The Mugstock Festival, that was due to take place the first weekend in August, has fallen just the wrong side of the projected earliest day of lockdown restrictions being eased in Scotland. This means that, while they have now been prevented from running 2 years in a row, they aim to return stronger in 2022 at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire.
Festival director Stuart Nelson, who heads up the volunteer led team behind MugStock said “It has become clear that the jolly, care-free weekend we’ve all been waiting for simply isn’t on the cards this time around”.
Promising what they are calling “the Comeback of All Comebacks”, organisers have announced that Scottish live hip hop legends Stanley Odd, and pioneering Gaelic musician and producer Griogair Labhruidh (as heard on the Outlander soundtrack) will be among the first to perform at their stunning new venue.
The festival is operated on a not for profit basis as a charity, and during lockdown have turned their attention to the development of a new venue for central Scotland called The MugShack whose new headquarters are in Cumbernauld.
Director Alan Govan said “We got the keys to this iconic venue, which used to be Cumbernauld’s town hall and has hosted such legends as Alice Cooper, on the day the first lockdown was announced. We’ve been chipping away at renovations, and just last week reinstated power to the stage, meaning that we’re just about ready to invite people into our auditorium for some gigs, jam sessions and community projects. Whilst we’ll have to wait a while to get together at Strathallan we are sure that many a good night of music and merriment will be had in the MugShack in the interim months”.
It’s said that every cloud has a silver lining, and the festival’s postponement one is that festival-goers can pay for their tickets for 2022 over a 12 month payment plan.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 