Forth’s Gentle Giant Festival continues to grow

The fourth annual Gentle Giant Music Festival in the village was the biggest and best yet with both acts and audience coming to Forth from throughout the country for this ‘Wee-T-In-The-Park’.

The uncanny luck with the weather the event has enjoyed for previous years continued on Saturday with the hundreds attending strolling in sunshine between the festival’s four venues, namely The British Legion Club, The Masonic Hall, The Inns and The Talisker Inn.

It just added to the enjoyment for all taking part, bands and fans alike, the beaming of the sun only being rivalled by the expressions of the faces of the main organisers, David Mooney, Jimmy Brown and Colin Barlow.

An amazing 28 acts were on this year’s bill, many being local favourites like Dave Brown, One Foot in the Groove, Blackthorn Buck, Albany and Touchwood.

However, the majority were from far-away and exotic places, like Glasgow’s Still Lizzy and Selkirk’s Backrow Buskers. The Gnomes billed themselves as having come from “The Planet Mars” - and those who caught their act suspect this was no lie!

The organisers have kept with the successful musical recipe of past Gentle Giants, quite literally covering all the bases with acts ranging from wistful folk music to all-out-attack hard rock.

The event has put Forth on Scotland’s musical map but co-organiser David Mooney is keeping his feet on the ground.

“It was great fun again this year and we’ve got to thank everyone who helped make it a success, not least the volunteer stewards and sponsors like the Scottish Coalfields Trust.”

He confirmed there would be a Gentle Giant V in 2016 and it could largely be an outdoor festival next year.

Here’s hoping the Gentle Giant run of luck with the weather continues then!