Scots rockers The Fratellis pull out headline festival appearance after promoters fail to pay deposit
The Fratellis have pulled out of an appearance at a revived music festival in Stirling this summer, after accusing the promoters of not paying a deposit to secure the band.
Scots rockers The Fratellis have pulled out of a headline appearance at a revived Stirling music festival – blaming promoters for 'not fulfilling our contractual obligations to pay deposits to confirm the bands appearance'.
The group had been set to headline the revamped Back Doune the Rabbit Hole (BDTRH) festival at the Cardross Estate, near Port of Menteith, Stirling, this August.
But the organisers - who say they booked the band through a third-party promoter - announced that it was 'sad to share' the news that the Fratellis will no longer be appearing blaming "circumstances outside our control".
A statement said: 'We're sorry to confirm that The Fratellis will no longer be performing at Back Doune the Rabbit Hole.
'Their appearance was arranged through a third-party promoter, and unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control, the booking has not been fulfilled. Like many of you, we're incredibly disappointed by how this has unfolded.
'We know how much people were looking forward to their set, and we completely understand the frustration.
'We're working hard behind the scenes to secure a brilliant replacement and will be announcing your new Saturday night headliner very soon.
'Thank you for your patience and continued support. We'll have a further update for you shortly.'
The Chelsea Dagger rockers took to their website with a statement which read: 'Unfortunately our planned Summer festival appearances at the recent Stone Valley South, and forthcoming Monument, Back Doune The Rabbit Hole and Lindisfarne Festival will not be going ahead.
"This is due to the promoters of each event not fulfilling our contractual obligations to pay deposits to confirm the bands appearance.'
Back Doune The Rabbit Hole (BDTRH) is set for an overhaul after the previous operators of the event – called Doune the Rabbit Hole – collapsed into liquidation amid a storm over unpaid musicians and contractors.
This year's edition of the festival is set to go ahead from August 1-3.
Liverpudlian indie rockers The Zutons are set to top the bill on the Sunday evening and Marc Almond will headline on Friday evening.
There will also be performances from Scouting for Girls, the Bay City Rollers, The Skids and Newton Faulkner.
BDTRH is led by new organisers in Helensburgh musician and businessman Brian Harkin working alongside experienced bookers Colin Black and Paul Aspey from Rock Asset Management.
The previous Doune The Rabbit Hole had been a firm favourite in the Stirling cultural calendar until it ran into issues and eventually collapsed.
It was run by promoter Jamie Murray – who ran up almost £1million in debt had just £2.38 in the bank to pay creditors.
Dozens of furious performers, staff and firms were not paid when Mr Murray shut down the company behind the festival in 2022.
His dad, the jailed Salmond blogger Craig Murray, took over the running of the festival for 2023 as another company, with a plan to repay debts from his son's firm through profits from the event. But it was called off a month before it was due to go ahead, leaving creditors in the dark.
Speaking to the Stirling Observer in September last year, new organiser, Mr Harkin said: 'The initial discussions were about starting a new festival over there, but during the discussions, we did a bit of research on the collapse and how it was handled.
'I got a general consensus that it was a well-liked festival, low key and quite family-friendly in its vibe.
'I was introduced to the previous owner Jamie and he was very keen to revive the festival as he was disappointed that something he had built over the last decade would vanish.
'It was quite accidental in that we were looking to start a new festival and the site was pitched to us, but we know it was an event that was well loved by the community.'
Mr Harkin added: 'We're going to address those who didn't get their money back. There isn't an obligation on us to do that but we want to re-engage with the community.
'We realise there is some frustration and anger left over from the last couple of years, but I understand most of the issues took place post-Covid and I don't think it was handled well.
'One of the main considerations in taking over the name was that it was in bad taste with agents, bookers and event services companies but the team mitigates that to an extent because they have a strong working relationship with those services.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
The Great Polish Map of Scotland, the ghostly soldier, and the poet
Or you could listen to the Krakowiak finale of Mackenzie's Violin Concerto of 1884-5, a Scottish composer's sparkling tribute to Krakow's political and cultural defiance. Or how about the 1683 siege of Vienna with Leslie's Scots Infantry Regiment fighting alongside the Poles and Count James Leslie as general of artillery playing a decisive role? Or much earlier, like 1576 when King Stephen Báthory granted the Scots merchants a royal grant and a designated district in Krakow. By the 1600s there were 30,000 Scots living in Poland. There is a Nowa Szkocja in Gdansk; MacLeods became Machlejd; Sinclairs Szynkler; and many more such. The Baltic trade with east coast Scotland was huge and even influenced our architecture. The Second World War reinforced these old connections by the stationing of Polish troops, airmen and seamen in Scotland. Hence the map. For myself, I was pursuing research into an eccentric Scottish composer of the early 1600s. I wrote about Tobias Hume in A Question Of Identity – Tobias Hume in The National on April 14, 2017. Years before, one of my sources was a CD booklet which made reference to the distinguished Polish writer Jerzy Pietrkiewicz's (1916-2007) novel Loot And Loyalty. It featured Hume as its 'hero', and it had a Saltire on its spine. The booklet notes were written by the great English musicologist Thurston Dart and they set me on a wonderful and enlightening trail. I'd never even heard of Loot And Loyalty, never mind its author, and the problem was, the book could not be bought anywhere. The only copy I could find was in the National Library of Scotland and I didn't have enough time in Edinburgh to read it in the library – which does not lend out books. The Saltire was intriguing as, in those days, even the holy bible of Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians declared Hume to be English. I knew he was almost certainly a Scot but why had Jerzy had Hume pictured with a Saltire? The only way left for me to find out was to track down Jerzy himself. There seemed, however, to be no way of tracing the man or his whereabouts and I only rooted him out by working on the principle that all Poles resident in Britain would know the hiding places of all other Polish residents. I was sure Jerzy was a UK resident as he was writing and publishing in English, so I contacted my friend Basil (Julian) Barbour. Basil, as he is known to me, when not losing himself in the philosophical conundrums of space-time, earned a crust translating scientific papers from and into Russian. He would therefore have contacts among other translators. Was one of them Polish? Yes, Mr Tybulewicz was and, on being asked to locate Jerzy, offered to act as intermediary. This was in early January 1991, so the Berlin Wall was down, but I guessed that Jerzy either had contacts with Poland which still called for him to keep a low profile or preferred to be left alone. I sent a letter to him, via Mr Tybulewicz, with a cassette tape of some of Hume's music as the true intermediary and it initiated my enduring friendship with Jerzy who replied and lent me a rare copy of Loot And Loyalty which he allowed me to photocopy. This is what I wrote to him after reading it: 'Loot And Loyalty – strange confederations gathering around a central figure whose innocence is alluringly complex and hovering over the dawn of evil. I have never been to those parts of Europe and you have fed me a vision of them full of clammy mists, foetid marshes and succubating mire and I begin to wonder what kind of people can possibly survive there with their souls intact.' In a pathetic petition to the House of Lords, Hume claimed: 'I am an old and experienced Souldier, and have done great service in other forraine Countries as when I was in Russia, I did put thirty thousand to flight, and killed six or seven thousand Polonians by the art of my instruments of warre when I first invented them.' Hume never specified the war weapon he claimed to have invented, so Jerzy imagined disease, carefully cultured and placed in a huge collapsible tower, spreading death through the entire water system of the Pripet marshes. Tobias experimented with ducks: he starved the birds and then watched them drink, each duck from a different pail of polluted water. Those which died after drinking determined the selection of samples, and the stinking pails were guarded in a special shed, until the day – the captain thought with glee in his eyes – when they would dangle from the topmost scaffold of the Great Machine. That's not my imagination, it's Jerzy's and his mystical turn of mind later connected Hume with the Chernobyl disaster. But I have written about this before in the essay mentioned above. Some clue to the Polish context of Jerzy's mystical thought is to be found in his lecture Messianic Prophecy, given in Polish when he was Professor Emeritus of Polish Literature at the University of London. The lecture was published with parallel English text in MCMXCI 'on the occasion of the state visit to the United Kingdom of the president of the Polish Republic Lech Wałęsa April 1991'. He concludes with: 'And yet, and yet. Maybe, to paraphrase the words of King Lear, we will, again and again, take upon us the mystery of things, as if we were the spies of God.' My copy of the lecture is dedicated to me by Jerzy: 'In the sign of Tobias Hume and Archangel Raphael', under which joint protection I remain confident of a kindly reception in the hereafter. Having reacted warmly to my radio plays, he wanted me to make one out of Loot And Loyalty but I did not have it in me to give it the kind of treatment called for by Jerzy's work. Andrea del Verrocchio's 15th-century painting Tobias and the Angel (Image: Archive) Jerzy's own radio play, The Cosmic Clock, was of disturbing originality, with extraordinary sensual imagery and a feel for language all superbly realised by Paul Scofield in a Radio 3 broadcast in 1991. It was inspired by The Saragossa Manuscript, a novel by Jan Potocki, who took his own life in 1815 with a silver bullet, and it is as mystical a work as Jerzy could have wished for. His imagery is disturbing: 'She wore a silver moon on a dark velvet band around her neck, and inside her beautiful body she held a cosmic clock which kept their fourfold time at bay, and the demons never dared to look into her eyes. One did, a stupid goblin they picked up while crossing the Bosphorus, on the day the Sultan was assassinated in Istanbul, and the goblin lost both sight and speech for seventy-seven days.' Work of that nature, with its strange psychological insights and uncompromising sensuality, was in a different league, and that he thought, from my own writings, that I could do anything good with Loot And Loyalty still surprises me. Jerzy's autobiography, In The Scales Of Fate, I found deeply impressive and wrote to tell him so. He was very touched and understanding of my own decidedly mixed feelings about autobiography, for his book troubled me by the extent to which it rummaged in my conscience. Pietrkiewicz had been in exile in the UK (he was a mature student at St Andrews University) since the start of the last world war, in which he was a courier for the Polish underground. He was a renowned poet in Polish, defending the artistic respectability of the peasant life of which his own past forms a moving revelation. He is a fine novelist in English and handles the language with a freshness and directness of peculiar sensitivity, and moral vision – here writing of his peasant uncle who was innocent of the contemptuous treatment being meted out to him at a market: 'The whole scene imprinted itself on my mind because it exemplified my own desire to see dignity as a posture of angels, therefore winged with silence.' This visionary sense is matched by a pervasive but discreet sensuality: 'I loved to catch the flying type of beetle just to feel its sticky abdomen'. Early encounters with the occult provide a fascinating thread throughout the book, which is refreshed by frequent skips forward and back across decades and borders, from his nightmare escape from Poland to his retreat in Andalusia, as connections spark in the memory. There is no slavery to time or place here, and yet no confusion in the narrative. The book is full of many echoes and is therefore full of questions rather than answers. It has been written in submission rather than self-glory. It adds weight to the chain of life and yet invigorates the muscles which need invigorating to cope with the extra burden. Above all, it unfailingly holds the attention with an intelligent and passionate humour. It is that rare thing; a book of wisdom. Here is part of what he wrote in response to my doubts about autobiography, and perhaps it may serve me as a defence for the existence of these memoirs: '... Yes, at 51, your present age, I would have abhorred autobiography, its probing into the dark corridors of the self. And then the orphan syndrome would have been put in operation: show a good face once more, to appease the world. 'Now I know I can no longer procrastinate. I have to use myself as a witness to the memory of a civilization which is almost gone. But the dead, do they care? Sometimes perhaps one of them answers to the echo of his name. Tobias did. And he rewarded me with his recorded music, and now with your letter ...' Elsewhere he wrote: 'The dead are deaf. Mercifully, they don't have to listen to what is shouted above their graves: they stay in line ready for roll-call.' Having spent so much of my life and energies doing what I could for the music of the dead and the long dead, I prefer what he wrote for me: that sometimes perhaps one of them answers to the echo of his – or her – name. One does not well remember the appearance of all one's friends, but Jerzy's I can envisage instantly. He was slight, and as fragile-looking and beautiful as fine bone china. All his movements were sensitive, gentle and executed with unhurried purpose. His eerie, at the top of a villa near Hampstead Heath, looked out upon the disorder of London,but contained within it an ordered and uncluttered world of simple things, carefully placed – a religious statuette, birds, a mug of flowers, all in their own unostentatious way, beautiful – himself a beautiful man.
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Who is Bob Vylan after British rap duo led 'death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury
The punk duo has sparked global condemnation after chanting "death, death to the IDF" at Glastonbury on Saturday Glastonbury Festival has wrapped up for another year, but amid sensational performances from the likes of The 1975 and Charlie XCX, and an emotional comeback from Scots singer Lewis Capaldi, there has been a lot of controversy. Artist Bobby Vylan, star of Bob Vylan, led festival-goers at Glastonbury's West Holts Stage in chants of "Death, death to the IDF" on Saturday. BBC iPlayer initially broadcast the scenes. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the UK Israeli Embassy expressed their disapproval over the chants. The performance has since been removed from BBC iPlayer and a police investigation has been launched. condemnation by politicians both domestically and internationally. The conflict in Gaza has now claimed the lives of more than 56,000 Palestinians, more than half of which are women and children, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. So, who actually is Bob Vylan? Bob Vylan is a punk duo consisting of singer and guitarist Bobby Vylan, the frontman, and drummer Bobbie Vylan. They have never revealed their real names to protect their privacy. They formed in Ipswich, Suffolk in 2017, where Bobby, 34, grew up, and their musical style is a mix of punk, rap, and hard rock. Bobby started making music on the PlayStation game Music 2000 and became more politically aware thanks to a woman called Del White, who ran local African-Caribbean events in his area, according to The Guardian. He met Bobbie in a London bar in 2017. Both have since quit drinking. The pals started their own record label Ghost Theatre so they could "release music we feel is missing in a way that's fair and empowering". Success quickly followed and they toured, supporting Biffy Clyro and the Offspring, and performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2021. They have released five albums - Dread (2019), We Live Here (2020), Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (2022), Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (Deluxe) (2023) and last year's Humble As The Sun, as well as various singles and EPs. Bob Vylan's music has won them awards including best alternative act at the MOBOs in 2022, and best album at the Kerrang Awards in the same year. Their songs confront issues including racism, homophobia, toxic masculinity, and far-right politics. Gigs often include crowd-surfing and, as was the case over the weekend, controversial chants. In 2022, while performing a rendition of Wicked and Bad at Glastonbury, Bobby sang "Let's go dig up Maggie's grave and ask her where that milk went". Last year, Bobby told The Guardian that the band want to "use their existence to rally against injustice". Bobby attended his first pro-Palestine protest at the age of 15 with a friend's mother. Bob Vylan have collaborated with artists including Amyl And The Sniffers singer Amy Taylor, Soft Play guitarist Laurie Vincent, and rock band Kid Kapichi. The band also sell their own brand of jerk sauce called 'Burn Britannia'. The duo have been outspoken on the war in Gaza and called out other acts seen as left-wing who haven't been showing the same amount of public solidarity. The band are due to perform a series of gigs in the US in October and November this year. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Oasis reunion tour timings as brothers unveil exactly how long they will be on stage for
The countdown is on until the Oasis reunion tour. The time has almost come for Oasis to kick off their reunion tour and the band have now officially shared the timings for their first Live 25 tour in Cardiff. The band are set to play for over two hours at Cardiff's Principality Stadium as brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher will be on stage performing together live the first time in over ten years. Doors will open at 5pm before first support act Cast play at 6pm. Verve frontman and pal of the Gallagher brothers, Richard Ashcroft will then perform on stage at 7pm, writes The Mirror. Oasis will then finally come on stage at 8.15pm this Friday it has been confirmed. A new post from the official Oasis social media pages has revealed the band will play for just over two hours before they will end the set for a 22.30pm curfew. The news of the timings was met with a mixed reaction from fans who took to social media to discuss. One wrote: "Not a long enough gig for the ticket prices," while another chimed in: "Nonsense... most artists will be somewhere between 1hr 15 and 1hr 45 for standard gigs. They'll easily play 20+ songs for a gig over 2 hrs." "Two and a quarter hours is pretty much double the time that most artists do now and tickets cost about £130 which isn't double so if anything you get more time per pound," argued another. Another fan suggested the gig would be the longest the band have ever played, having previously performed 90 minute sets. Another added: "Have you ever caught Bruce Springsteen live? It's EXHAUSTING. The best shows Stones ever did were back in '78 and they were only around 80-90 mins. Oasis in 96 was 110. The lads gonna play around 110 this time around too. All well and good." Scots fans are counting down the days until the Edinburgh shows - 39 to be exact - and last week it was announced that fans who didn't manage to get their hands on a ticket may be given another chance. More tickets are set to be released for the Edinburgh Murrayfield gigs as the council have given the green light to increase the stadium's capacity. Liam and Noel Gallagher have put their differences aside after feuding for years to take part in the Oasis reunion tour which will head to Edinburgh for three nights this August - which are completely sold out. However, many will be happy to know that last week an application to Edinburgh City Council's licensing board to increase Murrayfield's capacity from 67,130 to 69,990 was approved - much to the delight of Scots Oasis fans. Councillor Louise Young, licensing board convener, said: 'An application to increase the capacity at Murrayfield for the upcoming Oasis concerts was approved by the Licensing Board on June 23. 'This decision followed consultation with the police and public safety officers.' Earlier this week the Gallagher brothers released a statement about releasing more tickets. They penned: "As the shows are getting closer, Oasis promoters may be able to release a very limited number of additional tickets for sale once final sight lines are checked and the production is fine tuned." It continued: "These final production releases will happen over the coming day." Fans who are members of Oasismynet have been urged to keep an eye on their inboxes for updates. "If you are an Oasismynet member, keep an eye on your inbox for an email from your regular Oasismynet or Ticketmaster correspondence address," the message added. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
