The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Blow for local music fans as Live at the Links open air gigs put on hold for this year.
MONTROSE: Organisers of Live at the Links will run event every two years
Music fans have been dealt a blow with the news that big name live acts won’t be performing at Montrose East Links this year.
Live at the Links will now take place every two years following a change of strategy which means there will be no open-air gigs this summer in Montrose for the first time since Status Quo performed in 2014.
LCC Live has previously brought the likes of Jools Holland, Bryan Adams, Deacon Blue and the Beach Boys to perform in Montrose.
As well as putting the town on the music map, the gigs have also been credited with providing a huge economic boost to Montrose and to Angus.
Director Les Kidger said he was “quite astounded” at the level of disappointment expressed by Montrose fans following the news.
But he said that just shows how much they have enjoyed witnessing some of the biggest acts in the world pitching up on their doorstep over the past six years.
He said he has already drawn up a wish-list for 2021 but wants local fans to tell him who they want to see taking to the stage.
“We had a really great year with Live at the Links in 2019 but we want to freshen it up and bring in a slightly different concept,” he said.
“There are a few major events taking place in Tayside this year such as the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Dundee which is a major coup for the city.
“We thought the best thing was to make Live at the Links a biennial event and we are looking at two or three artists performing across a single weekend.
“Although it’s early days we have already drawn up a wish-list and we are really looking forward to coming back to Montrose because we’ve put on some great shows there.”
The summer 2019 event featured the Kaiser Chiefs, Jess Glynne and Madness and Mr Kidger said LCC Live has been asking Montrose fans for their own wishlist for 2021.
“We had a really great year with Live at the Links in 2019 but we want to freshen it up and bring in a slightly different concept.
DIRECTOR LES KIDGER
AC/DC and Oasis getting back together for a reunion on the East Links has been among the most popular although that would also mean the warring Gallagher brothers getting back on speaking terms.
“We would need to move the links back another two miles out into the sea if we got AC/DC or Oasis,” said Mr Kidger.
“I don’t think either of those gigs will be happening but we do want local fans to tell us who they want to see in Montrose next year.”
Mr Kidger said that as well as looking ahead to Montrose in 2021 they were also exploring the idea of putting on shows at Slessor Gardens in Dundee.
LCC Live started to bring big names to Montrose to play open-air gigs as part of its initial link up with Montrose Music Festival.
Mofest disbanded in 2019 due to a lack of volunteers which led to LCC Live announcing the inaugural Live at the Links would take place to fill the void.
Tayside is set to enjoy a huge summer celebration of music thanks to Rewind at Scone Palace and Radio 1’s Big Weekend returning to Dundee. Sadly that line-up won’t be added to this year by Montrose’s Live at the Links, which is taking a year off.
Last year’s event saw the Kaiser Chiefs, Jess Glynne and Madness take to the stage, but music fans in the town will have to wait until next year for another open air gig.
Hopefully the silence of the links will just be a temporary blip and Montrose will be back rocking again in 2021.