Where the bands are: Kirkcaldy’s live music scene most bouyant for decades

Graham Scott, also known as Skoti, said that the scene in the Lang Toun is “buoyant” in a way that it hasn’t been for decades. “It’s never been as healthy as this really. Not since maybe the late 1980s,” he explained. “It really is quite healthy at the minute”.

He highlights the ability to walk around Kirkcaldy town centre and find live music coming from a number of different venues – but for Graham, the focus is the Kings Theatre where he has been running events for the last two years, including his Kingdom Come nights which highlight the best of Kirkcaldy and the rest of Fife.

Graham explained: “If there’s a band from Kirkcaldy, I’ll try to get them on. If they can do half an hour or an hour, I’ll get them on.

“We’ve had the young band Permacrisis, who are basically school kids, we had Kamihamiha! who is a rapper from the Gallatown. We’ve had the Ghost Train and Certain Death. If there’s a band in Fife who wants a gig., they can come here.”

There are of course some caveats.

The nights, which run once a month on the first Friday - “if we’re buoyant at the time it can be twice a month” – are designed to provide a platform for those local bands - however, there is a strict focus on original bands over cover bands or tribute acts.

Graham explained his reasoning: “There were not really any gigs for bands who write their own original stuff. If you’re a tribute band or a cover band you can play lots of places. We did a blanket thing where we don’t have any.

“It’s tough because we could easily get by on those bands, but it’s not something I think we should do. I want to encourage a lot of young bands and others to write their own material.”

Jamie Lindsay runs Changeling Events in the town. She agrees that the scene in Kirkcaldy is in a healthy position, and said that taking risks will allow gig goers to be exposed to music and experiences that they might not otherwise find in the Lang Toun.

She said: “It's pretty healthy with music on in various places most nights of the week. I'd love to see more folk take risks though and put on more original acts not just covers bands, Graham at the Kings is doing fine work in this regard. My personal motivation for doing stuff is to bring to town bands that folk might not otherwise get to see or even know exist. It might not always be the most financially rewarding but it's a passion project.”

There is now a variety in the bands coming to Kirkcaldy. Earlier this year, Over the Bridge promoter, Vonnie Carstairs highlighted the scene’s growth locally since starting to promote predominantly punk and ska gigs in the town.

She said: “Kirkcaldy’s music scene has grown massively over the years, compared to when we first started. Each venue seems to have its own wee thing - The Duchess is mainly tributes and covers and the Harbour Bar is more acoustic.”

Over the Bridge also runs the popular Kidz Rock events at the Windsor Hotel, giving a unique platform to bands under the age of 18.

And there is collaboration between promoters, ensuring that there is not an unsustainable level of saturation in the town, “Vonnie and I talk regularly to discuss the way forward,” explained Graham.

However, it is not just an increase in the number of local bands being given a platform that is encouraging. Kirkcaldy’s reputation is also growing on a national level, with bands now adding the town to their touring schedules.

Graham said: “Because of these gigs we’ve been putting on, people like Rachel Sermanni and the Filthy Tongues are coming to us rather than us going to them - which is amazing.”

And the Kings is not the only venue that is benefiting from this enhanced reputation. The Adam Smith Theatre welcomed highly rated folk pop four-piece Tide Lines on their most recent tour, performing two shows earlier this month.

It’s not just locally that Kirkcaldy’s bands are finding success. A number of artists will spend the summer playing at festivals and events, not just in Scotland but across the world. Permacrisis and Certain Death headed to the birthplace of one of rock’s great frontmen as they performed at Bonfest, the Bon Scott tribute festival, over the May bank holiday weekend.

P.G. Ciarletta will be one of thousands of Scots heading to Germany this summer as part of the Euro 2024 celebrations. However, unlike many of them, he’ll have his guitar in hand as he tours the fanzones, performing for the Tartan Army at three special events in the host nation.

But the question is what is next for Kirkcaldy’s live music scene locally. Can it expand further and become a more regular part of bands touring schedules? Graham is unsure of what that will look like, but said he will continue to do what has worked so far.

He said: “That’s a tough one. We are just going to keep plugging away and plugging away.”

For Jamie, there is a hope that new spaces will open up in Kirkcaldy and, with the High Street frequently criticised for units lying empty, it is an attractive prospect.

She said: “I'd love to see more of the empty spots around town being colonised and repurposed as event spaces. There is something magical about gigs in non traditional event spaces that can be completely transformational on the audience and venue.”

> Over the coming weeks the Fife Free Press want to highlight the best of Kirkcaldy and Fife’s music scene with profiles of up and coming, or established, bands. If you think you fit the bill get in contact at: [email protected]