A host of veteran rockers are on the bill for an outdoor Scottish music event later this month.
The retro-themed Let’s Rock Scotland bash is making its return on August 28 with all guns blazing after falling victim to pandemic restrictions last year.
Located just a few miles from Edinburgh at Dalkeith Country Park, the colourful ’80s homage will be the first major festival in Scotland for two years and is by far the biggest concert on the immediate horizon following the nation’s emergence from Level Zero restrictions on Monday.
With most ticket holders from last year’s axed event carrying their purchases over, the Midlothian event — which normally takes place in mid-June — is set to be a 23,000-capacity sell-out.
It’ll be second only in Scotland in size terms this year to Glasgow’s massive TRNSMT festival, which has been given the go-ahead to host 50,000 revellers per day from September 10-12.
A strong line-up of classic stars at Let’s Rock is being headed up by Prince Charming and Stand And Deliver hit-maker Adam Ant, 66, who also topped the bill at the Shrewsbury leg of Let’s Rock’s last Saturday.
Lulu’s Got Tonight
Also placed high up the running order is Glasgow singing legend Lulu, who warmed up for the big show last weekend by making her Scottish live comeback at the DC Thomson Media-supported Fringe By The Sea event at North Berwick.
Despite revealing she’s been suffering from a mild case of long Covid, the 72-year-old, who worked with David Bowie and his sideman Mick Ronson in the mid-70s, wrote on Facebook following her East Lothian appearance: “Beyond grateful to be back onstage. Thank you Scotland.”
Martin Fry-led Sheffield sophisti-popsters ABC – headliners at the one and only edition to date of the Dun-Dee ’80s retrofest in 2019 – also figure high up on the Let’s Rock Scotland roster, along with Welsh synth-pop exponent Howard Jones, who’s best known for his mid-80s top 10 singles New Song, What Is Love? and Things Can Only Get Better.
‘Very special guest’
Meanwhile, former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley is being given “very special guest” status by the festival’s promoters UK Live.
The London-born singer appeared on an all-star charity cover of the Robbie Williams hit Angels earlier this year and he’s gearing up for his belated 40th anniversary tour in 2022.
The festival will also feature a treat in the form of a live appearance from Kevin Patterson, who scored a massive hit in 1983 with the classic anthem (Feels Like) Heaven with Courier Country outfit Fiction Factory.
After his band split in 1987, the Perth-raised singer left the music industry and went on to work as a computer programmer. Patterson got back together with his erstwhile bandmates for the first-ever Rewind Scotland at Scone Palace in 2011 but rarely performs live.
Other artists playing Let’s Rock include ex-M People star Heather Small, Ultravox legend Midge Ure, Go West, Nik Kershaw, ska favourites Bad Manners, T’Pau, China Crisis and the Clare Grogan-led Altered Images.
Remaining tickets are available from letsrockscotland.com
Talent Fay Fife making waves
Elsewhere, the Edinburgh Fringe is making a performance by Rezillos legend Fay Fife and her Shamanic cohorts available online.
The Dunfermline-born singer was joined by Goodbye Mr Mackenzie frontman Martin Metcalfe and artist Maria Rud at the capital’s Pleasance Courtyard last month to film the multi-media show.
Also featuring a guest turn by actor Rula Lenska, the Shamanic art-rock project’s available to view from August 16-30.
The Rezillos had been due to play West Perthshire’s recently cancelled Doune The Rabbit Hole festival, which is now offering a free 12-hour stream of live music from its Port of Menteith site.
Hosted by mixmaster Jackal Trades, the Upside Doune broadcast will feature sets from bands and DJs and kicks off tomorrow at 3pm on DTRH’s website and Facebook page.