Ignite Festival

20/12/2023

We'd like to make our followers aware of a great source of support for musicians suffering from mental health difficulties and/or addiction - Music Support (musicsupport.org), is a charity founded by Mark Richardson of Skunk Anansie, for anyone in the music industry experiencing mental health difficulties and/or addiction. If you need help with any of these issues, contact them for free confidential support. They provide an all-encompassing support system with confidential helpline, signposting and guidance, individual case management and crisis support, managed by industry peers with lived experience of the highs and lows of working within music and live events. Please share this important resource with other musicians.

28/11/2023

Visiting/gigging in a EU country but can't afford the cost of health insurance?

Your health is paramount so don't risk it. Do you know you can get a FREE Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)? - visit https://www.gov.uk/global-health-insurance-card to apply. It's quick and easy and can take less than week to receive your card.

Applying for your free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC): who can apply and where you can use them.

27/11/2023

A young male guitarist (14), with live performance experience, is looking to either join an existing band or start a band with other musicians in . Preferred genre Heavy Metal. Influences include Alpha Wolf, Killswitch Engage, Sylosis, Chimaira, Bleed from Within. Contact us either below or by DM if you can help.

01/10/2023

We received 724 applications to perform at Ignite 2024 (so clearly from our follower numbers, many applicants haven't even been bothered to follow to support the festival!).

We will continue the judging process, in the hope of re-igniting the flame that corrupt public officers at the City of Edinburgh Council put out for the benefit of their friends, but if YOU want this event to go ahead, then you ALL need to do your part in supporting this festival that is for YOU!

This means EACH OF YOU emailing your local MP, the CEO of CEC (Andrew Kerr - Present on Twitter as ), the Convenor of the CEC Culture and Communities Committee (Val Walker - [email protected] - Present on Facebook as https://www.facebook.com/CllrValWalker) and MSP Cabinet Secretary for Culture (Angus Robertson - [email protected] and [email protected] - Present on Facebook as https://www.facebook.com/AngusSCRobertson and on Twitter as ).

Also share our post about the corruption at CEC to ALL of your followers and ask them to do the same - STAMP OUT THE CORRUPTION in order to allow new/emerging artists and bands to have a chance at a career in music.

This festival is for YOU, if YOU want it, then SUPPORT it!

22/09/2023

IGNITE 2024 PAUSED (AND POSSIBLY CANCELLED) DUE TO CORRUPTION IN THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL (CEC)

We have come to learn that CEC has a long history of Corruption, Cronyism, and Discrimination, and despite it's claims over the past two years that the “old boys’ network” within CEC has been broken up, nothing could be further from the truth.

The “old boys’ (and girls) network” in CEC is alive and well, CEC is rotten to the core, not fit for purpose, and it's Public Officers remain hell-bent on engaging in and/or covering up any and all Corruption, Cronyism, and Discrimination, instead of rightly holding to account those of their Public Officers who are not fit to hold Public Office, and firing them in the public interest.

Since booking The Ross Bandstand in March 2023, to help new/emerging musicians showcase their talent, we have been actively discouraged, blatantly lied to, discriminated against, prevented from access to normal Council procedures, and pushed aside and blocked in order to clear a path for the preferred parties of CEC's vile and corrupt Public Officers. All of this has caused constant delays to us and put us 7 months behind from where we would have been today, in the planning and logistics of IGNITE 2024.

We have fought valiantly against this daily corruption since March, each time highlighting the corruption to those higher up in the chain of command in CEC, but to no avail, because the corruption in CEC is at all levels, from bottom to top, and their only goal is not to stamp out the corruption, but to cover it up. The situation has now become untenable and their unlawful actions have succeeded in destroying this event for new/emerging artists and bands in Scotland, and they have not only tarnished the name and the reputation of The Ross Bandstand, but have trashed it!

It is therefore with great sadness, and with a very heavy heart, that we have been left with no choice but to pause IGNITE 2024 in the hope of finding another suitable venue, outside of Edinburgh, to resume the festival later next year.

In the meantime, we will continue with the artist application process as much as we can, but we will not be able to finalise it, due to not knowing, at this stage, what performer numbers will be available at any potential new venues.

We have written to CEC's Culture and Communities Committee (copy attached), including the Convenor (CllrValWalker) (none of whom even bothered to acknowledge our communication as clearly they couldn't care less about the corruption in CEC or about young musicians in Scotland trying to make a career for themselves).

If you are as disgusted and sickened as we are, by these corrupt Public Officers in CEC, who are acting in their own best interests, and not in the interests of the public, please express your absolute disgust in them to your local Councillor, MSP, Chief Executive of CEC, Cabinet Secretary (AngusSCRobertson), etc.

With Love and Best Wishes to You All.

- IGNITE

21/09/2023

FINAL WEEK TO APPLY!

14/09/2023

Only 2 Weeks to Go Until Applications Close!

09/09/2023

PLEASE SHARE!

05/09/2023

Is this how musicians should treat other musicians?

Our Executive Trinity Patel was a presenter at the Lowlands Music Awards on Saturday night, presenting the Best Blues Artist Award (Congratulations to The Lynsey Dolan Band!) and was asked to sing one song.

Those of you who were at the Awards, and who participated in talking, shouting and laughing loudly when this young vocalist and her guitarist, Richard Boa, were trying to perform ONE song for YOU, should be utterly ashamed of yourselves, as should the two women who actually walked right in front of them when they were trying to perform, and the man who thought it was a good time to dispose of his rubbish at the side of them!

Is this how you would like to be treated?

Whilst we have a different opinion to the opinions expressed by fellow presenter, Robert Taylor of Scotland Rocks Radio, regarding some of the logistics of the evening (each healthily entitled to our own opinion), we completely agree with his comment that the behaviour of those of you engaging in that conduct was completely disrespectful, and you should have had the common sense and courtesy to shut up to allow them to perform their ONE song!

We are absolutely appalled at the complete disrespect displayed to these two young musicians, especially by those older members of the music community who should know better. The Scottish music industry continues to go through an incredibly difficult time, with music venues continuing to close on a weekly basis, and musicians needing all the help they can get. You should all be sticking together, helping, encouraging and supporting each other, not actively discouraging and disrespecting each other!

The older generation often claim the younger generation have no respect, well if they have no respect they're just following your example, respect is a two way street!

We are incredibly proud that both musicians acted professionally and carried on performing through the adversity, in circumstances where many would have walked off.

Those of you involved in this despicable behaviour should hang your heads in shame! Watch this short clip (which isn't actually the worst of the incessant chatter) and reflect on your conduct!

31/08/2023

SHARE NOW TO AND IN .

26/08/2023

ONLY 1 WEEK TO GO TO THE LOWLANDS MUSIC AWARDS 2023! Don't miss it, get your tickets now - http://ticketsource.co.uk/whp

Musician and IGNITE Executive TRINITY PATEL will be presenting the Best Blues Artist Award!

This is a black tie event. Saturday 2nd September 2023.

24/08/2023

SHARE TO SUPPORT EMERGING ARTISTS AND BANDS IN SCOTLAND!

18/08/2023

PLEASE SHARE TO HELP NEW/EMERGING ARTISTS AND BANDS!

08/08/2023

03/08/2023

Only 8 weeks left to apply! Please share!

27/07/2023