Peat & Diesel get Inverness fans out early for free gig and pop-up shop at the Eastgate Centre
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Peatlemania with love from Stornoway to Inverness took over the city centre on Sunday at noon when Peat & Diesel braved a cold Falcon Square to treat fans to a free open-air gig.
Revving Up For Christmas saw the band hitting the Eastgate Centre with a pop-up shop of festive-themed band merchandise after playing, when they met fans, signed autographs and gave selfies.
“I am a country boy and I don’t like the city,” go the lyrics singer and guitarist Calum ‘Boydie’ MacLeod sang in Country Boy, the song that ended their hour-long set.
But the city certainly liked Boydie, drummer Innes Scott and accordionist Uilly Macleod!
More than 1,000 people packed out the space in front of the band’s little stage. There, an all-ages crowd, with lots of families, kids to couples to grandparents – saw many people word-perfect with all the lyrics to popular favourites such as Horo Gheallaidh, Brandy In The Airidh and Island, plus older favourites from debut album Uptown Fank, such as Country Boy, Stornoway and Western Isles with its perfect singalong refrain ‘That’s the way we do it, the way we do it in the Western Isles!’.
Ullapool-based promoter Robert Hicks who has taken on the role of 'fixer' for the band revealed their last gig before Inverness had been in the south of England. And with lots of dates booked across England, the word is definitely out about the special something that saw Peat & Diesel selling out Glasgow's Barrowland in 2019 – at the time a surprise to everyone, including the band themselves. But now that's just one of the many achievements the band has chalked up since, including winning best live act at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.
Talking about the appeal of Peat & Diesel, which seemed at the start to be local to the islands, then the Highlands, then Scotland, then beyond, Robert Hicks said: "There are people here today from Glasgow and Helensburgh and someone from the South of England! It spans all ages too. We met someone the other day whose five-year-old daughter is their biggest fan – her dad was notified by Spotify that she had been using his account to access Peat & Diesel!
"They bring whole families together and they sing about things people find familiar."
Or maybe they celebrate an island world that seems 'theirs' to islanders – but at the same time, that world is exotically different to those who don't live in the islands, but supporting Peat & Diesel let them pretend they do!
Robert Hicks talked about guitarist and singer Boydie: "In a world where so many artists these days are becoming bland, you don't get these iconic front-people that stand out."
Unusually for a band with the success of Peat & Diesel, Robert revealed there is no radio or other 'plugger' or press – just people power and the band are playing more places in England, Ireland and Wales, all selling out, many people travelling for the chance to see them.
Good news for old and new fans is that Peat & Diesel are working on a new album, though there are no plans yet for any release date.
During Sunday's gig, Boydie, Uilly and Innes gave the crowd the chance to meet a special guest people know from a Peat & Diesel song. Calum Dan who stars as himself in Calum Dan’s Transit Van from second album Light My Byre,was brought onstage to the delight of the crowd.
Other songs from Light My Byre included Pirates Of The Hebrides, Co Leig A-mach Thu and Watchakapheep.
After their career-spanning set – which had started with Innes coming onstage first and blowing on his cold hands to thaw them out – Peat & Diesel made the time to make sure no-one was disappointed as they met all the fans who waited patiently in a long queue.
The pop-up shop selling merchandise offered the chance to have yourself a complete Peat & Diesel Christmas, from cards, wrapping paper and Christmas sacks to stocking filler small items such as pencil cases, mugs, winter bobble hats, boxer shorts and tote bags to bigger branded must-haves for all ages, from babygrows to snoods, T-shirts, hoodies and a hot-ticket item, the band’s signature boiler suits – for both adults and kids!
The special event Revving Up For Christmas at the Eastgate Centre also was supporting local charities MFR's Cash For Kids and mental health. charity Mikeysline.
And the band's famously laid-back attitude was on show when asked about their long day ...
