Promoters blamed for The Fratellis cancelling Scots festival appearance set to enter liquidation
The third-party promoter blamed for The Fratellis withdrawing from their headline slot at the forthcoming Back Doune the Rabbit Hole festival is on the brink of liquidation.
The 'Chelsea Dagger' hitmakers pulled out of their planned performance at the revamped festival this August, pointing to the failure of the promoters to "fulfil contractual obligations to pay deposits to confirm the band's appearance".
Back Doune Ltd, the festival's organisers, pointed the finger at a third-party promoter, Wannasee Ltd, for the band's withdrawal.
This week, Wannasee Ltd has confirmed its involvement in the festival's launch and indicated through a spokesperson that the company "is now in the process of entering liquidation".
Despite the set back, Back Doune Ltd directors – Brian Harkin, Colin Black, and Paul Aspey – have stressed their commitment to proceed with the festival.
They assured fans last week: "We know that is disappointing news. We feel it too. But we want to reassure you that this is not part of a wider problem with the event. Everything else is on track, and we are already working on a brilliant new Saturday night headliner."
They added: "In the early planning stages, we brought in external support from several individuals to help with logistics, ticketing and artist bookings. Some of those individuals were affiliated with the Wannasee Group.
"For many in the live events world, that name is now associated with a series of cancelled festivals and serious concerns about mismanagement.
"We want to be really clear that these individuals were never directors or owners of Back Doune the Rabbit Hole. At the time, there were no obvious signs of the problems that later came to light at the other events they were involved with.
"Like many others, we have had to deal with the consequences of how they operated, and that has included the cancellation of The Fratellis performance."
Wannasee Ltd this week confirmed that it was involved in assisting with the launch of Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, adding that it was "working collaboratively with the team at Back Doune Ltd while they got the event up and running".
A spokesperson for Wannasee Ltd said: "To clarify, Wannasee Ltd has never held a shareholding or directorship in Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, nor has it ever had any ownership of the event.
"Wannasee Ltd is now in the process of entering liquidation following wider industry challenges affecting its own portfolio of events.
"We wish the team at Back Doune Ltd every success in delivering what we're sure will be a fantastic festival this summer."
Wannasee, known for promoting its own festivals, has had to cancel their events amid the company's difficulties.
Back Doune the Rabbit Hole director Brian Harkin reflected on the festival's challenges last week, saying: "This has been a challenging moment, but our commitment to the festival and its future hasn't changed.
"We took on Back Doune the Rabbit Hole because we believe in the power of independent music events and the community they bring together.
"Being independent means we are able to stay true to our values and keep building something real, even when things get tough.
"The rest of the lineup is solid, and we're focused on delivering the weekend we've promised. We're in this for the long haul, and doing everything we can to create a festival that our audience, artists, team and local community can be proud of."
The eagerly anticipated event is set to take place at the Cardross Estate in Port of Menteith, Stirling, with the dates locked in for August 1-3.
Top-billed names so far include The Zutons, who are set to headline Sunday, and Marc Almond leading Friday night's festivities, while attendees await the announcement of the Saturday headliner which will fill the spot left by The Fratellis.
The line-up also boasts Scouting for Girls, The Feeling, Newton Faulkner, Skids, The Bay City Rollers and others.
This year marks the inaugural edition of the revamped festival, taking the baton from its former entity, the Doune the Rabbit Hole Festival.
Doune The Rabbit Hole had previously secured its spot as a highlight within Stirling's cultural agenda before encountering difficulties and inevitably folding.
The festival was previously managed by Jamie Murray – who accumulated nearly £1million in debts, leaving only £2.38 in the company account to pay creditors. When Mr Murray closed the company behind the festival in 2022, numerous performers, staff and businesses were left unpaid.
His father, the jailed Salmond blogger Craig Murray, assumed control over the 2023 festival under a new company, aiming to clear the debts owed by his son's former firm using profits generated by the festival. However, the event was scrapped a month prior to its scheduled date, leaving creditors in the dark.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
Organisers confirm Back Doune the Rabbit Hole will return in 2026 as tickets set to go on sale
The organisers of the Back Doune the Rabbit Hole music festival have confirmed it will return again in July 2026 after its first re-branded event wowed thousands of revellers. Tickets for next year's Back Doune the Rabbit Hole (BDTRH) music festival are set to go on sale on Friday - less than a week after the most recent edition of the revamped event. BDTRH was staged last week at the Cardross Estate, near Port of Menteith, Stirling, as thousands of revellers enjoyed sets from headline acts Marc Almond, space rockers Hawkwind and The Zutons. The event's organisers were quick to announce that the 2026 edition of the festival will go ahead next July. In a statement on their social media page, the festival's organisers said they had been left 'humbled' by the response to the re-booted event – and confirmed it will return next year. They said: 'Wow, what a weekend! 'We cannot thank you all enough for your amazing support for the first Back Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival. 'The vibes and love have been unreal, and we're truly humbled. We know there's room for improvement and we're already working on it. 'As a small independent festival team, we believe our first year has been a huge success overall. 'We'll be sending out feedback forms soon and would love your help in shaping the future of the festival. For now, we're just so immensely grateful. 'Thanks to your support, we're thrilled to say we'll be back for 2026! Mark your calendars for July 17-19. 'Ticket information will be shared later this week. 'Finally, we'd like to send a heartfelt thank you to the incredible team behind the scenes who make events like these possible, as well as the amazing artists who brought the stages to life. We couldn't have done this without your tireless work, talent, and support.' Legendary group Hawkwind stepped in to fill the void following the withdrawal of Scots rockers The Fratellis who withdrew from the event. Tickets for the 2026 event go on sale at 10am on Friday, August 8.
The Herald Scotland
04-08-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Back Doune The Rabbit Hole: Mini-Glastonbury resurrected with a bang
Cardross Estate, Stirlingshire **** By all accounts the previously self-proclaimed 'biggest independent festival in Scotland' should be dead and buried. The Doune The Rabbit Hole music festival was previously cancelled due to a union boycott over unpaid wages to staff and musicians. Festival organisers cancelled the 2023 edition and said they would not be issuing refunds to ticket holders. Mention the festival to some musicians and even punters and there has been some reticence after being burnt, while others had a sense that they should be given another chance. But over the space of three days, the festival under different management has made a sparkling comeback, albeit with a reduced attendance and with a new name - Back Doune The Rabbit Hole. READ MORE: 'Justice in the dock': UN probes Scots judge-led body's 'breach' of international law Bus firm off to England in £90m Scots public funding row may get even more Why did ministers back awarding of £350m in Scots ferry contracts to foreign firms? Some 10,000 people were attracted over the final Doune The Rabbit Hole in 2002 resplendent with three out of the four homegrown headliners - Belle and Sebastian, Amy Macdonald and Teenage Fanclub. The resurrected festival has started small and with a diverse range of headliners from a triumphant Marc Almond, one half of 80s electro-pop pioneers Soft Cell, the veteran but still clearly cosmic early purveyors of space rock Hawkwind and the crowd-pleasing indie rock combo The Zutons. With a site capacity of 5,000 - organisers estimated there would be 4000 on site at the weekend. A festival source said: "From the outset, we didn't aim to return at the same scale as the event under its previous ownership. For this first edition, our focus has been on creating a more intimate, grassroots atmosphere, and a smaller-scale event supports that perfectly." Bay City Rollers at Back Doune The Rabbit Hole 2025 (Image: Martin Williams) The festival had owed £800,000 to performers and crews in 2002, before the 2023 event was cancelled. But 58-year-old businessman Brian Harkin, a former musician, was "blown away" by the positive response from long-time fans of the event having decided to resurrect the festival at the stunning greenfield site at Cardross Estate on the fringe of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Music booking agency Rock Artist Management, who look after acts such as Hue & Cry and the Boomtown Rats, are part of the new management team. Mr Harkin's focus has been on rebuilding trust. Nevertheless, one of the questions it has felt compelled to answer on its website Frequently Asked Questions is: "Is the festival still going ahead?" He said: 'The support from fans and the local community has been incredible. From the beginning, we've focused on building something that feels genuine and welcoming. This first edition is all about creating the right atmosphere, with an emphasis on community, wellbeing and family-friendly fun. 'I couldn't be happier. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves has been incredible. I've had people hugging me, stopping me for chats, just full of good energy. Watching it all come together has been really special. He added: "I stepped in after the festival's previous cancellation and run of difficulties because I believed there was still something worth saving: the place, the atmosphere, and the loyal audience who simply want a weekend away from reality." And it has been confirmed that there will be a 2026 edition with dates for July already pencilled in and they don't expect to expand in terms of capacity. "The real ambition for 2026 is to take on feedback and shape the festival around what the fans want. A big part of that is continuing to support the independent Scottish festival scene and showing that these kinds of events can thrive.' In 2025, the organisers have even brought in talented band booker Chay Woodman, who's Solus tent at the late-lamented Wickerman festival was a highlight for many. His hands were all over the Burrowlands stage - where like with Solus things got louder, unpredictable and home to some of Scotland's and the UK's best emerging acts. Cwfen (Image: Martin Williams) They included the wild and truly wonderful Prodigy vs Limp Bizkit explosion that was the Sleuth Gang, the disturbing rants of polito-punkster Meryl Streek, the sometimes heavy and sometimes haunting screamo rock of Glasgow's Cwfen and the captivatingly biting rhymes of Scots alt hip-hopper and sometime front man of Stanley Odd, Solareye. The family-friendly festival remains more advanced from when the first one was unleashed 15 years ago with just 200 people and three stages of music with a line-up that was made up of mainly up-and-coming Scottish bands like Meursault and Withered Hand. It was then described as a two-day tea party in the countryside surrounding Doune Castle and it cost just £47 for the weekend with camping. In 2025 advance discount weekend camping tickets were costing £171.50 including a booking fee. The 2025 resurrection has not been without its difficulties. Saturday headliners The Fratellis dropped out over "the promoters... not fulfilling our contractual obligation to pay deposits to confirm the band's appearance." As fears surfaced online that it was a repeat of issues that dogged the original festival, the organisers of Back Doune the Rabbit Hole said the Glasgow rockers were lined up through a third-party and their withdrawal was out of their control. But when Marc Almond, one half of legendary electropop duo stepped on stage as headliner of the first night of the festival, there were hopes any concerns would dissipate. Technical problems during the set seemed to frequently disturb the singer, who was sounding pinpoint and looking immaculate in all black at the tender age of 68. But as agitated he seemed to be in moments - he quickly snapped into trouper-mode when singing with an array of passionately-delivered glittering hits from Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart and The Days of Pearly Spencer to those Soft Cell classics, Tainted Love and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye. Arguably the band with the biggest crowd reaction and my award to band of the festival was actually a cover band. But not any old tribute act. It was Elvana, or Elvis Presley-fronted Nirvana. Elvana (Image: Martin Williams) While it sounds totally absurd, this quartet "from Disgraceland" who are actually from north east of England, won most over through a winning amalgam of mashups of Elvis and Nirvana classics, a huge dollop of comedy, and the beguiling stage presence and audience participation master that is the perma-smiling impersonator of The King aka Paul Kell. So a snippet of Elvis's Heartbreak Hotel soon makes way for a searing rendition of Nirvana's Lithium, and make no mistake, these guys can play. As fake Elvis wandered into the field and orchestrated the field to get down on their knees in preparation for a massive jump as the loud chorus of Smells Like Teen Spirit kicked in, one punter told me: "My knees are not what they were, but there is something about that guy that you have to try to do it and I am just loving all this. "That's the thing about festivals, you don't really know what to expect and I know I never ever expected this."
Scotsman
25-07-2025
- Scotsman
Ocean Colour Scene Dundee: Line up, set times & banned items for Day 1 of Discovery Festival
Ocean Colour Scene will headline day one of Dundee Discovery Festival at Slessor Park this evening. From when gates open to set times, here is everything you need to know Ocean Colour Scene's headline gig at Slessor Gardens tonight. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Discovery Festival in Dundee kicks off this evening, with Ocean Colour Scene kicking events off in style. The indie-rock band will be joined by special guests The Fratellis as well as White Lies and Cammy Barnes, with plenty of food and drink on offer across the weekend at Slessor Gardens. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ocean Colour Scene will kick off three days of live music in Dundee, with The Human League arriving for 80's Calling! in the city tomorrow, and Tom Jones headlining events on Sunday. From set times to banned items, here is everything you need to know about day one of Dundee Discovery Festival. When will gates open for Ocean Colour Scene Dundee? On Friday, gates will open at Slessor Gardens from 5pm. What are the set times for Ocean Colour Scene Dundee? After gates open, the first act will take to the stage at 5.30pm, with Ocean Colour Scene expected to perform from 9.30pm until around 10.45pm. The official set times for Friday: Gates open : 5.30pm : 5.30pm Cammy Barnes : 5.30pm : 5.30pm White Lies : 6.30pm : 6.30pm The Fratellis : 7.45pm : 7.45pm Ocean Colour Scene: 9.30pm Nadine Ballantyne All timings are subject to change, with the event is expected to finish around 10.45pm, with curfew at 11pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What will the weather be like? The weather in Dundee is expected to be warm, but cloudy with sunny intervals. Temperatures are expected to remain around 18C to 21C throughout the evening, only cooling towards 11pm when they will drop to around 15C. Dundee's Slessor Gardens. What items are banned from Ocean Colour Scene in Dundee? Festivalgoers are advised to avoid bringing bags where possible, and that if you must take one it is no larger than a sheet of A4 paper. Prohibited items include: Food and drink (a doctor's note will permit food/drink required for medical conditions). Water will be available at the bars free of charge. Glass containers, including perfume and aftershave Camping chairs, folding chairs, gazebos or picnic blankets Professional cameras, video cameras or audio recording devices Dogs (except assistance dogs) As it is a standing event, organisers state that those who require assistance for medical reasons to alert the medial team as no camping equipment of any kind is allowed. Can I leave and come back? Once you have entered Slessor Gardens to see Ocean Colour Scene, no re-entry will be permitted. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Is Ocean Colour Scene at Slessor Gardens cashless? All bars at Dundee Discovery Festival are cashless. However, cash can be used to purchase tokens with a token both located by the main entrance. They will be valid only for bars, and not food vendors. There are no ATMs on site. Ocean Colour Scene. What will food and drink be like? During Discovery Festival Dundee, there will be a number of food and drink vendors in operation. There will be four bars in operation on the site - including one dedicated to prosecco - as well as an additional private bar and toilets for 'Gold Area' ticketholders. Meanwhile, food vendors will include: Loaded dogs & fries Salt 'n chilli chicken Burgers Pizza Mexican Duck wraps Greek Souvlaki Coffee/donut and crepes Pick and mix sweets Can I still buy tickets for Ocean Colour Scene in Dundee? Yes, you can still buy tickets for Ocean Colour Scene's performance during Dundee Discovery Festival tonight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Available via Ticketmaster, you can select from general admission for Friday only, or for Friday and Saturday. In addition, 'Gold Circle' tickets are still on sale. How much are tickets? Here's how much tickets will cost for Ocean Colour Scene's show at Slessor Gardens tonight: General Admission (day) : £62.90 : £62.90 General Admission 4 ticket offer (day) : £56.70 each or £226.80 for 4 : £56.70 each or £226.80 for 4 Gold Circle (day): £91 £91 Discovery Festival & 80's Calling Weekend General Admission ticket (Friday-Sunday): £168.40 Additional handling fees will be added to each order. What can I do if I can no longer go? For those who booked their tickets months in advance and can no longer attend, unfortunately there are no refunds or transfers available. That being said, some ticket outlets have an approved re-sale function you may be able to take advantage of. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
