Bonfest: K107fm presenter joins festival paying homage to AC/DC

The Wee Red Toon in Angus steps on to the rock ‘n’ roll map this weekend with the return of Bonfest.

The event will see AC/DC fans descend on the birthplace of the band’s late, great lead singer Bon Scott for a weekend of live music which will rock the town to its very foundations.

The 15th annual gathering is heading for a complete sell-out.

The event went ahead last year online, and the chance to see bands on stage and meet up with fellow fans has sparked huge interest in the 2022 event.

And while it will again raise funds for DD8, a registered charity, dedicated to promoting involvement in musical activities to people of all ages in the Kirriemuir area, it’s the connection with the legendary rocker which puts this unique event firmly on the map.

Scott was born in 1946, and raised in Kirriemuir before his family moved to Australia when he was just six.

Some 42 years have passed since his death in 1980, aged just 33, but he remains one of the great rock ‘n’ roll figures and a huge part of AC/DC’s history.

Scott recorded six albums with the band, including Highway To Hell, which was their first to break the US top 100 shortly before his death.

Bonfest commemorates his integral role as well as celebrating the longevity and global success of the band.

The festival will see a huge number of bands performing at over half a dozen venues across the town, as well as the Town Hall and the main arena - on Friday alone some 30 are scheduled to take to the stage.

They come from across the UK and further afield, with Thunderstruck making the journey from Australia.

One person with an extra special reason to look forward to the event is Collette Burns, who will be interviewing bands and fans across the weekend,.

Colette, who hosts The Letty Rock Show on Kirkcaldy-based radio station, K107fm, has been attending Bonfest for a decade, and last year she helped to host the virtual festival.

The chance to meet up again with friends and see a host of bands is something special.

She said: “After being in lockdown, everyone really wants to be there in person.

“It’s a fantastic festival - everyone comes for the music and to meet up. It’s one huge family.

“I’ve been going there for a decade - to be asked to help host it was just fantastic.”

And, above all, there is the chance to pay homage at the statue erected in memory of the AC/DC singer.

The life-sized bronze figure was unveiled in 2016, at Bonfest’s 10th anniversary by former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans.

It features Bon with microphone and bagpipes - a homage to his Scottish roots - and was paid for by a £45,000 crowdfunder.

“The amount of love for the band’s music is incredible,” she said. “The atmosphere is just crazy - such great fun. It is pure rock and roll.

“One day Angus Young will turn up!”