There’s something extremely unique about Solas Festival. It’s not the beer-ridden, drenched in pee & booze soiree that TITP was. Solas is Perthshire’s annual home of spoken word, art, discussion, local music, international music, friends, food, yoga and dancing - an absolute goldmine of talent, relaxation and positivity.
I was lucky enough to be invited to head along to Solas this year, which is now my third year in a row. I only managed the Friday and Saturday however, as always, it did not disappoint. The festival was at a new venue this year in Errol Park, previously out at The Bield, Tibbermore. I was sceptical as I had grown to love the old spot. However, from the get go it’s safe to say that parking was better, the layout was better and the campsites were situated much more appropriately.
Upon arrival on the Friday, my friends had set up their ‘Caravan Acoustic Sessions’ run by Scottish Graphic Designer Wolfalanis. Over the weekend people were asked to come and perform in front of a beloved and well decorated caravan, which was being filmed by promotions company City Of Vultures. Overall, the whole setup was absolutely wicked.
Friday night we spent the night in the barn (crackin’ venue by the way!) for an open mic. The open mic was hosted by local duo Olivia Watson and Alan Carberry - when you mix these two together you get nothing but pure magic. They set the night off with a few tunes and managed to get a couple of people on stage to perform. Isn’t that the beauty of festivals and open mics, one minute you’re sitting there warming your butt by the fire pit the next your on stage doing poetry (no... just me?). Yes, I did end up on stage doing a few pieces, as did a few other punters. That's what happens when you put an open mic in a warm, comfortable, inclusive and neat wee space. I wouldn't expect anything less from Solas however.
Saturday was when the real magic happened. When I arrived Caravan Acoustic Sessions was already booting off. I managed to step inside the festival to grab some chips and cheese and head back for an hour in the sun to listen to some sweet sweet acoustic tunes . Later in the day I knew I needed to catch some poetry, I managed to get in to watch Alison Phipps and Fergus McNeill - an absolutely profound performance from the duo. As an aspiring poet I have nothing but admiration. I appreciate the art the most when it’s used to discuss real life & current topics surrounding discrimination, racism, migration & social justice. Chills from this two. I'm most gutted about missing Chris McQueer's reading, however I wasn't in on time. Would love to see him back in future years with a later slot.
What I was most excited about the whole weekend though was for two performances on Saturday evening; Solareye and Kobi Onyame. Two performers who put hot in shit hot. Dave Hook from Solareye had also given a talk earlier on the day about whether or not Scottish people should rap - I mean come on Dave of course they should don’t crush my dreams. A brilliant performance from Solareye, which kept the crowd engaged, boppin' and singing along. There's something quite Scottish about a crowd singing back to a performer 'It's all gone to fuck!' in the middle of a field early on a Saturday evening!
I managed to catch up with Solareye after the set:
"It was brilliant, just amazing. I've known of Solas for a long time, we've played at the old old venue, the Bield and here as well so we've seen all the spaces and I think this one is just amazing. It's been great fun, it's such a wide demographic so you have everybody from the wee-ist wains to folks who might have been on earth for a bit longer than that.
What I like here is the sound quality on the stage is brilliant and you've always got a real listening audience that pay attention to what you are saying so it's quite nice to play to people that are really engaged!"
On Saturday evening I also managed to catch Kobi Onyame and oh ya. Kobi's set was a visual and musical experience, there isn't any other way to describe it. Kobi draws on African culture and hip-hop in his music and performances; leaving the crowd feeling positive, reflective and in awe. I absolutely loved this performance and was one of the highlights of Solas this year. I think I speak for myself, and my friends, that Kobi absolutely smashed it.
Overall, the team at Solas have a way of bringing the best music and art to Perthshire. Every year they continually adapt to suit the needs of their die-hard festival goers. Solas brings a weekend of sunshine, love, inclusivity, dancing, chat, words, art, friends, family and provides a home away from home for many Scots.
Hols x
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