Scotland’s leading stars are set to take Paisley by storm in a series of special events celebrating Scottish’s musical talent and songwriting.
Bring it all Home – run by Renfrewshire Council – is back for a third year with a huge offering of Scottish talent coming to Paisley for the festival on 17 to 19 September 2015. Featuring a series of free events, the festival offers existing and budding musicians plus music fans a chance to learn the secrets of the trade.
Topping the festival bill is a star-studded music conference (Thursday 17 September, Paisley Town Hall) where the people behind top Scottish bands Biffy Clyro and Prides plus some of Scotland’s top festivals – Belladrum’s Tartan Heart Festival, Celtic Connections, Hebridean Celtic Festival,Edinburgh Fringe and Wickerman – reveal their recipe for success in the tough field.
Also on hand will be digital publishing experts Absilone and Emu Bands plus grant bodiesCreative Scotland and PRS for Music Foundation to help musicians, artists and performers get ahead in the field.
Plus, composers John Logan, Royal Scottish National Orchestra arranger who will be working with Idlewild at this year’s Spree Festival, and Greg Lawson, whose reworking of Grit – The Martyn Bennett concert was hailed a triumph, will talk about writing and reworking material with big names.
Scotland’s top experts will also be listening to demo submissions by young musicians at the Youth Music Day (Saturday 19 September, Paisley Arts Centre) in addition to a series of workshops on breaking into the music industry.
The festival’s flagship concert, A Celebration of Scottish Songwriting (Friday 18 September, Paisley Town Hall) will showcase six unique and hugely talented Scottish artists paying tribute to the breadth and depth of Caledonian hitmaking.
Scottish legend Dougie MacLean, known for the much loved song Caledonia, chart topping Justin Currie (Del Amitri) and Eddi Reader (Fairground Attraction) will be joined by contemporary artistsFindlay Napier, Emma Pollock and Paisley’s own Michael Cassidy.
Each artist will perform some of their own songs alongside some of their favourite songs from other Scottish writers, showcasing the country’s vast treasure trove of words and music.
Ending the festival on a high is Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross in conversation, who will talk about his time in the band, plus his solo career and experiences as a songwriter with TV and radio presenter Bryan Burnett on Saturday 19 September in Paisley Arts Centre.
Bring it all Home – organised by Renfrewshire Council in association with Active Events and Hit the Road and Create – is part of the push towards Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture 2021.
And it isn’t the town’s only major musical offering, with tickets on sale now for October’s Spree Festival, which will see nine days of music and comedy, including a now-sold-out collaboration between Idlewild and the RSNO in Paisley Abbey, plus shows from James Grant, Karen Matheson, Kathryn Joseph, Barbara Dickson and more.
Council leader Mark Macmillan said: “Bring it all Home is not only a celebration of our nation’s songwriting past and present; it’s also a celebration of homegrown artists and musicians who are building towards a successful career in music.
“From a star-studded music conference, masterclasses and a Youth Music Day, there is something for everyone. Music fans can also enjoy Ricky Ross in conversation and the flagship concert – A Celebration of Scottish Songwriting – featuring six talented and unique songwriters.
“The festival brings a lot of people into the town and we are delighted to be able to put this event on. As the town’s bid for UK City of Culture gathers momentum we hope to hold even more events of this calibre.”
Tickets are available from www.bringitallhome.co.uk, from Renfrewshire Arts and Museums Box Office on 0300 300 1210 or from tickets-scotland.com and www.ticketweb.co.uk. Free events have limited spaces and must be booked in advance of event.