Bands

Based in South West of Scotland, are a band who have played together since becoming teenagers, traveling across Scotland and the UK performing both original material and covers. Due to location resulting in lack of opportunity, the band has always been driven to be one of the best Wedding bands Scotland/ UK has to offer.

With a diverse and expanding setlist, Astoria have always strived to push themselves to deliver outstanding covers which include both old favourites and trying to be unique thinking outside the box. Entertaining, young and contemporary with the contrasting dual male vocals from Joey and Gerry, whether it be heavy rock, or soft ballads, Astoria have all bases covered. From the 60’s up to present day, Astoria are the band to make sure you have an event you will never forget.

Now being one of the busiest wedding bands in our territory, we are now driven to break into the Scottish live wedding bands circuit and become one of the busiest acts this agency has to offer. Astoria guarantees a professional and exciting performance no matter the event with the outstanding musicianship and built up experience of each member. Booking this band is to be thoroughly recommended.

After being demobbed from the Foreign Legion, Ian and Nish were sailing home on a tramp steamer from Bridlington, when they met up with Lindsay and Mick who had just retired disabled after careers as male escorts, on a Derby and Joan Club cruise ship.

After discovering they all shared a love of window licking, the obvious way forward was to play rhythm and blues.

And so here we are.Breakdown SOS are: Ian “blind lemon” McGhie. Guitar and Mandolin.  Nish “strap on” Walker, harmonica and guitar. Mick “one hung low” Raw, bass and guitar. Lindsay “biggles” McQueen. Drums. Special guest star on bass is Murray “mint” Brock. Founder member of the Stranraer “inflatables are fun” society. Released from the stockade for one night only, Murray must leave the field before midnight or he turns into Joan Collins. A rare but tragic affliction.

Keep on laughing, just to keep from crying…..

Chopperhead are: Mick Raw, guitar; Martin Emerson,guitar; Laurie Mc Queen, bass; Lindsay Mc Queen, drums.

Metallica meets Donovan in the aural maelstrom that is Chopperhead. Fresh from a tour of nudist colonies in Angelsey, the Machars Lads are looking to blow your trousers completely off this year at Parkfest. If your not wearing trousers, just hold on to your crown jewels….

“Leah Chynoweth-Tidy aka Kissing The Flint (‘creating a spark’) is a multi-award nominated, Australian-born singer-songwriter with a steampunk edge, now based in her father’s native Scotland. 

Authenticity and emotion run through her songwriting, storytelling and live performance, leaving each listener feeling connected and empowered. 

Song themes flow from an adventurous spirit with crystal clarity of message and vivid imagery drawn from experience, empathy and imagination. She moves easily from roots beauty to sultry rock raunch in explorations of the human condition, a genuine desire to empower others and a lifelong affinity with the natural world. 

Kissing The Flint will be rocking ParkFest in full band format on debut this year driven by Leah’s powerful, versatile vocals backed by Adrian Grogan on guitar, Leah’s husband Ken on bass and Norval Forrest on drums. Brace yourself for an eclectic, cross-genre set of rocking originals and unique covers!”

Stranraer has a fairly small music community, so why not get the best together and form a band? Do some Country and soft rock covers.

BUT! Try as we may, none of these musos were available, and so after months of post-covid therapy aka jammin! This lot are having a go.

Ross Alexander, Drumming Psycholgist, Rhuary Grey, Clinical (or is that cynical?) vocal and guitar coach, Mandy Green and Angela Black, colourful support assistants, and last and least, (kidding) Its All About The Bass Therapist, Callum Black. Hey, it’s all good fun!

Originally hailing from Dunfermline in Fife, Lianne moved to Edinburgh at 16 to study at Edinburgh Theatre School of Dance & Drama. Departing Scotland in 1999, she went on to travel and live in many far flung places for work and fun!

If not performing in the various productions and bands over the years, Lianne could be found behind the scenes organising events and festivals. Having discovered the benefits of alternative therapies from a young age, Lianne is deeply passionate about her other vocation as a Holistic Therapist, Energy Healer and Yogi.

Leaving behind a thriving holistic business in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Lianne and her little family fell in love with the sunny Southwest of Scotland, where they now find themselves enjoying life every day!

Lianne’s healing and wellness business, The Bodhi Tree, is already well established in Stranraer and will continue to develop and grow as their refurbishments finalise.

Having dropped the Mic a few years back, Lianne is thrilled to be finding her voice again and taking to the streets and local music scene.

The Ruckstars are back and ready to take the roof off the marquee…Parkfest has always been one of our favourite gigs and, after covid, we can’t wait to get back on stage and party the night away with the best audience in the country…

This year Andrea is fronting a lineup that includes regulars Scott McVicar, Alasdair Vann and Alan Hamilton are joined by guitarist Robert Wilson… Robert has entertained audiences around the country playing with Big Vern and the Shootahs and others

Known as “The Human Jukebox”, Ben is a solo artist who is originally from Wales. He plays a variety of musical styles, from folk songs to rock! He has been playing since he was just 16 and has not long moved to Stranraer.  You may have seen him performing locally in The Custom House or the Fitba’ Bar. We are delighted to welcome Ben to our Acoustic Stage!

Dave bought his first guitar in 1988 after finally mastering ‘Three Blind Mice’ on the descant recorder: an instrument he had mistakenly thought was ‘Both Punk and Rock ‘n’ Roll’ some eleven years earlier.

He decided in 2021 that his car insurance premiums were too low and declared himself to be a professional musician, instantly paying four times as much for exactly the same cover. This, he thought, was a small price to pay to pursue the career he had always dreamt of and had eventually ended up doing mainly because he had repeatedly proved himself unemployable for any other purpose.

His repertoire is popular music from the 1950’s right through to the 21^st Century. It promises to be as upbeat as he feels capable of and as loud as we allow it to be.

Bob Hollis, is an Annan based singer-songwriter who is renowned for his eclectic selection of songs and his powerhouse vocals. We are delighted to welcome him to our Acoustic Stage.

Marcus Basi is a guitarist singer/songwriter from Stirling Scotland creating music inspired by the sounds of the 60s and 70s psychedelic rock scene. A friend of DG9 Community Radio, we are delighted to be welcoming him to the Park Fest Acoustic Stage!

Jimmy has played in various Ayrshire based bands over the years since the 70’s until eventually ending up on his own with his single entertainer act, singing songs that make people want to dance.

Songs from the 50’s right through to the present day.  From Elvis to Rihanna, from Free to The Stereophonics. As a guitarist and self-taught musician, Jimmy has had to work hard to attain the level he currently perform at. For his first ever festival appearance, we hope the crowd will welcome him with open arms.

Charlie Rogers is an Oregon-born, Kansas-raised genre alchemizing country singer-songwriter based out of Nashville, TN. His genuine, often widely varied sound, aims to bridge interpersonal gaps allowing each of us to feel seen & understood through his distinct ability to tell a story with the use of charming lyricism & textured musicality all while simultaneously putting an end to the quandary of where contemporary country ends & pop/rock begins.
Rogers has opened for the likes of Brothers Osborne, Russell Dickerson, & Janelle Arthur. He has played CMA honors ceremonies for the likes of Charley Pride & Ricky Skaggs. His artist work & writing has been shared the world over & encompasses stages from all over the US, Spain, & the UK as well.
Rogers has been a proponent for music his whole life & began singing & writing even at a very young age. His inspiration for his musical pursuits is & has always been to communicate the commonalities between us, especially for those groups who often feel unseen or unheard, often extending a hand across rigid genre lines to do so.
Rogers’ most recent release, “Just Another Late Night,” received over 115k stream independently & has been features on radio stations & popular playlists the whole world over. Rogers’ plans to release his next single, “When He Was Me” a ballad written by Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay, in the next coming months. 

Tia is 19 years old and has been singing and playing guitar since she joined Stranraer guitar club when she was just 9 years old. Tia has performed at many events and places in and around Stranraer, Park Fest being one of her favourites, but this time she is returning as a solo performer at the event for the first time. “I’m really excited to be part of Parkfest again and so pleased that it is back up and running again.”

From Country Radio presenter and former Park Fest compere. Ali has stepped from one type of Entertaining to another. Formerly fronting the Country Rock Band Lowdown Highway he is now out on his own covering all genre’s within in the country music market. Ali is overjoyed to be returning to Park Fest under a different guise.