Live On The Links: Burntisland's music festival celebrates 40th anniversary

Live On The Links became Burntisland’s own music festival, free to enjoy, and as much part of the town’s summer as the shows which share the Links.

To celebrate its landmark anniversary it is planning a two-day event at the Sands Hotel in Burntisland where a wide range of bands, a DJ, solo artists and dups will all take to the stage.

The event has endured thanks to the small team of musicians who have come together to make it happen, in their own words, without fanfare.

Either Charlie Kilgour or Rab Watson, or both, have been there since the start, endured its setbacks, and enjoyed its days in the sun, and sometimes rain. The 40th anniversary brings Charlie, and his band, the Wizards Of Progg, full circle.

“Because of the generosity of the musicians who all play for free, at a free festival, we don’t need to ask anyone how many tickets they can sell,” he said. “Playing is by invitation - no application forms, or competitive heats, just a good crowd having a party.”

The story began in 1983 when he found a new use for the traditional bandstand on the Links., With permissions easily obtained, he, Steve MacAndrew and Chas Gemmill organised a festival, with his band Boxed Set, plus Scarlet Lies, and Rab Watson’s Troops of Tomorrow.

“The first Saturday in August was picked because by that late in the summer season, the shows would have naturally moved from the front, giving us space, “ he said. “Sponsorship from local traders paid for the canopy, sound system and electricity generator, and we played our music to our friends, with some of it captured on early VHS tape. Along with our pals from Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy, we numbered around 350 mid-afternoon, as reported in the Fife Leader.”

Live On The Links ran again in ‘84 before Chas Gemmill, Rab Watson and others took it on. The bandstand made way for a lorry which doubled as a stage, and different locations on the Links tried. The annual event ran until 2000 when permissions equated to more outlay, but a chance encounter between Charlie and Rab saw it revived in 2008 for its 25th anniversary.

“We decided in principle to attempt to hold an anniversary event, in particular in memory of our bandmates and friends who had passed away. Once again it almost didn’t happen because of red tape and cost, but luckily we were offered a vacant slot in the programme at the Marquee for Civic Week, and we sold tickets to pay for the sound system,” recalled Charlie.

“With the success of this event and having raised only part of the money on the night needed to buy a memorial seat, I decided to hold further events called Too Cauld for the Links, at Pettycur Bay Caravan Park off season in November 2008 and 2009.

“In late 2013, I decided to create a funk band. I met Gordon from the Smugglers through work and he offered us the use of his back hall to rehearse if we would play for him, and so Live on the Links moved to the pub, and Rab and I were back.”Changes were, however, planned for the back room, so Rab agreed to sponsor a return to the Links in 2016.”

Charlie said: “Rab had invested in a gazebo to cover the bandstand in case of rain, and in the morning with the wind picking up, it was secured to the van wheels. Around 3:0pm, the wind blew it off completely.”

But, with a return to the bandstand, they were able to keep the promise to put a memorial on the Links, and bought a brass plaque with the money left from the Pettycur events in memory of all lost friends with the inscription “wish you were here.”

By 2018 Charlie was back playing music with the Wizards of Progg - “it’s what I had created the event for” - and the last full event in 2019 before lockdown perhaps summed up the challenges the musicians faced, and so often overcame.

“It was touch and go with bad weather forecast, but with blazing sunshine in the morning it wouldn’t have made sense to cancel,” said Charlie. “Late afternoon torrential rain came on, and the whole area flooded. The event was a washout.”

Post lockdown, the gazebo was in need of repair, and the event needed funding as Rab called time on his involvement. Factor in rising licensing fees and public liability insurance, and more red tape, and it started to become a major operation.

“It was getting way out of hand,” said Charlie. ”It was no longer about playing music for our friends. We had lost our independence. We both agreed it was the end, tantalisingly close to 40 years though.”

But Live On The Links wasn’t done.

Charlie said: “In 2021 I finally met Stuart Nicol who had provided the posters for us for years. Finding out his pedigree as a drummer, we decided to play together, in a revival of The Wizards of Progg. We needed somewhere to play, so having run a couple of successful gigs at The Sands, and wanting to play myself at what had been a regular music venue, I took up Jason’s offer of a free hall and ran Live at the Links at The Sands in 2022 over two days. I want to step down too, but I want to reach a nice round number and we need to have somewhere for The Wizards to play. Things have come full circle.”

The anniversary programme at The Sands Hotel on June 24 and 25 will feature two days of great music.