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• Festival Information

  • Perform

    If you are a singer or a songwriter, and you'd like to take part in the festival, then click here to find out how!

  • Artists

    Find out who will be performing at the festival. As we get more details, we'll update this section. Click here for more.

  • Tickets

    You'll need a ticket for the Saturday night event, so click here to find out how you can get one.

  • Location

    Click here to find out how to get to the Festival by air or road.

  • Accommodation

    If you're travelling from afar, you'll need somewhere to stay. Click here to find a list of local hotels and B&B's to suit any budget.

  • 2008 Memories

    Some thoughts from those who were involved in the festival. Click here for more.

  • Music

    As the 2008 festival was a tribute to our good friend Kenneth Gilchrist, we've set up a section where you can hear some of Kenneth's songs. Click here to visit the music download section.

• Other Kintyre Things

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2010's Songwriters Festival brings you the following artists:

The Wild Sarachs

Based in Campbeltown, Kintyre, in the West Highlands of Scotland, The Wild Sarachs have been around now for a couple of years championing their own particular brand of turbo-dreich music. Possessing a level of agility and self-assurance more commonly associated with musicians twice their age, the band pretty much keep their own council and rarely smile. Resolutely unfashionable, The Sarachs bring together a fresh mixture of old and new songs from Kintyre, classic folk-rock, a smattering of Americana and a few slices of original material which are beginning to creep into the repetoire. One of their best tricks is to gratuitously shoe-horn Gaelic waltzes into spaces where they shouldn't really be without looking too smug about it. Based around the pure voice of Anne Leith, the band have created a timeless sound that is rooted in the past yet somehow is bang up to date. The combination of twin acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle, bouzouki, double bass and harmony vocals can hardly be described as unique yet there is a definite sense that the listener can only be listening to The Wild Sarachs.

Lyndsey Cockwell

Lyndsey is a singer/songwriter originally from UK but now living in Berlin. She has worked with people as diverse as Alex Patterson of the Orb, This Heat's Charles Hayward and Scream Club. Lyndsey has released 2 EP's and is working on her first full length album.

The Gilchristians

The Gilchristians were formed in 2008 in tribute to the late Kenneth Gilchrist, and have opened proceedings at both the 2008 and 2009 Mull of Kintyre Music Festival. The band features a revolving lineup, and perform songs written by Kenneth.

Tales From Space

Tales From Space were an all accoustic / vocals band originally from Campbeltown. They played at the Mull of Kintyre Music Festival and the prestigious venue, the Parahandy. As part of this year's festival, various guest artists will be joining together to perform the classic TFS songs.

Emily Walker

Emily has been writing and performing her songs for a number of years now. You can hear a sample of her songs and the lyrics to many others on her website www.wepo.co.uk

Zak 47

Alex and Alan are both from Campbeltown and have been playing and writing together for about 4 years. They have played about 10 gigs in Campbeltown in the last year in Macgoughans, Kinloch Bar the Beachcomber, and also played at the Gigha Music Festival. They are currently trying to focus on acoustic material and will be playing a lot more locally soon with their own take on indie-rock/folk.

Coogs

Coogs is the stage name of Michael Coogans, singer, songwriter and harmonica player from Glasgow. Expect some beautiful songs with just a touch of tongue in cheek humour.

New Love

Our style is based on rock, but touches on several styles suitable for a wide audience, which allowed us to play at the christmas lights show in Lochgilphead back in December. Singer/Songwriter John grew up in the area, and has previously played in bands including 32 Miles to Breakfast before developing his own style as a solo artist prior to meeting the current line up, completed by guitarist Joe and bassist Kai, both still in high school.

Bungalow Stove

The Stove are a Campbeltown three piece band formed on Glasgow consisting of James-Lee Brodie, Mark Brown, Louise Haggarty and the Drum kit once fired from A New Hope? Although playing front rooms has its charm, they are looking to bring our brand of funk-prog music to the masses of the Toon. They liken ourselves to Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and John Martyn, but in no way compare themselves. They play a mix of their own songs, old covers and new takes of modern songs.

The Twisted Melons

Hailing from the remote peninsula of Kintyre, The Twisted Melons consists of the three Johnson brothers. The band's melodic rock fusion melds big melodic pop hooks to eclectic arrangements and cutting-edge technology, expanding consciousness and making life totally better. New album "3.3" saw them working with legendary producer and Led Zeppelin collaborator Stuart Epps, and was released on Monday 7th September 2009 on Melomania Recordings. Their eclectic approach has seen them perform live with artists as diverse as Dutch prog rock legends Focus, 80s popsters Deacon Blue, post-rockers The Twilight Sad and top progressive metal band Enochian Theory.

Ross Macinnes

Currently residing in Coatbridge, Ross Macinnes is a 26 year old multi-instrumentalist from Campbeltown who's influences range from acoustic pop to Prog metal. Ross is in the process of arranging a string of gigs in Glasgow and is a regular on the glasgow open mic scene. His music is predominantly acoustic and easy on the ear with influences including Ginger/Francis Dunnery/Twisted Melons/Jack The Wolf/Adam Fortune/a new hope?/Mr Wroe's Ho's and Sir Kenny Gilchrist.

A New Hope?

a new hope? started out way back in 1997 as a 14 year old three piece outfit in Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre (has anyone ever told you Paul McCartney lives there?). Their talents were groomed in a fishing "store" and they began to make big waves on the local scene. In 1999, they sacked their drum machine and employed an "actual" drummer. Our first gig together in Drummonds bar was attended by a mere 12 people until a fight broke out roughly halving the numbers.

Jack The Wolf

Jack The Wolf are a group of like minded musicians from Glasgow, Scotland. With an eclectic style ranging from acoustic rock through to all out prog-folk Jack The Wolf gig regularly in and about the Glasgow area and sometimes further afield.

Mr Wroe's Ho's

The Ho's formed in 2008, and since then have been toying with the idea of actually getting some proper recordings of their songs together. Still, that hasn't stopped them from experimenting with drum loops, samples, keyboards, violins, guitars and vocals, and occasionally pulling off the occasional S.A.S. style surprise gig here and there.

Adam Fortune

Adam is from Campbeltown, currently studying at Abertay University in Dundee and enjoys music in most forms. Influences on his songs are, for example, Morrissey/The Smiths, The Cure, Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley and Paolo Nutini.

This year's festival will also feature performances from Donnie Nicolson, Medium High, David Fee, Megan Hill and Neil Duncan - more details to follow.