GRAEME STRACHAN

MoFest was started in 2008 by a small group of locals who were unhappy with the live music scene in the town.

The festival was a massive success and started to attract top acts which put Montrose firmly on the music map.

Suddenly gravellyvoiced Canadian superstar Bryan Adams was in Angus as the town joined the likes of Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium and the Giza pyramids on his impressive gigography.

The Beach Boys even turned up from California and the festival appeared to be riding on the crest of a wave.

But it quickly became a victim of its own success which brought with it spiralling costs.

The BBC’s Biggest Weekend in Perth being scheduled on the same date as this year’s MoFest didn’t help.

Bands just weren’t willing to compete with the BBC and just a few hundred people turned out to watch The Hoosiers deliver a headline set at the town hall.

The MoFest team have pledged this is just a break to “regroup” and they’ll be back again in 2020. But remember when Geoff Ellis pulled the plug on T in the Park in 2017 to rethink its future? It was then quietly killed off.

Déjà vu? Let’s hope not. But whatever the future holds, the small band of MoFest volunteers – past and present – have done their town proud.

Graeme Strachan with Ash at the 2015 MoFest.