festival. Compare that to the experiences of tourists who were here for gala night or something else that WE all like to do. What must any tourists have thought of the likes of Assipattle??? Brilliant!!! more of that please!!

Then simply from our own point of view, how long are we going to send the young folks of the county off into the world to find a more interesting place to live and work. The problem is not that they might want to go off to university or work away for a while, its that they dont come back. With the seemingly low self profile Caithness has of itself its no surprise. I know I certainly felt like that when I first moved away.

What you need to hear when you go away is jealous remarks about your home from those that you meet elsewhere. I've certainly heard folk from Orkney getting the "I'd love to go and see that place someday" type of remarks. Usually replied to with "yeah, I'm only here for a couple of years then I'm off back up there." Tell folk you're from Caithness and most of them say "Where's that then?", or "hmm, a bit cold and miserable up there eh?", hardly words to inspire you for the journey home. A journey that has become considerably shorter over the years :)

There's a lot happening in the county, far more than we've been able to show on the site. With a bit of encouragement and a bit more publicity, everyone, locals especially should begin to see how much there actually is to see and do up here. Definately more than pub crawls and brawls. :roll:

trex
22-Apr-04, 10:34
Well pub fighting aint unique to Caithness. Im originally from Ayr, and its always had fights and stabbings at chucking out time.

However, i kind of feel there needs to be more things for people to do in order to keep people coming, especially as you seem to be having a doc and tooth problem.

Tony...

squidge
22-Apr-04, 11:27
I have had lots and lots of visitors come her and all have gone away wanting to come back. Caithness is one of the best kept secrets and thats ok in its way but doesnt encourage visitors enough. The county isnt going to attract the party goers and the hard core clubbers maybe but lots of people dont want that for their holidays and these are the best folks to encourage. The music festival thing is a great idea. The contacts that people in Caithness have never ceases to amaze me and i maybe someone might know someone who knows someone in a big - ish name band and might be able to pull a few strings. Even if that doesnt happen we could invite bands from other places. Mike.Mackenzie is always saying he would love to come and play caithness so theres a start.

It might be a good idea for the local bands to all get together and put on a whole weekend of music. The variety and the talent here is fab there is literally something for everyone. In Wick several bars are used to having bands pla, get the publicans to run happy hours at different times and they will attract people galore. Run sessions for different bands on different nights at different times and bingo a good selection and worth wandering rond the town for. Some of the bigger places could even have two or three bands doing hour long slots. Then there is the market square as well - expand on the summer thing of the wagon parked there with a band playing on the back of it and run it into the night. Weatherspoons and the crown would benefit enormously even if they didnt have the bands inside. - something for eveyone see? Produce a clear and unmbiguous programme and bingo you have at the very least a great weekend and at the most something people wil travel for.

As for the salubriousness of the drinking establishments well - most of those who have visited loved the Camps on saturday night the best of all [lol]

mike.mckenzie
22-Apr-04, 13:08
Caithness. Org Music Festival?

Go on!

You could have it around about the gala week when the nights are long! It would be a great setting down by the riverside, wouldn't be hard to organise the truck to play on the back of.

Mr P Cannop
22-Apr-04, 13:33
Caithness. Org Music Festival?

Go on!

You could have it around about the gala week when the nights are long! It would be a great setting down by the riverside, wouldn't be hard to organise the truck to play on the back of.

this would be fun ??

guitarzan
22-Apr-04, 15:29
Definately!

This is the kind of thing that we need, not only for the people of the county to hear some good music played by locals, but also a chance for these bands, both young and old, to have their music heard by the public. Having played in a band myself, there's no better feeling than playing to people, but the opportunity for that is growing slimmer as the pub scene as far as live bands go seems to be dying a death. The only place that seems to do it regularly is the Backer, whereas you used to get bands in the Waterfront and in the Blackstairs to name a few. This is the push that we need to get the scene going again! :)

wicker
22-Apr-04, 15:33
thanks for all your views and replies and it definately seems to be something worth while looking into a little further.
looks like i will have to do some more thinking to see if we can get it off the ground.
possible places to have it etc

Mr P Cannop
22-Apr-04, 16:22
the wick and thurso pipe bands should be involed ??

mike.mckenzie
22-Apr-04, 16:26
I was going to look into getting something organised last year with my own band, but we split up and I kind of lodt motivation. Got a new one now though and we're better, but its a bit long range trying to organise from Liverpool.

I could help if anyone wants to do anything though, and would jump at the chance to play up there. So would the rest of the lads.

wicker
27-Apr-04, 17:31
Thanks to all those that replied and please keep your views coming as im now seriously looking into trying to organise this for next year.
So as much advise people can give me the better and also anyone thats in a band or know of anyone in a band that may be interested in playing then please email me on caithnessfestival@btopenworld.com

will hopefully have a website up shortly aswell :cool: