Battle for Belladrum

**MusicWicker** · 25-May-09, 17:32

The North of Scotland heat for the Battle for Belladrum is this Friday (29th) in the Blackstairs Lounge.

The winner of the heat will go onto the grand final in Inverness, with the eventual winner playing live at the Belladrum Festival.

For more info go to

http://www.nessmp3.com/battle4bella/

Bands can still enter up until Thursday by dropping into the Blackstairs Lounge or calling / texting 07738904604.

**theboysintheband** · 28-May-09, 00:13

Can I just send in a CD on behalf of The Maydays seein' as we can't make it? No? Ach well...maybe some other time!

**Metalattakk** · 28-May-09, 01:38

Originally Posted by MusicWicker

The North of Scotland heat for the Battle for Belladrum is this Friday (29th) in the Blackstairs Lounge.

The winner of the heat will go onto the grand final in Inverness, with the eventual winner playing live at the Belladrum Festival.

For more info go to

http://www.nessmp3.com/battle4bella/

Bands can still enter up until Thursday by dropping into the Blackstairs Lounge or calling / texting 07738904604.

Got to be said, that's fairly short notice. Good luck with it though.

**murraywebster** · 29-May-09, 13:28

liquid blue/the harlands are as far as i know the only band in for it.

i put my band, weekend wars, in for a slot through the internet a few weeks ago but it said that all auditions were full and i could only reserve a slot. i recieved no email from the belladrum guys, therefore i assumed we wernt playing and didnt write any songs and we all made other plans. i found out last night from one of the harlands musicians that we were the only other band playing and there is no chance we are going to make it tonight. i never saw any other ads for it but apparently, there are posters in the blackstairs and very few people from Music link media across the road are 18 yet and had no clue about it when i asked bands about it last night. i had only found about it on the off chance browsing the internet but thought all slots were booked up and ended up forgetting about it until i was told yesterday, for the 1st time, that the auditions were tonight.

so appologise to ryan but we wont be there tonight, i was in speaking to the barmaid in the stairs last night to find out what was happening and i know it was their fault for the bad communication down south, not yours, so no hard feelings.

**MusicWicker** · 29-May-09, 19:29

Hey

This was run from down south and advertising etc was meant to be supplied by them. I'm sorry that its been a bit of a disastrous damp squib. Next year I will try to get the go ahead to do the full promotion / advertising myself and we will get the applications out early. I only got told about the NessMp3 website taking applications a few days ago myself and theres no mention of Wick!

So again, apologies - we'll make next year a big one!

Cheers

**fingalmacool** · 25-Jun-09, 22:56

Originally Posted by murraywebster

liquid blue/the harlands are as far as i know the only band in for it.

i put my band, weekend wars, in for a slot through the internet a few weeks ago but it said that all auditions were full and i could only reserve a slot. i recieved no email from the belladrum guys, therefore i assumed we wernt playing and didnt write any songs and we all made other plans. i found out last night from one of the harlands musicians that we were the only other band playing and there is no chance we are going to make it tonight. i never saw any other ads for it but apparently, there are posters in the blackstairs and very few people from Music link media across the road are 18 yet and had no clue about it when i asked bands about it last night. i had only found about it on the off chance browsing the internet but thought all slots were booked up and ended up forgetting about it until i was told yesterday, for the 1st time, that the auditions were tonight.

so appologise to ryan but we wont be there tonight, i was in speaking to the barmaid in the stairs last night to find out what was happening and i know it was their fault for the bad communication down south, not yours, so no hard feelings.

I heard a whisper and ignored it, and then it kept coming, so here it is, it could be crap but I'm always up for a conspiracy, for a chance to play at Belladrum apparently the people promoting the competition were informed (maybe not) that there was two bands fighting it out in the north for a chance to play, "wait for it" Liquid Blue and The Harland's, "now spank ma butt and call me Judy" but duhhh?

**MusicWicker** · 26-Jun-09, 07:11

Yep, it doesnt take Wickers long to concoct a conspiracy theory!

It was poorly run, granted - mainly due to our Inverness counterparts. But at the end of the day 1 band turned up. Are we supposed to tell them they canna go thru cos they are the only entrants?

**Douglas Cowie** · 27-Jun-09, 09:46

Originally Posted by fingalmacool

I heard a whisper and ignored it, and then it kept coming, so here it is, it could be crap but I'm always up for a conspiracy, for a chance to play at Belladrum apparently the people promoting the competition were informed (maybe not) that there was two bands fighting it out in the north for a chance to play, "wait for it" Liquid Blue and The Harland's, "now spank ma butt and call me Judy" but duhhh?

Originally Posted by Douglas Cowie

Liquid Blue have changed their name to The Harlands. They hope to have a new website up and running soon with some new material they are currently finishing off in the studio.

With regard to the rumour mill I posted a message regarding Liquid Blue's name change on 21/04/2009 about 6 weeks prior to the them playing the Belladrum qualifier so it was no great secret and certainly not a plot to confuse the organisers.
The Harlands turned up on the night and played a 45 minute set of original material they also played a cover set for another hour to entertain the crowd who had turned up expecting to see a few bands.
From speaking to a few bands that had planned to turn up they didn't realise until too late that they had to play original material so they pulled out, sadly whilst there are no shortage of cover bands in Caithness there aren't a lot of them writing their own material.
I hope this puts the matter to rest.

**The Pepsi Challenge** · 27-Jun-09, 19:06

Originally Posted by murraywebster

i put my band, weekend wars, in for a slot through the internet a few weeks ago but it said that all auditions were full and i could only reserve a slot.

How do yo 'reserve' a slot? Is this financial?

**murraywebster** · 28-Jun-09, 15:33

Originally Posted by The Pepsi Challenge

How do yo 'reserve' a slot? Is this financial?

reserving a slot ment that we could get a chance to play if one of the other bands from another audition pulled out. and no it was free to apply

**Douglas Cowie** · 16-Jul-09, 15:58

Following last nights heat in Hootenannys/Mad Hatters The Harlands are through to the final in the Iron Works on the 29th and before you ask more than one band did turn up and they weren't the Harlands under different names.
Just to dispel the conspiracy theorists in our midst.

**zebedy** · 17-Jul-09, 17:18

I'm confused. Just how many finals are there to the battle for bella?

See gigs section of our pals 57

http://www.myspace.com/heslepton57

**Douglas Cowie** · 17-Jul-09, 17:33

Maybe the venue has changed I will check and confirm, nothing listed for either venue on their websites

**Douglas Cowie** · 17-Jul-09, 17:37

Check this link, it was going to be the Ironworks but they have had to pull out so it's going to be Madhatters on the 29th

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...ndId=321204703

**hotrod4** · 18-Jul-09, 06:45

Thats good they they are thinking of the under 18's too.Normally they are forgotten about but good to see the promoters are actually catering to a mass audience, can only be good for the bands.
Well done the organisers!!!

**Douglas Cowie** · 06-Aug-09, 13:18

The Harlands won the final in Inverness and will be playing the Seedlings Stage at Belladrum this Saturday at 12:15, please come along and support them.

**Douglas Cowie** · 09-Aug-09, 19:41

Thank you to everyone who came along to see The Harlands at Belladrum the band were delighted to have such a large and enthusiastc crowd cheer them on so early in the day, it was great to see so many Caithnessians there. The band played their socks off and went down a storm.
They really enjoyed themselves and were delighted the positive reponse by Radio Scotlands's Tom Morton who came and watched their set. He thought the band were tremendous and feels they have a great future ahead of them.

**Douglas Cowie** · 10-Aug-09, 20:29

Tom Morton mentioned seeing the Harlands at Belladrum on his show today he said "they were absolutely brilliant, Catriona in my opinion is the Katy Perry or Duffy of Caithness"

You can listen to the show again via the link below; his comments are around 36 minutes into the show.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...on_10_08_2009/