Blue Skies helped put a smile on the faces of fans and organisers of the weekend’s record-breaking Montrose Music Festival.
As thousands converged on the town to enjoy the talents of no fewer than 100 bands, the MoFest committee declared the 2013 event as the best yet.
A sell-out headline gig by Toploader on Friday night set the scene for the packed weekend, with participating pubs and hotels bursting at the seams with music fans, and a sea of revellers soaked up the entertainment on a stage around the Ballhouse.
MoFest chairman David Paton said the event could not have enjoyed a better response, especially on Saturday when he reckons the sunshine helped bring out a crowd nudging towards five figures.
“We have had 100 bands, which represents 178 gigs altogether at venues throughout the town and the whole thing has been fantastic,” he said.
“The Toploader gig was absolutely great and there was also a great response for the support, local band Peyton Place and Holy Ghosts from Edinburgh.
“It was the only paid gig and perhaps the only minor complaint has been just how busy the pubs have been, so that’s a good complaint to have. The scene in the town centre on Saturday was just amazing and it’s a great boost for the town to have so many people coming to Montrose and telling us how much they have enjoyed it,” he added.
On Sunday, the focus in the town centre turned to youth as the open-air stage hosted a string of up and coming bands, singers and dance companies.
“The youth festival was previously held in the town hall, but we decided to try and bring it out to the high street to get more people out and again we have been very lucky with the weather,” David said.
“It’s our sixth year and I think we’ve only had a shower of rain a couple of years ago.”