Thursday 3 June | Snafu | 10pm | £3

Rapidly-expanding Glasgow-based promoters, podcasters and, erm, kidnappers Detour Scotland make their Aberdeen debut on Thursday at Snafu with Song of Return, Make Sparks and Right Hand Left in tow.  We caught up with Detour’s Ally McCrae to find out what they’re all about…

So Ally, tell us a wee bit about Detour, and how it all began:

Detour Scotland started when myself and the brilliant David Weaver graduated from Stirling University exactly one year ago, after spending four years ignoring degrees and running Air3 – the student radio station. That opened up a lot of doors for us and introduced us to some fanastic individals, not to mention bands.

So from there it was a case of ‘what next’ for us – the logical thing to do was start our own podcast – following up our love of radio in the only way available to us.  So we did just that. It was the same for our friends who are also all recent graduates – looking to get into camera work, booking, photography, sound etc.   In some ways it started as a massive work experience programme!  I guess it’s about making your own luck.   From there the idea of Detour Scotland grew to involve all these creative types (far more talented than us!) Online videos and live events followed and grew bigger, better and took up more of our attention than the podcast itself.

…and the kidnapping thing, you’re kidnappers too, right?

Haha yes we are.   Strap the cuffs on us officer.   It’s a feature we started, originally for the podcast, of attempting to film a full live set in a completely obscure and memorable Scottish location – with the band having no clue where we were taking them.  It gives us and the listeners a chance to really get to know a new Scottish band.  The crew grew, as did our ambition with where we took the bands, and the adventures we’ve been on have been amazing, if nothing more than a cracking day out for all of us!   We’ve been to Stirling, the Forth Rail Bridge, the Scottish Borders (where it snowed), the top of the Glasgow Science Centre tower and an abandoned building with Song of Return (which we’ll be showing live at the Aberdeen gig!) You can check them all out on our vimeo site (and you should; they’re great)

Actually, we’ve only just realised how bad it is that ourselves and the Detour crew now openly talk about this month’s ‘kidnap’ in public without a second thought, hope nobody overhears and gets the wrong idea!

So, what brings you up to Aberdeen then?

We’re hitting Aberdeen with a van full of Song Of Return, our projector to premiere our latest Kidnap video, and a whole lot of chaos.  The night will be hosted by myself and Mr David Weaver, expect something close to Jools Holland but with truckloads of booze, worse banter, better bands and more swearing!  The Detour live nights are not gigs, it’s a totally diverse night full of fun, madness and DJsets till late, so expect not a gig, but like you’re part of a live radio show!

We’re delighted to also be hosting our favourites Make Sparks (real, real showmen) and Right Hand Left, some local Aberdeen boys done good.  Snafu may not survive.  Be ready. (continues after pic)

Make Sparks

Things seem to be moving pretty quickly for you guys, what are your plans for the future?

Aye, totally, it’s amazing, overwhelming in some respects, folk getting involved and getting excited by what we get up to and the bands we put on is why we do it. At Detour’s heart are the people and the good times that can be had with music in this fine country, so the reaction we’ve had is banging.

The future?  Well, we’ve had a crazy couple of months working out exactly what we want to do, focussing and coming to terms with what we are.  Big changes to the podcast have been happening so improving that and promoting that more is a biggie.  Event-wise we recently hosted a one-dayer in Glasgow where we took 50 invited folks on a mystery tour round five venues in Glasgow with some very large twists, called the ‘wee jaunt’.  That may happen again.  Got Rockness, Belladrum and T In The Park which we’ll be featuring at and aiming for a bit of a relaunch in the run-up to our first birthday (which we’ll need to get a party organised for….).

We’re hitting the Highlands (all being well) in August too with a tour of Town Halls!  On Wednesday night we are recording our live show in Glasgow, which we’ll be turning into a TV pilot…. so we shall just have to see eh.

Ambition is something we are friendly with.

…and finally, give us three Scottish bands we should be keeping an eye on:

Rachel Sermanni – She plays with two fiddlers and is simply the most talented female vocalist/guitarist I’ve had the pleasure to put on.  Folky, quirky, magical, really something special to hear…

Energy! – These boys are supremely talented, very young and have a very bright future ahead of them.  They can also grow more facial hair than I can.

Deacon Blue - New kids on the block,  I think they have a bright future ahead of them too, their songs deserve to be sung at football stadiums around this great nation… hold on they are, and they’re great (and we’ll undoubtedly be playing them at some point in the gig in Snafu).  Hahaha you did ask for Scottish bands we recommend! (Yes. Yes I did. I’ll know the next time)

Cheers Ally.  May your ship sail far. ‘A Ship called Digni…’ Oh for f**k’s sake.

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