Avalanche Grassmarket Music Festival sponsored by Red Dog with quite a lot of help from the Academy of Music & Sound

Friday 29th April to Sunday 1st May. Obviously a little bit over long so we’ll be calling it the Grassmarket Music Festival ! With Avalanche sending the begging emails (all the bands are very kindly playing for free), Red Dog providing the equipment and the Academy filling in any gaps and providing even more expertise hopefully this should be a winner. Ballboy headline the Friday night @ 7pm as Gordon returns to his home for many years and I suspect he may mention the royal wedding. Support comes from The Last Battle @ 6pm and Supermarionation @ 5pm with the whole thing being kicked off @ 3pm by the Academy showcasing some of their best students.

The Saturday starts off again @ 3pm with two young bands Kalatara who have promised they won’t sound like Kasabian and Donnie Willow fronted by the improbably named Arthur Piddington who are under strict instructions to not sound like Biffy Clyro. Trapped Mice get a 5pm slot after strong sales for their recent second EP and with all the Gillyflowers unable to make the date we are still hopeful Kirsten Adamson will be able to provide guest vocals with current Avalanche favourites Star Wheel Press. The line-up is completed by Burnt Island @ 7pm who if you haven’t seen them before should definitely not be missed.

Sunday kicks off again @ 3pm with These Fading Polaroids another young band who have a CD for sale in the shop that their friends come and look at from time to time. Good name, some great song titles spoilt only by a little too much prog rock for my liking but hey they’re young and they’ll learn. Wanting to embrace more than just indie the Banjo Lounge 4 promising covers of AC/DC and Beyonce just had to be put on the bill. Edinburgh School for the Deaf’s meshing of the Mary Chain and Phil Spector is always worth seeing and after several attempts I have finally managed to get all the members of the Second Hand Marching Band in the same place at the same time (6pm). Headlining the day @ 7pm are TV21 and hopefully all those young  whippersnapper bands will come along to see how it is done properly. Forever 22 is simply a classic.

There is of course lots more too so do go to the website for information about all the stalls etc and if you have ever wanted to go to a tea dance your dreams have been answered !  http://www.grassmarket.net/