Homecoming finale organisers defend choice of retro headliners

Published on Wednesday 23 September 2009 18:06

ORGANISERS of the musical finale of the Homecoming celebration today defended the event's 1980s flavour amid fears of poor ticket sales.

Deacon Blue, Hue and Cry and Midge Ure will perform at the one-off festival in Glasgow before St Andrew's Day.

More than 20 acts have been booked to play at Homecoming Live – The Final Fling on November 28 at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Contemporary bands The View and The Dykeenies will perform on a second stage at the venue.

And singer Eddi Reader and percussionist Evelyn Glennie lead a group of more traditional acts to perform in the Clyde Auditorium.

Promoter Geoff Ellis, who runs DF Concerts, insisted ticket sales are on target, despite reports that uptake has been slow.

"You've got people who maybe lived in Scotland in the late 80s and early 90s who have then moved away but the soundtrack of their lives was Love and Money, the Bluebells, Deacon Blue and Hue and Cry, all those kinds of acts.

"It was a very deliberate decision to put together the line up like that, to bring some of the real greats of Scottish music.

"The idea of this is to give the opportunity to people to come back to Scotland to see the kind of line-up that's never been seen before and won't be seen again.

"It's a fantastic line-up of some of the great Scottish acts over recent years."

Homecoming Scotland was launched to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth.

Ceilidhs, art exhibitions and parades have been organised to encourage Scots at home and abroad to enjoy the country's culture and heritage.

Today saw the launch of a programme of 40 'finale' events coinciding with St Andrew's Day on November 30.

The Waterboys' Mike Scott, Lloyd Cole, Tommy Reilly and Idlewild are also performing at the Final Fling.

The Pastels, Sergeant, and 1990s will play at three concerts at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut on November 27-29.

Mr Ellis said: "Tickets are selling as expected. Like most concerts, nothing sells out immediately unless it is Take That or ACDC.

"Sales are very encouraging and they are on course for what we'd expect.

"We'll be selling them right up to November, which was always the plan."

Tourism minister Jim Mather said: "We have an unprecedented programme of events planned around Scotland's national day and I encourage all Scots everywhere and anyone with an affinity for Scotland to celebrate our rich heritage and vibrant modern culture."