Party at the Palace 2016 Preview

So, we now know the lineup for this years Party at the Palace. And once again the organisers have somehow managed to up the musical ante from the previous year.

It seems kinda stupid to say it, but Party at the Palace is exactly what it says on the tin – a party! And if you look at the lineup with that in mind, it’s gonna be a hell of a party this year. 2016’s running order is packed with artists who have back catalogues full of properly brilliant, anthemic songs which would grace any large outdoor festival. I get the feeling that as good as the first two PATP’s were, PATP16 will see more bouncing, dancing and singing along than ever before.

I really don’t have to introduce either of the headliners, do I? The Proclaimers? Billy Ocean? We all know how great they are. In fact, it demonstrates the strength of this year’s lineup that the vast majority of the artists on the list above really don’t need any introduction at all. So instead of talking about them, this time around I’ll highlight a couple of fabulous bands in the lineup whom you might not be so familiar with.

It’s kinda difficult to know where to start with Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 because there really isn’t anyone out there quite like them. They suggest you imagine what would happen if Primal Scream and Happy Mondays had children genetically fused with the DNA of Frank Zappa, Bob Marley and Neil Diamond. Their live shows have included crowd surfing on rubber alligators, singsongs about dancing in gay discos and being heartbroken by ginger people. Oh, and their lead singer wears a yellow suit and a shiny disco ball hat. They’ve wowed festival audiences around the UK, headlined at The Barrowlands and now its PATP’s turn. Wear something yellow, join in, and have a blast!

Since forming in 2012, Dirty Harry have not only become the best Blondie tribute band in the country, but one of the best tribute bands in the country, period. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the band a number of times over the years, and they really are extraordinary good. Watching them perform is almost like a form of time travel. It’s as if you’re somehow transported from wherever you are, back to 1980’s New York for the duration of their show. Sarah Kennedy inhabits the Debbie Harry persona so convincingly, it’s almost scary. To my mind you would go to see Blondie to say that you’ve seen Debbie Harry perform, but you’d go to a Dirty Harry gig to see Blondie perform at their best. They are THAT good. Hats off to PATP for having them along.

As usual, PATP is an opportunity for local and emerging talent to play on the big stage. There are a number of artists who will be playing here for the first time, and it will be great to see the return of Apache Darling, 100 Fables and Lucia Fontaine who performed here last year. The early part of the lineup is always exciting, so get there sharpish and give your support.

There are a few changes to this year’s event which for those of you who have been to PATP in the past will find interesting. Firstly, the PATP16 site has moved around the loch a little bit to a new location which is big enough to accommodate a second stage. And not only can the new site accommodate an additional stage, but it has enabled the event capacity to be increased significantly. Organisers reckon they could admit up to 8,000 people each day, although no official announcement has yet been made as to how many tickets will actually be available.

This promises to be an absolutely storming weekend of live music. As someone who lives a short distance from Linlithgow, I’m enormously proud that our local area can stage an event such as this. So let’s get the venue filled folks! Follow the link below to buy your tickets and GET READY TO PARTY!

Links

Buy your PATP16 tickets HERE

Follow PATP on Facebook HERE