Two local bands brought Shetland rock to the ‘Granite City’ last weekend when they performed a number of gigs in music venues throughout Aberdeen city centre as part of Shetland Arts Trust Youth Music programme ‘Solid Rock’.

‘Bitumen River’ and the ‘Juvenile Delinquents’,  a band with an average age of 16 from the Sandwick / Cunningsburgh area, performed two full gigs at Café Drummond’s and ‘The Moorings’ (once a dockside bar – now a rejuvenated rock music venue) and two smaller acoustic gigs in ‘One-Up’ Records and the ‘Kilau’ coffee bar.

A large audience, with many exiled local faces noticeably in attendance, turned up for the main events, with over 300 through the door in Café Drummond’s alone, while a ’14 and upwards’ age range made for a highly responsive and enthusiastic audience. In Drummond’s the bands performed the support slots for up and coming band ‘The Madisons’ who are based in Kent, along with two young bands from Aberdeen.

Both bands were extremely well received, with Bitumen River securing further gigs in the ‘Moorings’ (and very likely beyond) for the near future.

Shetland Arts Trust Music Development Officer Davie Gardner said “The tour proved to be an excellent and very positive experience for both bands, with large and very enthusiastic crowds turning up both nights, and indeed for the smaller acoustic gigs -one of which was covered by the Press and Journal. Such trips offer us the chance to showcase our rock bands on the mainland to a new and wider audience and gives them0 some very important performance experience outwith their own environment. It was equally interesting to see that venues of this kind now allow in a 14 and up age range on weekend evenings without any perceived management or alcohol related problems.” 

The ‘Solid Rock Tour’ is just once element of Shetland Arts Trust wider youth music programme which includes workshops and youth / alcohol free concerts throughout Shetland, and professionally run workshops such as the one due to be delivered by acclaimed London rock music organisation ‘Rockschool’ in March this year.

The Aberdeen events were promoted in partnership with the Aberdeen Foyer, a youth based charitable organisation, under their ‘Foyer Live’ promotions programme. Regular music exchanges between the two organisations have been taking place for a year or so with a return visit to Shetland planned for two young Aberdeen bands in the near future.

The Arts Trust ‘Solid Rock’ project is funded by Youth Music, the UK-wide development agency that works to secure music making activities for children and young people, particularly those with least opportunity. Youth Music is developing music making activities in Scotland with the support of the Scottish Arts Council.

For further information contact Davie Gardner on (01595) 697550.