I know I sound like a stuck record, but bands just don't want to come to Caithness. And the reasons are plentiful.
Whether it's the lack of venues and facilities, whether it's the lack of support, whether it's the low level of fees, or whether it's because previous bands have told them not to bother (bad word travels fast, oh yes), they would much rather venture to Resolis, Inverness, Nairn, Drumnadrochit, Portree, Ullapool etc., etc., before even contemplating the thought of setting one foot in the county.
Meanwhile... over in Orkney... the top roots bands from the UK, Ireland, Scandanavia, Europe, Cape Breton, America, Canada, etc., descend upon the island for what is one of the biggest roots music festivals around. Caithness is no longer an in-joke as a mere stopping-off point on the way to the ferry: it's a cliche.
I meet several bands a week - most of my close friends are professional musicians - yet every time I try to sell Caithness to them (and yes, Metalattakk, I do my very best to try to), their eyes just glaze over at the mention. Has the county's reputation really become so bad?
Granted, Isla (Newmarket, Y-Not), Kirsty (Blackstairs) and the lads at the Dunnet Head Lighthouse all do their level best to attract good, quality live entertainment. However, it's going to take someone with a lot of clout, vision, patience, and the support of the community to not only attract quality to Caithness, but also to help nurture and encourage the talent that already is there. When I was living in Thurso, my friends and I would go to see ANY band - good, bad, or ugly - purely because we were starved of live entertainment. In some ways it reminds me of an architect's model: lots of people doing similar things but in isolation (i.e. not coming together).
Has anything changed?
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