Party at The Palace Preview

June 22, 2015

If you’re within striking distance of Linlithgow on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August, clear your diary of whatever you had planned and buy tickets for what has got to be one of the best 2 day music events in Scotland this year.

I was lucky enough to cover PATP 2014 and remember walking home after watching Simple Minds close out the weekend thinking two things: Firstly, what a fantastic job the organisers did bringing such a strong line-up to Linlithgow in their first year, and secondly, if there’s going to be a PATP 2015, how the heck are they gonna get headliners to top it?

Well, they’ve just gone and done it. With bells on!

Both days are, once again, filled with properly good artists and bands, and once again there’s a guid Scottish flavour to the lineup. Justin Currie, Scouting For Girls, The Feeling, Little Eye, Horse, Julie Fowlis and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are all tremendous draws on their own. Collectively they make the entrance fee a bargain. And I haven’t even mentioned the headliners yet…

Headlining Saturday night are festival favourites Travis. Some bands just seem to be born to play at outdoor music events and Travis are definitely one of them. Everyone will remember their massive hits such as ‘Driftwood’ and ‘Turn’ but do you remember their first appearance at Glastonbury back in 1999? Weather was great. Bone dry it was. Not a single cloud in the sky. Until the first line of ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me?’ when – quite perfectly – clouds appeared overhead then the heavens opened! And a Glasto legend was born…

8 million album sales, 2 No.1 albums, 5 top 10 singles and 2 Brit awards later, they’re still busy touring. PATP will be their first Scottish show in 18 months. Expect much jumping up and down throughout their set!

To Sunday, then. And I guess if you’re choosing someone to close out a festival, you may as well do it with style. And even though the Sunday Headliner was announced some time ago, I still can’t quite believe that he’s actually going to be performing in Linlithgow: Nile Rodgers.

Yeah, THAT Nile Rodgers!

It’d probably be easier to list the names of the artists and bands Nile Rodgers HASN’T either written or produced for during his extraordinary career, but here’s a sample of some who have: David Bowie, Madonna, INXS, Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, Diana Ross, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck and David Lee Roth. There are more… many more I could’ve added! Album sales? Most of them I think…

For a wee taster, have a look at Nile with his band Chic at Glasto ’13 absolutely monstering ‘Lets Dance.’ And how much of a star is Ralph Rolle on drums?

BE THERE!!!