Air guitars at the ready as Bonfest roars back

Aregular Angus feature since the ’90s, Bonfest is back this weekend, and the air guitars will be brandished as always.

The music festival named after the late Kirriemuirraised AC/DC star Bon Scott will see thousands of visitors from across the UK and beyond descend on the town today for the start of the hard rock extravaganza.

Dozens of bands will play six separate stages at venues across Kirrie over three days, with the roster ranging from breaking Courier Country artists to vastly experienced outfits of international repute.

The festival represents a unique celebration of the life and influence of Scott, who left his birth county for Australia aged six and went on to front the massive-selling rock icons AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980 at just 33.

It raises funds for Kirriemuir’s DD8 Music charity, which provides musical opportunities to young people.

For anyone not clued up on Bonfest’s offerings, it might come as a surprise to find that behind the first impression of a noisefest packed with tribute bands and soundalikes lurks a laudable degree of diversity.

Previous headliners include both legendary AC/ DC drummer Phil Rudd and the man who has twice replaced him as the beat of the band, Chris Slade, who took his Timeline combo to Kirriemuir in 2014.

Other well-known names to have played there are US japesters Hayseed Dixie and West Lothian favourites The Amorettes.

The latest edition of Bonfest is the most varied yet, with tonight’s main arena line-up including slide guitarist Dave Arcari, who has taken his brand of alt-blues to stages across Europe and the US for the past few decades.

He opens Bonfest’s main platform at 6pm, ahead of a set by good-time Northern Irish rockers Screaming Eagles. Besides being influenced by AC/DC, the Belfast four-piece cite Airbourne and Audioslave as key references and showed their respect for the Kirriemuir event by releasing their own Live At Bonfest CD in 2018.

Their latest studio album High Class Rock ’n’ Roll landed last year, with metal website Get Ready to Rock writing: “There is a lot to like – it’s straightforward and even if you’ve heard it all before, it could still become mildly addictive.”

Headlining tonight are the pyrotechnic-loving Powerage UK, who’ll present what they describe as “the ultimate Bon Scottera AC/DC tribute show” from 9pm.

Jacking up the hyperbole in a message to the fans this week, the band wrote on Facebook: “Get amped up and put it on 11 – prepare for an explosive night of pure adrenalin, spine-tingling riffs and mind-blowing energy!”

Tomorrow’s line-up kicks off with a set from veteran AC/DC devotees Trident mixing original material with classic rock covers. Fronted by Martin Mcguire, the Kirkintilloch quartet have been around since the ’80s.

They’re followed at 7pm by New York melodic rock