Diehard devotion drew legions of rockers back to Angus for the weekend’s annual Bonfest celebration of enigmatic former AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.
As the world’s biggest rock band prepares to embark on its Rock Or Bust world tour in Europe this week, one record was completely smashed as Kirriemuir’s Gateway to the Glens museum welcomed its largest ever single-day visitor influx.
They made their way to the wee red town to honour Scott, who spent his early years in Kirrie before the family emigrated to Australia where he became part of the band with Glasgow-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young.
Around 500 folk poured into the award-winning facility in The Square, drawn by the chance to view rare items belonging to Edinburgh’s Neil McDonald, whose memorabilia collection is the UK’s largest.
Neil, who first saw AC/DC perform in the mid-1970s at venues including the Caird Hall in Dundee, said: “I love coming to Kirrie for this event.
“Despite having such a big collection, I have very little on show at home so this gives me a chance to put some of my favourite items on display and talk to people about them.”
Community group DD8 Music has staged Bonfest every year since 2006 and Graham Galloway of the group said the reaction to the event headline acts and the many bands performing in pubs around the town had been superb.
Some German regulars dropped their annual Angus pilgrimage in favour of heading for Holland where AC/DC’s world tour kicks off this week, but Mr Galloway said there was still a strong international flavour to the list of visitors.
“We also had many people from all over the UK, some from well down south who had been setting off at four or five o’clock in the morning to get here,” he said.
The new venture of a street market in The Square also proved a runaway success.
“It wasn’t us that organised that, it was a community event, but DD8 Music is all about community involvement so we thought that was a great addition.
“Our young volunteers were also amazing the whole weekend.”
A clay maquette of a planned Bon statue has now been produced, with a drive continuing to raise the £48,000 needed to fund the bronze.
The www.bon.scot internet domain name has also been secured to help take the project forward.