MUSIC NEWS Scotland

T Break 2012 Launches!

Posted on March 5, 2012 by MUSIC NEWS Scotland

Tennent’s Lager’s annual search for the freshest unsigned talent in Scotland gets underway

Tennent’s Lager’s search for the freshest unsigned talent in Scotland gets underway today with the launch of T Break 2012. Tennent’s are offering 16 of the best unsigned acts in Scotland a highly coveted slot on the T Break Stage at T in the Park, and bands and solo artists from across Scotland can now submit their demos to be in with a chance of playing one of the UK’s biggest music festivals. Tennent’s will announce the T Break Stage line-up in May.

Tennent’s have been supporting Scotland’s grassroots music scene since 1996, and T Break offers acts an unrivalled opportunity to showcase their material to industry experts and music fans on the biggest platform for emerging talent at T in the Park.

A judging panel of 14 of Scotland’s most influential music industry experts – including promoters, bookers, A&R representatives and members of the media – will listen to each demo before selecting the final 16 acts which will go on to play on the T Break Stage over 6th – 8th July.

George Kyle, Head of Sponsorship at Tennent’s Lager, said: “We were blown away by the calibre of the T Break entries in 2011, and received well over 1000 demos. Scotland’s grassroots music scene is clearly thriving, and Tennent’s is honoured to be able to support this through T Break. We’re very much looking forward to hearing what T Break 2012 has to offer, and to discovering exciting new music by Scottish unsigned talent.”

Dave McGeachan from T Break partners DF Concerts sits on the judging panel, he said:

“Over the last few years T Break has been a launch pad for some of the best new Scottish artists of the moment. For example, 2010 gave us French Wives, The Ray Summers, Three Blind Wolves, The Draymin and Kobi Onyame with 2011 delivering just as many exciting new acts in the shape of The LaFontaines, United Fruit, Fatherson, Discopolis and PAWS. T Break is a great opportunity for any unsigned artist, and we can’t wait to hear from this year’s entrants.”

Bands and solo artists can now submit their demos of original music (in any genre) to be in with a chance of playing T Break, and sharing the T in the Park bill alongside likes of Snow Patrol, The Stone Roses and Kasabian. Entrants must be over 18, live in Scotland, and must be currently unsigned.

Full details on how to submit demos is available on www.facebook.com/TennentsTBreak and www.tennents.com/tbreak

Demos must be submitted before the deadline of Monday 2nd April.

T Break can become a stepping stone to major recognition for acts, with 2011 act Discopolis featuring at no.9 in NME’s top 20 new bands to watch in 2012. Since playing T Break last July, Aerials Up have opened for Duran Duran at their SECC gig in December and sold out their own headline gig at King Tut’s. This year’s T in the Park headliners Snow Patrol also made their T in the Park debut on the T Break stage, back in 1997 under the name Polar Bear.

Discopolis, T Break 2011 band, said: “We’re huge fans of Scottish bands and the live music scene here and have seen T Break give an unparalleled platform to some of the most exciting bands in the country in recent years. Initiatives like T Break create opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be available and we’re very grateful to have been given them.”

Tennent’s work with a range of key music industry partners to provide support for emerging Scottish talent.

Stuart Fleming, Scotland & Northern Ireland Membership Manager for PRS for Music said:

“PRS for Music is delighted that we’re once again involved with T Break, continuing our long tradition of supporting new music in Scotland. The stage has played host to some of the best new and upcoming artists over the years and it is always great to see the wealth of creative talent we have. As an organisation that has been representing songwriters and composers for nearly 100 years it is right we support the next generation of talent as they begin their musical careers.”

David Hughes, Head of Faculty, Creative Industries, at STOW College said:

“STOW College are proud to be associated with Tennent’s and T Break at T In the Park. Through the partnership of Industry and Education we are able to give our Learners valuable work experience in a dynamic and growing Industry and importantly give them a platform to enable them to develop their confidence and skillset to further contribute to the Industry.“

Emma Pollock, co-founder, Chem19 Recording Studio, said:

“We are delighted to be a partner of this year’s T Break stage. Helping new and current artists find and develop their sound is what Chem19 has been all about since its inception and T Break is a chance for us to further this ambition on a grand scale.”

Dougal Perman, director and co-founder, Radio Magnetic, said:

“Radio Magnetic is excited about working with T Break again. Every year we hear lots of exciting bands and being a T Break partner gives us a great opportunity to work with them. We’ve got some big plans for our coverage of the T Break Stage performances this year. Keep an eye and ear on Facebook and the Radio Magnetic and T Break websites to be the first to find out what’s happening.”

About T Break

T Break was launched by Tennent’s in 1996 and has been finding the most fresh and exciting unsigned talent in Scotland and giving them a platform to showcase their music on the T Break Stage at T in the Park.

Each year, 16 bands are hand-picked from over a thousand entries by a panel made up of industry experts and given a slot on T in the Park’s biggest and most acclaimed platform for new music.

Over the years, the T Break Stage has hosted some legendary performances – It’s where Biffy Clyro made their T in the Park debut back in 2000. In 2008 Paolo Nutini decided to showcase his alter ego collective – Snake Derrick & The Vypers and not forgetting Snow Patrol’s T in the Park debut: “We first played at T in 1997 on the T Break Stage… ten years later and we’re headlining” (Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol, 2007).

T Break 2012 – key dates

March 5th – annual call for demos

April 2nd – demo entry closes

April – judging sessions take place

May 4th – 16 bands selected to play the T Break Stage at T in the Park are announced

July 6th -8th – T Break Stage at T in the Park

www.tennents.com/tbreak

www.facebook.com/TennentsTBreak

Click to visit the Scottish Music Centre's website

We are delighted to have the Scottish Music Centre as a sponsor of the MUSIC NEWS Scotland 'Latest News' Blog - please click above to view their website and see what services they can offer Scottish musicians

We are delighted to have the Musicians' Union as a sponsor of the MUSIC NEWS Scotland 'Latest News' Blog - please click above to view their website and see what services they can offer Scottish musicians

Posted in Festivals, Latest News | Tagged BIFFY CLYRO, Chem19, DF Concerts, PRS for Music, Radio Magnetic, T Break, T in the Park, Tennent's Lager | Leave a comment

ROCKNESS DAY TICKETS ON SALE

Posted on March 2, 2012 by MUSIC NEWS Scotland

It’s shaping up to be this summer’s most exciting festival line up, not to mention the most mindblowingly beautiful, and things just moved up a gear with the double whammy that the award winning RockNess DAY TICKETS GO ON SALE TODAY (Friday 2 March) … perfectly timed to coincide with the latest amazing acts also announced today. What’s more, for the FIRST SEVEN DAYS of day tickets going on sale there will be NO BOOKING FEE! Rejoice music lovers!

Demand for the day tickets is expected to be sky high and fans are being advised to secure the must-have briefs early – especially as organisers are staying true to the festival’s unbeatable value ethos. Not only will booking fees be waived for the introductory first seven days, DAY TICKET PRICES REMAIN THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.

Kicking things off on the Friday, and for a DAY TICKET PRICE OF £59 / £85 (VIP), the magnificent MUMFORD & SONS bring their electrifying live show to Loch Ness. With countless acknowledgements across the Grammy’s, Brits and Mercury Prize, the energy laden music of these multi instrumentalist marvels is real, authentic and simply stunning. Expect a rousing Main Stage headline performance as this band of brothers get RockNess 2012 off to a jubilant start.

In a groundbreaking new initiative, RockNess has joined forces with MUMFORD & SONS to guarantee fans get the best value for money possible by making FRIDAY DAY TICKETS available to buy with no booking fee exclusively via the WWW.MUSICGLUE.COM/ROCKNESS website.

Speaking about the new fan friendly gesture, Festival Director Jim King commented, “I’m not sure if it’s been done before at a festival or not but what I suppose we are saying is that if you want to buy a Friday ticket to see Mumford & Sons, then speak to Mumford & Sons. When we booked the band we knew how important pricing and ticketing was to them and we’d seen how they’d operated their own tour ticketing which I was impressed with. We just felt it important that we support what they believe in and so came up with the idea of giving them all of the Friday tickets to sell themselves.

With them having something already set up with ticketing company Music Glue, it made it a lot easier to put this in place as a trial run for this year. The fans will know that what goes on sale is the full ticket quota and that no one is holding anything back or diverting primary to secondary. The other acts really support it as well and whilst we will sell the other day tickets through our normal channels (this year?), we’ve already made the pledge that RockNess does not place tickets into the secondary market. To help genuine fans to sell their tickets ethically, we will also be joining The Ticket Trust.”

A dazzling spectacular of technical wizardry and kaleidoscopic visuals is the treat lined up by Saturday’s Main Stage headliner DEADMAU5, and for a DAY TICKET PRICE OF £64 / £85 (VIP) the experience of shock and awe created by one of the world’s biggest electronic artists is promised. Famed for his brand of progressive dance that has been shaking enormodomes across the planet, the Grammy-nominated, Billboard-topping superstar DJ and producer is seriously hot property and his live show is HUGE.

As one of the very best live bands around, BIFFY CLYRO are at the top of their game. A decade long assault on the globe’s live music circuit and a five album-strong catalogue heavy on blistering, fist pumping anthems has seen to that. Now, this summer the Ayrshire trio’s rise to rock glory will be acknowledged as the band – in their first ever Scottish festival headline slot – bring RockNess 2012 to a truly unmissable finale. Fans fast enough to secure their DAY TICKET PRICED AT £64 / £85 (VIP) are sure to witness a seminal moment in Scottish music history.

As with Friday day tickets, NO BOOKING FEE will apply to Saturday or Sunday day tickets for the first seven days and can be purchased via http://www.rockness.co.uk

Lining up alongside this year’s headliners is a roll call of sublime talent including: ED SHEERAN, JUSTICE, FRIENDLY FIRES, THE VIEW, METRONOMY, NOAH & THE WHALE, THE DRUMS, ANNIE MAC, DAVE CLARKE, CHIC featuring NILE RODGERS, MYLO, ETIENNE DE CRECY, FRESH/LIVE, WRETCH 32, ZANE LOWE, MYSTERY JETS, KASSIDY, JACQUES LE CONT, BEARDYMAN, AZEALIA BANKS, DEATH IN VEGAS, TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS and many, many more!

See website for full line-up, and very latest new announcements.

www.rockness.co.uk

Click to find out more about the Musicians' Union - (Pic: Isabella Summers)

We are delighted to have the Musicians Union as a sponsor of the MUSIC NEWS Scotland 'Latest News' Blog - please click above to view their website and see what services they can offer Scottish musicians

Posted in Festivals, Latest News | Tagged BIFFY CLYRO, DEADMAU5, ED SHEERAN, MUMFORD & SONS, music news scotland, NOAH & THE WHALE, rockness, The View | Leave a comment

And the SAMA 2012 winners are!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by MUSIC NEWS Scotland

The Scottish Alternative Music awards took place on Thursday 1 March for a third year, drawing necessary attention to the Scottish bands and artists that mainstream music tends to ignore.

Since launching the public were given two weeks to vote and over 18 000 music fans did just that – showing support for their favourite acts within the nominees list – and showing they care for Scottish and independent music scene.

The awards in Glasgow’s The Garage featured performances from Bwani Junction, Vukovi, Fridge Magnets, and surprise sets from winning acts Madhat McGore and Fatherson. Awards were given out from key music industry figures such as Vic Galloway, Ally McCrae and Jim Gellatly.

Best Live Act, sponsored by Messer Schmitt : We Were Promised Jetpacks

Founder and Creative Director of the SAMAs, Richy Muirhead said:

“Tonight was such a buzz! It was so great to see everyone come together and support the Scottish music scene, the entire atmosphere was electric. The event featured so many diverse acts from hip hop, rock, and electronic backgrounds which was something i’d personally wanted to do – which everyone seemed to really enjoy!”

Full list of winners:

Best Live Act, sponsored by Messer Schmitt : We Were Promised Jetpacks

Best Rock/Alternative, sponsored by Ignite Records : Fatherson

Best Electronic, sponsored by Bar Bloc : Fridge Magnets

Best Newcomer, sponsored by Cathouse Glasgow : Bwani Junction

Best Metal, sponsored by Departed Apparel : Ten Tonne Dozer

Best Hip Hop, sponsored by Young Scot : Madhat McGore

Best Acoustic, sponsored by JamHut Studios : Brown Bear & The Bandits

http://officialsama.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSAMA

Posted in Latest News | Tagged Brown Bear & The Bandits, Bwani Junction, Fatherson, Fridge Magnets, Madhat McGore, sama, Scottish Alternative Music Awards, Ten Tonne Dozer, We Were Promised Jetpacks | 1 Comment

T IN THE PARK 2012

Posted on February 23, 2012 by MUSIC NEWS Scotland

T IN THE PARK TICKETS – ON SALE

9am Wednesday 29th February 2012

from

http://www.tinthepark.com

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk

or phone 08444 999 990.

You can buy up to 4 tickets per person, per address.

Latest Headliner ……

T IN THE PARK – NICKI MINAJ ALSO CONFIRMED – Superstar Nicki Minaj has just confirmed that she will be bringing her own blend of sassy “Super Bass” to Balado for T in the Park 2012. Festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager are thrilled to announce that the feisty rapper has just been added to the stellar bill of names announced this morning (23 February).

DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager are thrilled to announce that Snow Patrol and Kasabian will join The Stone Roses as headliners for this year’s T in the Park festival, in front of the greatest audience in the world. They will be joined by an ultra-impressive bill made up of the world’s ‘must see’ acts across the weekend of 6-8th July 2012.

Firm favourites with festival crowds across the globe, Snow Patrol bring their epic anthems back to Balado to headline the mighty Main Stage. Festival frontman Gary Lightbody hailed T in the Park as “the best weekend ever” when the band gave one of the most memorable T in the Park headline performances to date, in 2009. Since T in the Park first booked an unknown Snow Patrol in 1999, the band have soared to international stardom and gone on to sell in excess of 11 million albums worldwide. Having just completed their sold out ‘Fallen Empires’ tour of the UK and Ireland, the band are off to tour Europe and the U.S.A before heading home, fired up and ready to go at Balado.

Having announced their ‘live resurrection’ to the delight of dedicated fans across the globe, The Stone Roses will undoubtedly provide THE seminal music moment of the summer with their hugely anticipated headline performance at T in the Park 2012. All eyes will be on Balado when the Manchester legends take to the stage for a very rare UK festival appearance and their only live show in Scotland, not to mention a truly historic moment for T in the Park.

Kasabian are certainly on fire right now, with their fourth studio album Velociraptor taking the group to stratospheric new levels. The follow-up to the acclaimed West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, the current album was recorded in Leicester, mixed in San Francisco and written and produced by the group’s guitarist Sergio Pizzorno. Kasabian are an incendiary live act who consistently top the polls of the bands festival fans want to see. Currently up for three NME Awards (Best Live Band, Best British Band, Greatest Music Moment of the Year), Kasabian first played T in the Park in 2004 and have been consistently championed by T in the Parkers ever since. The Leicester lads make a very welcome return to the top of the bill to bring T in the Park 2012 to a raucous close.

Kasabian said: “It’s an honour that we’ve been invited back to play T in the Park. It’s always been one of our favourite UK festivals and after having such a blast in 2010, we can’t wait to do it all over again.”

The headliners join an already stellar group of top top acts confirmed for T in the Park 2012, including Florence + the Machine, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club, The Maccabees, Frank Turner, Miles Kane, The Horrors and Maverick Sabre.

Newly announced Tinie Tempah is undoubtedly one of the freshest and biggest stars to come out of Britain in the past two years. Since his debut album Disc-Overy debuted at No. 1, preceded by two smash hit No.1 singles Pass Out and Written in the Stars, the sensational solo star has fast become one of the most award-winning, best-selling performers of recent times.

Bernard Sumner, Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Morris, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman – the newly reformed New Order – are back together and will return to Balado, having last performed at T in the Park in 2005. One of the most highly influential and critically acclaimed bands of the 1980’s, New Order were the pioneering force behind electronic music, responsible for 1983 hit Blue Monday, the best-selling 12 inch single of all time. Tracks such as True Faith and Regret have influenced generations of hit making musicians ever since. This unmissable set at T in the Park is guaranteed to be worth the wait!

Bernard Sumner, New Order frontman, said: “It’s been 7 years since we played in Scotland, up at ‘T’, and we had a brilliant time. It was as much of a surprise to us as it was to our fans when Brandon from The Killers joined us onstage for Crystal, so it’s gonna be hard to top that one, but we’ll do our best to make sure it’s another memorable night for everyone. See you all soon!”

David Guetta is arguably one of the world’s most popular DJ’s and one of the most sought after music producers. Hailing from France, he has sold over 3 million albums and 15 million singles across the globe. For fifth studio album Nothing But the Beat, Guetta introduced rock influences to his dance beats and upped the ante yet again with smash hit tracks Where Them Girls At and Without You. David Guetta boasts some of the biggest tunes in the business right now and will be blasting them loud at Balado this summer.

Calvin Harris has gone from producing tracks in his bedroom in Dumfries to internationally renowned DJ, producer, singer, songwriter phenomenon. Calvin’s second album Ready For the Weekend went straight to the No.1 spot and spawned massive hit after hit single, gaining him further attention from fans as well artists in demand of his record producing skills. Credited for being the most successful songwriter in the UK singles chart in 2011 and following a stint on tour with Rhianna, the pair collaborated on smash hit single We Found Love, which catapulted them to the to the top of the charts the world over. Calvin Harris is close to T in the Park’s heart and fans will surely agree that it feels so good to have him back at Balado.

Elbow are a band renowned for their stunning songwriting ability as well as their amazing live performances. Since forming in 1990, the band have been recognised for both, achieving an accolade of awards including two Ivor Novello Awards for best contemporary song and best song musically and lyrically for the singles Grounds for Divorce and One Day Like This respectively. The Bury five-piece also won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize for their album The Seldom Seen Kid. 2012 will be another big year for Elbow as they have been chosen to provide the soundtrack to BBC’s coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games, as well as delivering a standout set at T in the Park.

Having been raised in Aberdeen and studied at the University of Glasgow, Emeli Sandé is a Scots talent to be truly proud of. Emeli’s debut album Our Version of Events sold more than 100,000 copies in the last week alone, putting her in the lead in terms of sales of any other British artist this year. With her debut album currently at No.1 and as the winner of this year’s Brits Critics’ Choice Award, Emeli Sandé has proved herself to be one of the most talented and respected singer/songwriters of our time and her debut performance at T in the Park is not to be missed.

Fans can expect more T in the Park 2012 highlights from an array of festival favourites including newly announced artists in bold: (FRIDAY) Snow Patrol, Tinie Tempah, New Order, Florence + the Machine, Example, Professor Green, Kaiser Chiefs, The Temper Trap, The Darkness, Miike Snow, Labrinth, Mastodon, Pulled Apart By Horses, Tribes (SATURDAY) The Stone Roses, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, The Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club, Emeli Sandé, Ben Howard, Amy Macdonald, The Courteeners, The Maccabees, Enter Shikari, Rizzle Kicks, Peter Doherty, The Wailers, Dappy, Alabama Shakes (SUNDAY) Kasabian, Elbow, Chase and Status, Skrillex, Happy Mondays, James Morrison, Frank Turner, The Enemy, Miles Kane, The Wanted, Maverick Sabre, Twin Atlantic, The Horrors, Christina Perri, Devlin, Bellowhead, Little Roy, Spector, Band of Skulls.

The Slam Tent is also back to celebrate 16 successful years at T in the Park and for the very first time, will be open on the Friday with Sven Väth at the helm, joining Slam for extra-long sets from 5pm until midnight to bring the big club atmosphere to the Slam Tent. Other confirmed Slam acts on Saturday include Major Lazer, Skream featuring Sgt Pokes, Benga, Erol Alkan, Fake Blood, Jack Beats, Crookers with Dubfire, Joris Voom, Maya Jane Coles, Len Faki, Pan-Pot all taking to the stage on Sunday 8th and with many more still to be announced.

Geoff Ellis (Festival Director)

“It’s really important to us that we listen to the fans and make every effort to book the bands they tell us they want to see. With some of the biggest bands and the greatest audience in the world, we hope the weekend of 6 – 8 July will be unforgettable for fans. Opening the campsite gates for the first time is still my favourite moment of the festival weekend and I can’t wait to see you all in July!”

George Kyle (Head of Sponsorship – Tennent’s Lager)

“As founding partner of T in the Park, Tennent’s Lager is proud to be part of this amazing event that is loved by both the fans and the bands. It’s another fantastic line-up of internationally renowned acts and from launching in 1994, it’s amazing to see where T in the Park is now – in its rightful place on the global stage. Tennent’s are so incredibly proud to have been the T in T in the Park for 19 years and counting.”

T in the Park, today, also launches a series of new digital innovations. It is the first music festival to work with Aurasma, the world’s leading augmented reality platform. Fans can download the free app, then point their smartphones at a series of posters and press ads across the UK to reveal a video announcing this year’s acts in a whole new dimension.

Plus Geoff Ellis and George Kyle will kick off their Twinterviews from 1.30pm today on @Tinthepark using the hashtag #asktitp

At the heart of T in the Park is the music and atmosphere that continually unites the crowd and creates a weekend of memorable moments that will last a lifetime. Bring it on Balado.

Ticket Type Price

Friday £70.00

Sat and Sun Day ticket £77.50

Weekend (No Camping) £179.00

Weekend & Camping £189.00

Thursday Weekend & Camping £199.00

The final batch of tickets go on general sale at 9am on Wednesday 29th February from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and by calling 08444 999 990.

Boutique camping options are available in The Residence at T in the Park. The Residence offers festival goers a bespoke, luxury experience where all their accommodation needs are taken care of – www.tinthepark.com/residence

Vodafone VIP customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale from 9.00am on Monday 27th February, simply go to www.vodafone.co.uk/vip

More information on all ticket prices/packages at www.tinthepark.com. Ticket buyers should only purchase from the official outlets published on this website.

For regular T in the Park news, check out www.facebook.com/tinthepark and follow on Twitter @tinthepark

Posted in Festivals, Latest News | Tagged DF Concerts, Kasabian, music news scotland, Noel Gallagher, Snow Patrol, T in the Park, Tennent's Lager, The Stone Roses | 1 Comment

Win HebCelt Showcase Spot!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by MUSIC NEWS Scotland

This year’s Hebridean Celtic Festival, which will be headlined by The Waterboys, The Proclaimers and Kassidy, is offering a performance slot for a new band or singer during the four-day flagship event.

Friday the 13th will be a lucky July day for an up and coming artist or group when they’re given this opportunity to showcase their talents at one of the summer’s hottest music festivals. The winner will be able to perform live on 13 July in front of an international festival audience on the second stage within the main HebCelt arena.

The 17th HebCelt, which runs from 11-14 July, attracts visitors from around the world and already fans from across Europe, the USA and Canada have snapped up early bird tickets.

The ‘One Step Further’ competition is open to any young band or performer, aged between 18 and 25 at the time of the festival, playing a genre of music that reflects the general programming of the event.

click to go to Boy Who Trapped The Sun facebook page

Boy Who Trapped The Sun: Although still young in years, Lewis born singer-songwriter Colin Macleod champions old fashioned musical virtues – well-crafted melodies, evocative lyrics, warmly heartfelt vocals – to timeless effect on his debut Fireplace which was released in 2010. He appeared at the festival for the first time in 2011.

Festival Director, Caroline MacLennan, said:

“This is an incredible opportunity for an individual or group to present their talent to a large audience who are always keen to hear new music.

“The festival supports emerging talent from throughout the Celtic nations. However we recognise that it can be challenging for those starting out to break through, especially at a major event like the festival, so we want to encourage applicants to think creatively about how best to present their work to get that start.”

The competition is supported by internationally renowned musician Phil Cunningham, who is well known as a champion of young talent.

Phil said:

“This is a fantastic idea from the festivals organisers which could give an individual or group the chance of a breakthrough at a major event.

“Playing to a live audience is the ultimate for a performer and where better than HebCelt for young artists or bands in the Celtic genre to make a name for themselves.”

Entrants need to prepare a promotional pack in electronic format to ‘sell’ their music to the judges. This should include high-resolution imagery, a biography and links to three good quality recordings of their music. To enhance their pack they can also include links to their live video performances.

Submissions should be sent, marked HebCelt New Talent Submissions, by email to office@hebceltfest.com by midnight on Friday, 6 April. Judging will take place throughout the month with the winning artist or artists being chosen by 27 April.

The HebCelt organisers will also offer the winner £200 towards expenses to attend the festival as well as passes to enjoy the rest of the event.

The 17th HebCelt

The 17th HebCelt takes place between 11th and 14th July 2012 and will, for the second year running, have two main stages on the Castle Green in front of the Lews Castle in Stornoway, as well as performances in An Lanntair and throughout the rural community. The festival last year emerged victorious as Best Large Festival at the industry-sponsored Scottish Event Awards 2011, in a three-way final with Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and Glasgow’s Celtic Connections. HebCelt has also twice won the Best Event of the Year award at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, which is voted for by the public.