Rewind Scotland - Day One - A Review In Pictures

Scone Palace Perthshire - 30.07.11

Rewind Scotland is a boutique festival that celebrates the best in 80s pop music. The first Rewind event was originally launched in Henley-on-Thames in 2009, with the Scottish bash joining its brother as it moves into a third year at Henley. I had no idea what to expect from Rewind. There were a couple of bands on the bill that I was interested in seeing but I wasn't prepared to be thoroughly entertained by all the music on offer throughout the day!

The sun was blazing down on the Perthshire grounds for the best part of Saturday's festivities, adding to the really relaxed atmosphere of Rewind, a day out that seemed to be a real family affair, with many music fans dressing for the occasion in 80s gear. Ex-Altered Images frontwoman and Gregory's Girl star Clare Grogan MC'd the event, introducing numerous acts who graced the stage of Top Of The Pops many years ago, including The Beat, Hue And Cry and The Bluebells, with Miss Grogan joining the Scottish band for a run through of their top ten single "Young at Heart".

The majority of bands that played Rewind delivered short but sweet sets, something that worked extremely well as it was very much a case of "All killer, no filler", so even if it was band you weren't that fussed about you usually knew the tracks on offer. Highlights of the day came from ABC who had me in the palm of their hand the second the intro of "Poison Arrow" kicked in as they took to the stage, with the rest of their set simply sumptuous and, surprisingly (for me), Billy Ocean, who really worked the crowd and was the one act everyone seemed to be talking about as they left the Festival.

The day drew to a close with a headline set featuring Rick Astley and Spandau Ballet mainman Tony Hadley with the two singers delivering a duet alongside their more famous reportoire. I was impressed by both singers, finding Rick a very amusing entertainer but Tony won in the battle of the vocals, even producing a top notch cover of The Killers "Somebody Told Me" alongside Spandau faves like "Through the Barricades" and "Gold".