Glenuig Music Festival
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The Glenuig Games and Music Festival first manifested itself at a meeting on 27th April 1983, when the date or the first "Not So Serious Glenuig Games" was set for Saturday 6th August 1983, this to be followed by a ceilidh dance in a marquee. The aim of the first Games and Ceilidh was to raise funds for the hall committee to make improvements to the Old Schoolroom. It was felt that it would not be appropriate to mimic a traditional Highland Games, but to make the event more fun by having events that all those attending could participate in on a less competitive basis, hence the name. Events at the first and subsequent games included hill races, obstacle races, coconut shies, “soak the hippy”, bungee running etc. etc.. While the original hall committee oversaw the Games, a sub-committee of Alastair & Carol Wallace, Jim Michie, Dave Garrett, Alasdair (Pod) Carmichael and Kenny MacPherson was formed to organise the Music Festival. After the success of the 1983 Festival the Glenuig Music Festival Committee was set up as an organisation in its own right in December 1983 to promote the Festival and other musical events in the area while keeping finances separate from those of the hall committee. Ambitious planning saw the evening ceilidh grow and develop into the Glenuig Music Festival, which eventually ran for eleven consecutive years. Mary-Anne Blackburn of Roshven Farm did an admirable job of the catering, presenting wonderful burgers on their homemade cattle trough barbeque. Many members of the community, plus innumerable friends from across the country, pulled together to ensure that tents were erected, toilets, stage, PA, lights, seating and everything else were in place, and helped in the stewarding and organising to ensure a successful event. Given that Glenuig was then a very small community of around 30 people, the festivals could not have happened without the assistance of all these friends. The tenth, and supposedly the Last Glenuig Music Festival in held 1992 and was recorded and released in Cassette Tape and CD format, still available for sale locally or by post (see our CD page). In 1993 it was decided to go for one more and we held our “Second Last” Glenuig Games and Music Festival. A full (as far as memory and raking through our records allows) history of the events promoted by the GCA and the Glenuig Music Festival Committee, up to the opening of the new hall in April 1995, is as follows: 1983 Glenuig Music Festival Jim Michie, Dave Garrett, Fearachar MacRath; Ossian; Cloven Hoof; Capercaillie 1984 Glenuig Music Festival Chorda; Christine Primrose; Easy Club; Frankie & Mairead Kennedy; Gerry Cairns; Jin Michie & Dave Garrett; Ossian; Faraquhar MacRae; Mike Whellans; Spootiskerry; Sprangeen; Wild Geese. May 1985 Wild Geese concert in Inverailort Castle 1985 Glenuig Music Festival Norman Stewart; Angus Grant Snr. & Duncan MacGillvary; Black Donald; Pennycroft; The Rakes of Ross August 1985 Andy M Stewart & Manus Lunny concert at Roshven Farm October 1985 Wild Geese concert at Glenfinnan House Hotel October 1985 Black Donald concert at Roshven Farm November 1985 Deaf Heights concert at Inverailort Castle April 1986 Dick Gaughan concert at Inverailort Castle May 1986 – Spring Festival in Shielbridge Hall Black Donald; Christine Primrose; Dan ar Bras; Faraquhar MacRae; Pennycroft; Phil & Johnny Cunningham; Sileas, Alan MacDonald, Mairi MacInnes 1986 Glenuig Music Festival Black Donald; Faraquhar MacRae; Pennycroft; Wallochmhor Ceilidh Band October 1986 Any Irvine in concert in Glenfinnan House Hotel November 1986 John Renbourn & Duck Baker concert at Glenfinnan House Hotel 1987 Glenuig Music Festival Zydeco Ceilidh Band; Bongo Derek October 1987 Barn Dance with Desperate Danz Band in Kinlochmoidart Steadings December 1987 New Year Dance with the Desperate Danz Band April 1988 Sileas in concert – what was the venue? May 1988 Barn Dance with Drambeg Ceilidh Band at Kinlochmoidart Steadings June 1988 Jali Musa Jawara concert at Caol Community Centre June 1988 Barn Dance with Clach na Cudden at Kinlochmoidart Steadings July 1988 Barn Dance with Pennycroft & Byre Straits at Kinlochmoidart Steadings July 1988 Hamish Imlach concert at Caol Community Centre 1988 Glenuig Music Festival Alan Savage; Clach na Cudden; Fergie MacDonald; Jim Hunter & Michael Rowan; Isle of Eigg Ceilidh Band; Pennycroft September 1988 Rumillajta concert at Caol Community Centre September 1988 John Renbourn & Duck Baker concert at Glenfinnan House Hotel November 1988 Andy Irvine concert at Glenfinnan House Hotel December 1988 (or April 1989?) Davy Spillane Band concert at Caol Community Centre Sometime in 1988 Dance with Big George & the Business in Kinlochmoidart Steadings Sometime in 1988 Alasdair Fraser concert in Glenfinnan House Hotel Sometime in 1988 Ivan Drever & Dick Clark concert in Glenfinnan House Hotel June 1989 Incredible Fling Band concert in Shielbridge Hall 1989 Glenuig Music Festival Clach na Cudden; Fearachar MacRath; Fergie MacDonald; Fiona Grant & Friends; Fiona MacLeod & Beinn Nebhis; Dolly Dimples; Jim Hay; Scotch Bloos; Marwick Brothers; Jim Hunter & the Thunderbirds; Margaret MacLellan 1990 Glenuig Music Festival Allan & Ingrid Henderson; Ben Wyviss & the Last Resort; Donald MacAulay; Fearachar MacRath; Hamish Begg; Hebridean Thighs; Jim Hunter Band; Margaret Blackburn; Margaret MacLellan; The Niblocks 1991 Glenuig Music Festival Andy Mitchell; Donald MacAulay; Fearachar MacRath; Fergie MacDonald; Fiddle Fling Ceilidh Band; Iain MacDonald, Iain MacFarlane & Michaela Rowan; Iain MacMaster; Joanne Niblock & Liah MacKail; Margaret Blackburn; Margaret MacLellan; The Niblocks & Friends; Train Journey North Late 1991 or early 1992 Kieran Goss in concert (Glenfinnan House Hotel??) Sometime in 1991 or 1992 Sileas in concert Sometime in 1991 or 1992 Makrivag in concert 1992 Glenuig Music Festival Ben Wyviss & the Last Resort; Davy Garrett’s Kerry Blues; Easy Club; Eat the Seats; Iain Strachan & Veronique Nelson; Iain MacDonald & Jim Sutherland; Fiona MacLeod & Beinn Nebhis; Iron Horse; Jim Hunter Band; John MacCusker; Steve O’Neill; Michael Marra; Paul MacDonald; The Glenooligans; Gail & Leza Niblock; Simon Thoumiere & Jim Sutherland; Dave McNally; Annette Milne; Duncan MacGillvary; 1993 Glenuig Music Festival Fergie Domhnallach agus na Muideartaich; Gordon
Duncan; Mouth Music; Somotherland; The Howling Shed; Shoestring
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