T ON THE FRINGE
The annual music festival
is seven years old this year. David Pollock relives some highlights of
T on the Fringe, in the company of the bands and promoters who have made it such a success.
I might seem strange nou. hut unti| \e\en )t‘;tl\ ago. muxie |o\er\ in Iidinhui'gh used
to hate the month ol' :\llgll\l. Sure. a hit ol'
theatre or eoitied} eould he a pleaxant di\traetion. hut during one ol' the \xorld'x higgext artx lexthalx \there \\a\ the popular muxie‘.’ Didn‘t that qualil‘) ;t\ art'.’
'I rememher that muxie l'exti\a| the} used to put on at the ('a\ Roek and el\e\\here.' i'eeallx Rile} Hriggx lead \inger \\ith lidinhui'gh‘x .‘\herleld_\. '\\’hat \\a\ it ealled. l’lanet I’op‘.’ l p|a_\ed that “tilt in) old hand and it \\;t\ tun. hut the oppoi'tunit} l'or large \eale li\e gigx ll\L‘d to he reth Iaeking in lidinhurgh during the I"L‘\li\di.
‘So it's delinitel} a good thing that 'l‘ on the l-‘i‘inge eame along. I rememher the onl_\ time we pla_\ed there. \xhieh \xax tuo _\eai'\ ago \upporting litl\\_\n ('ollin\ at the Venue. l{d\\_\n held eoui't haekxtage this \\;t\ a le\\ monihx hel‘oi'e hix hi'ain tumour and \\ e got our lirxt proper rider. .-\ll 'l‘ennentix. ol eourxe. 'l'hingx get a hit ha/) alter that. .\la_\he the laet that I'\ e heen uneomplimentar) ahout 'l‘ennent's hel‘oi'e is uh) \\ e ha\en‘t heen haek. hut I “ax on|_\ joking. It reth doex get )ou drunkl'
\Vilil Cdk‘h Ul' liteu‘ iik‘dii}-ot‘iL‘lt[L‘d mlth l'exti\;i|\ \\liieh haxe tried to piteh their tentx during the liringe. the prohlem haxtH heen a
laek ol‘ \xillingnesx ax mueh ax a laek ol
e\po\ure. 'l‘he short-lhed lilu\ lexthal. \xhieh PI'L‘CL‘dCLi 'l. on the Fringe. iiL‘dllll'L'ti a lie“ good name.\ hut tailed in the eommereial flakes. \xhile Planet Pop and 'l‘igei'l'ext hax e
22 THE LIST... 3 .
MAGNIFIE
T on the Fringe veterans (clockwise from left): Aberfeldy. Snow Patrol. Muse, Franz Ferdinand. Sons 8. Daughters
\tilnetpiemh mi\ed the odd national hand \\|l|l a den ol loeal aetx. to \ai_\ing degreex ol \uteexx. l’|.inet l’op hax long \mee j..'l\t'll up the ghoxt. \xhile ’ligeilext lill\ }ear moxed to a more .ieeiiinmodating ~Spring \Iot. \Vhieh luxt lea\e\ that one hig ho_\ in eharge ol .\ugu\t.
'Realh the prohlein with the i’,ti|lli\lll';_'il i'L‘\[l\£li-. C\[\i;tlll\ I);i\L' (.Ul'i‘k‘ll iii i)|' ('oiieertx \\|ltt run 'I’ on the hinge in eontunetion \tith their \ponxorx lennentK. "is that getting _\our\ell notieed take\ a hit ol ell'oi't. 'I'here'x \o mueh marketing: t'\ei"\liiitl_\ '\ tr_\ing to pu\h \o mueh on _\ou e\ei‘_\ da} You ean‘l taekle \omething like that Illiikilt'illlL‘tii}. \ti \\ e needed ltl llllii Qt \[lttltxiit' litttl \kiitliti l);i_\ the pi‘olile-i';ii\iiig L'tt\l\ to make it worth gi\ ing \omethmg a go during Auguxt.‘
.\ \uitahle name \xaxnit hard to lind. gi\en l)|'\ longstanding axxoeiationx \iith 'lennent‘x in relation to 'l' in the Park. 'I think the} \au the opportunit} to do \omething a hit dillerent \\llil thix.‘ e\plain\ ('orhett. "Where-ax 'l in the Park runs (HL‘I' one \ieekend. lill\ \\;t\ a dillerent \xa} ol presenting muxie. and a mi} ol~ reaehiug another audienee. \Ve kneu \\llil 'lennent'x on hoard \\ e eould learn li‘om thing like the HM iL'\l|\.'t| and tr} to take thing\ on [H .l tilllk‘l'L‘lll iL‘\
l'rom a month long pop and i‘oek lextixal eentred around the om Venue and Liquid Room. \xith oeeaxional hig name lora}\ to the ('orn laxehange. ’l‘ on the hinge has hallooned \inee letltl. \quee/ing Lix man} hig name handx. new and old. .‘i\ well ;i\ promixing