Events at Slessor Gardens no Tragedy

It might well be more than a few years since they topped the charts but that didn’t stop the people of Dundee from giving pop stars Blue and Steps a rapturous welcome when they kicked off Dundee’s summer party in style last night.

There is no doubt this is a hugely important year for the City of Discovery and, while the artistes in question may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is events like this that will really help to ensure the focus remains on Dundee in the months to come.

There was a time when big name acts turned up in the city as a matter of routine.

David Bowie and The Beatles are just two of the superstar acts to have visited the Caird Hall in their pomp.

After those heady times there were several fallow decades and it has been wonderful to watch the city begin to emerge from the shadows by attracting big name acts once again.

When it was designed, few people had such a use in mind for Slessor Gardens, but it has proved itself a more than suitable venue for concerts.

Sitting just a stone’s throw from the V&A, it has helped to create the feeling of vibrancy so essential for any modern, dynamic city.

Given the success of events thus far, many more big acts will surely come to Dundee in the years to come — and that is something we can all make a song and dance about.