Rob Ellen presents his weekly radio show on Lochbroom FM

CHAMPIONING ROOTS MUSIC

ROBERT MAIN-ELLEN and his partner, Ann, run Medicine Music, the principal promotion agency for roots music and Americana in the Highlands & Islands. Rob describes their commitment to both music and the community to Kenny Mathieson
 

THIS MONTH’S Wester Ross Festival is exactly the kind of community-based event that Robert Main-Ellen (known to all and sundry simply as Rob Ellen) loves to be involved with. He will be looking after the traditional music sessions and open mic nights at the Old Inn in Gairloch (12-14 September).
 

Rob is committed to bringing ‘roots’ artists of all kinds to the Highlands under his Acoustic Buzz banner, and making their music available to a grass roots audience around the Highlands. His tours this month include visits from the alt-country outfit the Willard Grant Conspiracy, Ireland’s John Spillane and American singer Neil Cleary.
 

“I love to be involved in this kind of situation where I can bring musicians to a great part of the country and let them entertain whoever wants to hear them. That’s the joy of the job for me, spreading the music and making it as accessible as possible.”
 

Rob is originally from Nairn, and is now based in Dingwall. His interest in music began early, in a house where his father was always ready to launch an impromptu music session. His brother, Mark Ellen, is a musician, and is a member of Scottish band Vanity Fair.
 

Rob’s professional involvement in music came later, when he was made redundant during the cutbacks in the oil industry in the mid-80s. He used his redundancy money to open a record shop in Inverness, and did quite well until the arrival of the major chains squeezed him out. By then, though, he had already begun to promote gigs.
 

“I had started putting on a few gigs in the old Phoenix Bar in Inverness. There was still no real live music scene here at that time, but then Tennents Live came along, and began supporting the grass roots network.
 

“I was well placed to take that on. I was always interested in the independent side, bands like Texas and Del Amitri and The McCluskey Brothers who were breaking through at the time. That got me established as a promoter, and lasted three years or so until Tennents changed policy and put the money into the big festivals instead.”
 

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