Inverness musician Eddy MacKenzie and his Glasgow-based band Pandacar could get Glastonbury gig as they are included in the longlist as part of the Emerging Talent contest at this year’s Glastonbury festival
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An Inverness musician and his band have been included in the longlist as part of the Emerging Talent contest at this year’s Glastonbury festival.
Eddy MacKenzie, who is originally from the Highland capital and still has family members living here, plays bass with Glasgow-based Pandacar alongside drummer Nathan Langridge and singer and guitarist Nick Patrick.
They fended off stiff competition from thousands of other entrants from across the UK and Ireland and they are now in with the chance of playing one of the country’s largest and most prestigious music festivals.
The band were chosen by a panel of 30 of the country’s top music writers and they were helped onto the longlist with their upcoming single Get Out.
Mr MacKenzie said they were over the moon to have made it this far, adding: “It’s now over to the judges, including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, who will whittle the longlist down to eight lucky acts that then go head-to-head at the live finals in Pilton in the hopes of being crowned 2022’s emerging talent.
“The winner will go on to perform on one of the legendary main stages at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, as well as receiving a £5000 talent development prize from the PRS Foundations to help take their song-writing to the next level.”
He said that he loved a festival but had never had the chance to visit Glastonbury, adding: “I’ve always enjoyed watching my favourite bands play via the BBC coverage and wished I was there with them – and now to be so close to potentially playing ourselves is a very exciting business indeed.”
Mr Patrick said: “The thought of playing any festival of this size, let alone Glastonbury, is a childhood dream come true. We’ve been playing small venues and clubs for the last few years, so to be in the running to have our music in front of an audience that size is just unreal.”
Mr Langridge said: “I’m keeping my feet firmly on the ground, unlike these two. If we even get through to the next round there’s still the live finals to attend. I’m hopeful, but trying to reign the boys in so we don’t get ahead of ourselves.”
Glastonbury co-organiser Ms Eavis said: “We’re so happy to announce the return of the Emerging Talent competition, which is always one of the first big markers that another Glastonbury is on its way.
“The competition has helped us unearth so much amazing music over the years and I’m really excited to hear this year’s crop of entries.”
Formed in July 2018, Pandacar are a three-piece rock band whose distilled approach to song-writing merges dance-driven rhythms, angular guitar, and everyday life.
