Bonfest is back!

Bonfest 2022: Friday Afternoon

Written by Terri Simpson

Research & Interviewing by Terri Simpson, Natalie McCubbin and Laura Duncan

 

Bonfest is the international festival held in Kirriemuir, Angus which celebrates the life of the lead singer of AC/DC, Bon Scott, in his birthplace. Fans from all over the world travel to Kirriemuir to celebrate.

 

This year sees the return of the in person festival the lockdown and following the online event last year.

 

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the festival and it again raised funds for DD8. They are a registered charity which aims to promote the involvement of people of all ages in musical activities in the Kirriemuir area.

 

The festival hosted a huge number of bands at over a dozen venues across the town including the Town Hall and the main venue.

 

As well as live music, Bonfest also has many things that are aimed at children. At Bellies Brae car park for example, there was a colouring station, a face-painting station and a treasure hunt that had children searching for letters to form a word for a prize.

 

We went to Bellies Brae car park on Friday and managed to see Rockshift, a band from Dundee and the Lichtie Lads, locals of Arbroath.

 

We managed to talk to a few people at the festival.

 

Krister Svensson, an extremely dedicated AC/DC fan from Sweden (so much so that he has a huge Bon Scott tattoo on his arm), had travelled all the way from his home country for the festival. He has been coming to the festival since 2017. His favourite AC/DC song is ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top’.

 

He thinks that the festival is important because it lets people come together and it’s important to celebrate not only the band but also how it brings people together.

 

He is on the board of a fan magazine called OVERDOSE about AC/DC that is sold internationally.

 

Rockshift, a band from Dundee also performed. We managed to speak with the drummer Richy.

 

The band has been performing together for a little over six months and had met through a rehearsal space. Richy’s biggest influences are Cozy Powell, an English drummer and AC/DC. His favourite song to perform is ‘All Night Long’ by Rainbow.

 

We also spoke to one of the volunteers Alec, who also performed. He plays acoustic guitar and sings. His biggest inspiration is the band Alvvays. His favourite song to perform is ‘What’s Up’ by 4 Non Blondes. His advice for young people trying to get into the music industry is “Just do it, that’s all. Just do it.”

 

Finally, we spoke to the Lichtie Lads who are a duo from Arbroath. Their advice for people who were wanting to make it in the music industry and making a band was “Enjoy yourself, don’t take it too seriously and make sure you’re actually friends.”

 

Sources (learn more by clicking below)

Overdose Fanzine

Bonfest Website 

Scotsman Bonfest article

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