FESTIVALS

There have been a few festivals in the area over the years, including:

The GREAT WESTERN EXPRESS
A one day festival at Grangemouth Stadium to celebrate the town's centenary. This was apparently the first open air rock festival in Scotland. The line up was Beck Bogart Appice, Status Quo, Lindesfarne, Steeleye Span, The Sleaze Band, Billy Connolly, The Chris McLure Section, Sunshine, Uriah Heep, Beggars Opera & The Everley Brothers, and was hosted by John Peel. Other acts rumoured to be booked (but didn't play) were Slade, The Faces & ELO. 12,000 people attended, and the PA was provided by WEM. Apparently, Mr Watkins (founder of WEM ), was asked by a crowd member if he could do something about a bloke in the audience who had a knife! One witness remembers Jeff Beck wearing a white jacket, which he took off whilst still playing guitar! Apparently, this concert was bankrolled by "Zulu" actor Stanley Baker.

The GRANGEMOUTH ROCK FESTIVAL
Organised by a sixteen year old Eddie McKenzie, the Grangemouth Rock Festival first took place in 1986 at The Leapark Hotel. Spread over two nights, the event featured local acts The Silencers, Noise Annoyz, The Swinging Curtises, Final Solution, Agatha & Cleo's Exploding Plastic Ynevitable, Crystal Religion, The Shock, The Bosch, Method In Madness & The Influx.
In 1987 the festival had moved to The Oxgang Hotel, and featured Doctor Caligari, Double Vision, The Godsend, The Cakes, This Scarlet Train, The Influx, Final Solution, Greg Corbett and The Gallery. The second night errupted in violence when local act Lowlife, who were supplying the sound, picked a fight with Final Solution.
In 1988, for the final festival, the venue remained The Oxgang Hotel, and featured Run Riot, The Big Heart, The Influx (the only act to play all three festivals), The Godsend, Shotgun Religion, One Over The Eight, The Signals & Deep Heat.

The LARK IN THE PARK / The EVENT IN THE TENT
Organised by Mainframe Music Workshop in Grangemouth, the event ran four times in Inchyra Park, Grangemouth, first in 1992 when the line-up was Parted Company, Pigtube, Fine, The Delta Hurricanes, Amaranth & Whumfff.
The second time was in 1994 when it took place in a tent ("The Event In The Tent") and featured Lieutenant Stardust, Freerise, Coolin' Towers, The Diesel Kings, Crystalhead Radio, Z/28, Fine, Big Blue Funky Whale, Bo Weevil, Contribution Boom, Roseland & Scaramanga.
A third event (once again "The Lark In The Park") was held in 1997, though we only have details of A Rose For Emily, Kalamzoo & The White Heather Tubes playing.
2001 saw Cooper, Combat Rock, Rococco, Little Joe Crow, Bovine, Pitch Black, Skinflats, Les Connars, Workingman's Deed & Spices For The Mind playing.

MARTELL
The Martell in Falkirk ran an all day festival in December 1996, headlined by chart act The Supernaturals. Also on the bill were Citrus Soul, Arthur, Buck Naked, Foam, Merc, Parker, The Blazers, The Charm, Water & Weird.

BIG IN FALKIRK
Falkirk Council run event, initially called the Family Fun Day and run in August. The first line-up's were:
1996 China Crisis, The Humpff Family, Arthur
1997 Chas & Dave, The Bhundu Boys, Strawberry
By 2001 it had become "Big In Falkirk" and was held in May, usually when it rained. Line-up's have been:
2001 Ellie Campbell, Betabox, DJ Pied Piper & The Master of Ceremonies, Masai, Farrell Lennon, Gary Mullen, Absolute Abba, Julienne Taylor
2002 Bob Geldof, The Cosmic Rough Riders, Snow Patrol, Brenda Cochrane, Impact, Heskey, The Pearlfishers, The Swiss Family Orbison, Astrid, Ricky Ross, Zuba, The Bhundu Boys, Salsa Celtica & Transglobal Underground
2003 The Stranglers, The Cheeky Girls, Misteeq, Kym Marsh, Lemonescent, The Grim Northern Social, Sophie Agapios, Peppercorn, Sirens, Draw, Malachi, Endorphine, Marciano, No Reason, Fish, Tom McCrae, Non Jovi & Raw Elvis.
2004 Deacon Blue, McFly, Mark Owen, Speedway, Music Of Kid Audio, The Ruffness, The People, Jim Diamond, Horse, Phixx, V, Mark Joseph, Riverway, Draw, Lazylife, The Storm Petrals, Mydas & Alistair Griffin.
2005 Heather Small, The Bay City Rollers, Tony Christie, The BMX Bandits, Elmo, The Disciples Of Panic Earth, Amy MacDonald, Javine, Noise Next Door, 888, Steve Brookstein , Freefaller
2006 Midge Ure, Mrs Robinson, No 1 Son, Keiran Docherty, The River Detectives, Viva Stereo, The Statler Project, Mosa Funk Club, Four Good Men, Orkestra Del Soul, Lucerna & The Fortunate Sons, Neville Staples, The Beat, Orson, Jimmy Constable, Sandi Thom, Ross Fairweather, Adam Stafford, Eve McKay
2007 The Human League, Heaven 17, The Skatalites, The Parsonage, Jack Savoretti, Drabonette, Pop-Up, Dance Lazarus Dance, Our Lunar Activities, Fusion, Barry Price, Amy McDonald, The Debut, Lou Hickey & Michael Hargan.
2008 The Levellers, 10cc, The Complete Stone Roses, Big Hand, Alanna McLernon, The Debut, Icon 66, Danse Or Die, Esther O'Connor, Kissmet, The Peatbog Faeries, Ross Fairweather, The Hazey Janes, Kobai, Soft Toy Emergency, Umdumo Wesizwe, 5th & Pontiac & Hungry Ghosts.

ONE BIG SUNDAY
The BBC Radio One Roadshow by any other name, was held twice in Falkirk, the first time in 2000 in Callander Park, featuring Craig David, The Honeyz, Hanson, Stephen Gately, Richard Blackwood & Idlewild.
There was a second day in 2002, in Camelon, and featured Darius, Sophie Ellis Bextor, The Sugababes, 100 Reasons, Blue & Toploader.

PUNKSTRAVAGANZA
Punkstravanganza was organised by Phil Trevis of FEed, and was first held in the Martell in June 2001. It was an all day Punk festival featuring FEed, Tempting Kate, Dead Or American, Amuck De Funct, Barefoot & The Nakatomi Terrorists.
A second festival was held in March 2002, with FEed, Hatch, The Rabid Dogs, Bovine, The Anarchix, Los Destructos & Buzzbomb playing.
The third festival was held later that year, and featured FEed, Turtlehead, The Dangerfields, The Al Pacinos, The Cherry Kicks & 8 Page Pullout.

WAY TO BLUE
Week long festival named after a Nick Drake song, at various venues in Falkirk, first held in 2003 when Courtney Pine, Steve Harley, Angels Heap, NU2, Non Jovi, Wade, & The Fence Collective played.
In 2004 Idlewild, Mr David Viner, Striker, Velour Amour, Hugh Cornwell, John Miller, The Titanic Washoose Band, Kain, Kenny Young & The Eggplants, Mr Nice, The Fence Collective, Bleachie, The People & Viva Stereo all played.
2005 saw Teenage Fanclub, Malcolm Middleton, Abereldy, Ricky Ross, The Pearlfishers, The Trashcan Sinatras, Stand Alone, Barry Price, Viva Stereo, Crossfire Blues, The Fence Collective, The People, Rusty, The Blues Cruisers, El Rancho Relaxo, Odeon Beatclub, 5 Park Drive, Sandy Jones, Soul Starr, Jack Butler, Jondi Mac, Robert Graham, Stevie Watts, Midlife Crisis, Pip Dylan, The Falcons, Rocoustic Soul, Kalamazoo, Jo Mango & The Amazing Magpie, Titanic Washoose Band, Sarah Monteith, Jake Coogan & Ross Fairweather playing.

The FALKIRK JAZZ FESTIVAL
Five day festival held in summer 2005 at the Plough Hotel, Stenhousemuir, organised by local drummer Bert Craig. The line-up included The George McGowan Big Band, The 10th Avenue Band, Willie Logan, The Lauders Big Band & Brass Impact.
A second festival was held in July 2006, with The George McGowan Orchestra, The Sydney Zenith Jazz Blues Band, The Bobby Wishart Quintet, The Tim Barella Big Band & Brass Impact all playing.
July 2007 saw the third festival with Brass Impact, The Diplomats Of Jazz, Daniel Smith, Tam White, The Tim Barella Big Band & The Bobby Wishart Quintet.
In 2008 the line-up was The James Honey Band, The Andy Mears Jazz Orchestra, Tam White, The Herb Geller International Quartet, The George Penman Jazzmen & Brass Impact.