Unique line-up for Skye Live event
LONDON rock art band Django Django and Scots trad trailblazers Blazin’ Fiddles lead a unique line-up of electronic and contemporary traditional music in this year’s Skye Live festival.
Now in its third year, the twoday Skye Live festival, which showcases some of Scotland’s finest bands and DJs as well as food and produce from the isle of Skye, takes place in September and is proving so popular that early bird tickets have already sold out.
Skye Live began as an idea between two friends, Niall Munro and Ali MacIsaac, who believed a hill overlooking Portree Harbour, known locally as The Lump, would make an excellent venue for a music festival.
Niall said: ‘The Lump already has an established amphitheatre and is used each year by the Highland Games. The views from there are fantastic so we decided this was the place we wanted to host the first Skye Live festival.
‘ We got a few bands together, including the Peatbog Faeries and Donny Munro, and carried everything – including all the equipment – up the hill. We focused on electronic music and contemporary Scots trad. Everyone got behind it. We had 1,600 people there and we all had a great time.
`Because the event was so successful, we decided to do it again the next year and this time we included stalls and chefs showcasing Skye’s quality produce, which went down really well with festival-goers. We had a bit more space last year as we moved the festival to King George V but the atmosphere wasn’t the same.
‘The ambience of the Lump adds a magical element to the festival, with its amazing views across the island. The amphitheatre and Apothecary’s Tower create a sense of history. It really is the best place to hold our festival because it showcases everything Skye has to offer. It’s one of the most unique festival sites in the world.’
On the stage this year are electronica artists Django Django, Mano Le Tough, Apparat, a DJ who has just finished a world tour and comes to Skye as a solo exclusive, Joe Goddard, Joy Orbison, Dekmantel Soundsystem, Optimo (Espacio), Shanti Celeste, Lord Of The Isles, Eclair Fifi, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams and Finiflex.
Leading the line-up on the Scots trad stages are Blazin’ Fiddles. Other artists include Skye band Niteworks, Jarlath Henderson, Dàimh, Bwani Junction presents Graceland, Pronto Mama, The Elephant Sessions, Injuns Vs The Dead Man’s Waltz, Ho-Ro, Inyal and Sian.
Once again, local produce will be a key feature of the festival.
Ali said: ‘Our aim is to showcase Skye’s amazing poduce. We are also keen to add value to the local economy and festival-goers will be able to walk in and out of the festival at their leisure to see what Portree has to offer.
Location is important but it’s equally important to offer a unique musical experience and I am very excited to be bringing some of these world-renowned artists to the place I call home.’
Skye Live 2017 takes place on Friday and Saturday September 22 and 23.