Deacon Blue will sing the blues at MoFest

Band promises to entertain fans with a big show and a lot of their favourite songs

Deacon Blue will headline MoFest, opening the weekend of live music with an outdoor show on the East Links, Montrose on Friday, May 26.

Lead singer Ricky Ross said: “We’re going to make it a big show and with a lot of favourites, old and new! Don’t expect to go home too early!”

Singer Lorraine McIntosh, said: “We remember our show at MoFest 2009 with great fondness.

“We’re really excited to be heading back to Montrose and being part of its special 10th anniversary celebrations.

“We promise a great show and hope to see lots of our fans there.”

David Paton, chairman of the Montrose Music Festival, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back Deacon Blue as headliners for MoFest 2017.

“They were absolutely superb when they performed at MoFest in 2009, and we were keen to bring back one of our original headliners for this special weekend.”

The Montrose Music Festival place between Friday 26 and 28.

Deacon Blue will kick off proceedings before the Beach Boys bring the festival to an end on the Sunday night.

Concert promoter, LCC Live, is working in partnership with the Montrose Music Festival to host the headline shows.

Director Claire Kidger said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Deacon Blue back to the Montrose Music Festival.

“They are enormously appealing and are enjoying great success on tour at the moment due to their expansive catalogue of hits – some great ones from the past, which they mix so well with some of their fantastic new songs.

“It’s going to be a great night – come and join us!”

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday from Ticketline www.ticketline.co.uk; 0844 888 9991 or in person from MoFest HQ, 66 New Wynd, Montrose between 10am and 2pm on Friday, Saturday and the following Saturday. takes AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has been announced as the headliner for BonFest 2017 — Kirriemuir’s annual celebration of the band’s front man Bon Scott.

Bonfest will take place over the weekend of April 28-30 next year and as well as evening concerts there will be three full days of free live gigs.

BonFest organiser Graham Galloway said being able to bring Rudd to Angus was a coup for the start of the festival’s second decade.

Mr Galloway said: “The veteran musician has appeared on all but three of AC/DC’s 18 studio albums, which have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide, and his drums are as much a part of the band’s sound as the Young brother’s guitars.

“We are thrilled to be able to announce Phil Rudd as our main headliner for Bonfest 2017.

During 2014 Phil recorded and released his first debut album, Head Job, with Kiwi musicians Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin .

The release of Head Job only took place in Australia and New Zealand after promotion plans were scuppered when Rudd was convicted of drugs charges, with Chris Slade stepping in as the drummer on AC/DC’s 2015 Rock or Bust world tour.

Mr Galloway added: “Phil will be playing songs from Head Job and will hopefully be performing a few AC/DC classics as well.”

Deacon Blue are returning to MoFest next year after appearing there in 2009.

Phil Rudd played on all but three of AC/DC’s albums.