‘Belladrum is a sensory overload’
Belladrum favourites Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 are set to return to this year’s extravaganza with their unique form of fun and entertainment.
The band became an immediate success at their first ever Belladrum in 2014 when they started out at the Hot House stage. However, it wasn’t long before they had queues of fans pouring out the tent - forcing organisers to find them somewhere else to meet demand!
While reminiscing about their first Belladrum, the band's singer John McMustard said: “It was packed out, so much so that there were folk queuing outside and that year when we were walking about everybody told us that we would be playing on the main stage next year. And we did.
“If the crowds at Belladrum like you, then they’ll give you a chance to step up and we were really lucky to go from the Hot House to the main stage within a year.”
However, it is the people they meet at Belladrum that is the most rewarding part of the experience.
Band member Gary Mortimer said: “You see the same people that you meet every year go back and if it’s a kid then they’re a bit bigger each time which is so rewarding.”
John spoke about an emotional experience he had at Belladrum last year as a local mum approached him after her daughter had passed away.
He said: “She told me that the festival was something they always used to do together. I can’t imagine how tragic it must have been to go through that, but the fact that her group of pals are able to come along every year and enjoy the festival and get a wee bit of respite, as well as trying to hopefully move on with their lives is a nice thing.
“Fans become friends and we feel lucky and privileged to do what we do.”
Previously, the band had turned the Belladrum festival’s Garden Stage into their special mustard colour, as fans decked out in yellow to worship the goodtime gods in their flamboyant outfits.
Fast forward several years, and the band are still just as enthusiastic about the festival as they were from the very beginning, with the crowds being their favourite part.
John said: “When you look out at the crowd, it is a bit surreal because of the size of it and it’s hard to take it all in. It’s really overwhelming, but in a good way because there’s always something mad going on in the crowd.
“And, because we wear yellow, we see a lot of the fans dress in yellow and bring flags and banners. It’s just a sensory overload, but in a good way.”
The band makes it their mission to get the crowd as involved as possible during their performance by being ‘a bit silly, having a laugh, a dance, and all things good for the soul’.
John said: “It’s just because we’re a bit daft and silly, that we like to get people up and dancing so it’s guaranteed at our gigs that you’ll be involved and feel a part of it.
“I think the fact that the amount of people that turn up wearing yellow in support of us makes it feel like a big fun slice of pie.”
Getting the audience involved in their act has become a fundamental part of the band's nature too. John said: “Life is hard, it’s not a walk in the park, so if you’re at a festival or a big gig and you can bring a bit of joy and happiness to someone then I’d rather be doing that than being self-indulgent.”
Disco Collin added: “It really is amazing when you just see a big field of smiles.”
