The first weekend in August signals one thing to those in the North of Scotland: Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival. Having attended the festival regularly since 2011, I was pleased to take in the action on the opening day. Travel to the festival was quick as well as entry to the site despite some issues in past years. This meant I could spend the first part of my evening exploring the full site, checking out all the areas and installations, and take in the general atmosphere of the festival.
Exploring complete, I perched myself on the Garden Stage hill to finally enjoy some music. The band taking to the stage were The Molotovs. The rock band from London released their debut album earlier in the year and even supported Sex Pistols on their North American tour last year. This makes sense as the first thing that hit me from their live performance were the influences of early UK punk, transporting the audience back to the 70s. Siblings Issey and Matthew Cartlidge gave a confident, no-holds-barred performance, bringing a rebellious energy to the evening. A commanding cover of Bowie’s Suffragette City also helped to get the more casual festival-goers on board.
After indulging in my Belladrum tradition of churros by the Hothouse Stage, I was ready for today’s very special guest: Mika. With an hour of set time to play with, Mika made sure to include all the hits as well as promote latest album ‘Hyperlove’. Mika began with ‘Hyperlove’’s lead single, Modern Times and the crowd exploded into a frenzy of joy and excitement. There was no doubt that Belladrum were here for every part of the Mika experience, welcoming him with open arms.
Mika was armed with a six-piece band, extravagant props and pyro, and THREE costume changes ensuring Belladrum attendees were already getting their money’s worth on day one. He had an unstoppable stage presence but also took himself into the crowd, making his way round the audience during Big Girl (You Are Beautiful). Grabbing a tartan heart from the front row, Mika displayed this with pride as he celebrated his last proper festival performance of the year.
The finale of the set included a megaphone inflatable for Grace Kelly almost as big as the stage itself, an emotive singalong to Happy Ending and a lively bounce along to Love Today. A world class performance which set the bar high for anyone else hitting the Hothouse Stage over the weekend. Belladrum’s unique setting, full of character, continues to provide a highlight in the year for many music fans. Although my time there was short, it was still an extraordinary day out.
Enjoy tracks from The Molotovs and Mika‘s set in the playlist below!