IN WHAT could be the first show of many, Greenock will play host to a multi-venue festival next month with the likes of Kyle Falconer, Brownbear and Spyres coming to town.
Hundreds are expected to turn out on the day, with the 01475 Presents team taking over the town hall, The Gin House and Cruden Hall.
Two dozen acts are set to perform across the trio of venues including The View frontman who tops the bill at the town hall.
He is supported by Brownbear – fresh from the release of their first new track since 2020 – and Glasgow-band Spyres who lit up the River Stage at TRNSMT last summer.
Further gigs from the team are being tentatively planned for later this year and beyond, with organisers B12 Entertainment hoping to make the March 12 show “something for the town”.
Brownbear, led by Matt Hickman, will perform in Greenock next month
Gareth Gonet, director of B12, tells The Weekender: “Greenock is a place where people will come out for something if you do it right. We don’t quite know if we’ve got it right just yet – the proof will be in the pudding on March 12 – but when big bands do come to town, people do come out for it.
“We had the DMA’S playing here not too long ago, with people from the area coming along and others coming down from Glasgow, for instance. So, we know people will support it if we get it right. Hopefully, that’s what we’ll be able to do.”
Under the 01475 banner, there have been a few events in the area in the post-lockdown era. This time, the three-venue plan aims to bring more to the town than just the music.
Gonet adds: “We could have held it just in the town hall and, logistically, it would have been far easier and cheaper, but we would have been limited to having around six or seven acts on.
“Having it across more than one venue makes it feel like something for the town and not just another show at the town hall.
“Hopefully, with the multi-venue aspect, anyone in that part of the town will know there is something going on. We hope there will be a bit of a festival atmosphere.”
A number of Inverclyde artists are also on the March 12 bill, including Strange Dimensions, The Laurettes, Slix and Ryan Phillips.
Event organisers B12 Entertainment also held a battle of the bands competition in Glasgow recently to find another act to play the main stage, with The Wits coming in first.
Slix will perform in their hometown next month. Picture by Iain Smith/The Weekender
The likes of Sovirez, The Lines, Christie Oliver, Declan Byrne, Audiotown, Paul Mullen and Fallen Arches are on the bill at Cruden Hall, with Maya Jane, Ben Walker, Ocean Views, John Rush, The Insomniacs, Leaving Bordeaux, Jamie Coleman, Rhys Heaven and Stereo Fire set to play at The Gin House.
Gonet feels the show, and others that may follow, will help nurture the Inverclyde music scene, while bringing in some high-profile acts.
He explains: “We could have just asked the big names to come play and maybe give an Inverclyde band a 20-minute set as the crowds were just coming in or at the bar and so on. But we didn’t really want to do that.
“We wanted to give these local bands the chance to play a big event in their area. If we ever do anything big in Inverclyde, it’s important to make sure these local bands are a part of it.
“That’s what part of the ethos behind the 01475 nights I was putting on. There are lots of good bands in the area and there hasn’t really been too many nights happening in Greenock. One guy had done it for years but has wound down recently."
He adds: “Having more stages means we can involve more acts, including some of the local up-and-coming acts who have played on some of other shows. They can come and play the smaller venues we have and that gives them a real platform in the area.
Jamie Coleman is among those on the line-up for the 01475 Presents all-dayer. Picture by Iain Smith/The Weekender
“Hopefully, if we continue to do shows like these, then they can work up to the main stage on the bill.
“But it also helps us as well. These bands bring in a good crowd themselves. So, we don’t have to rely on just the headline acts to sell the tickets. We want as many people to come along as possible.”
01475 Presents shows could go ahead once or twice a year, organisers say, with the possibility of an outdoor event further down the line.
For tickets to the March 12 show, visit https://www.tickettailor.com/events/b12entertainment/621685/
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here