Live music will return to a popular Kinross venue for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic this weekend.
The independent Backstage at the Green Hotel will welcome the Frank O’Hagan Band on Friday, September 3.
They will perform from 9pm, kicking off a month of great sonic entertainment.
Glasgow uni history professor Frank, who made music as ‘a hobby’ before audiences went for his Van Morrison sound, has released four rhythm and blues albums.
In a twist of fate, the singer songwriter was the very first act to perform when Backstage opened in 2010.
Now he reopens Backstage for 2021.
Music promoter David Mundell has had a tense past 18 months with his independent venture, a lone light of rock appreciation in Kinross.
He spent lockdown seeking essential cash. Backstage missed out on government help during the pandemic closure and had to do public fundraising to meet its costs while closed.
The Music Venue Trust had the Backstage Bar on its red list of threatened venues but the fans remembered the good times they had enjoyed in Kinross over the years and stumped up £20,000.
The challenge then was to successfully secure a music programme of top notch acts so that by the time restrictions allowed audiences indoors again for gigs, he would have willing customers.
“Postponed band bookings moved into autumn 2021,” David told the PA. “A lot of bands that do original stuff fell by the wayside. Meanwhile we are quite heavy on tribute acts.”
David faced another battle: to revive the public’s confidence in booking tickets. Safety devices were needed to make people feel they would be safe inside the venue.
“I have invested £7000 in the purchase of two VK401 advanced air sterilisation machines designed to kill respiratory viruses,” he said.
“The results show a 99.9 per cent kill rate on a single air pass.
“With these machines, a decent CO2 monitor plus the ventilation extraction fan, we are in a safe position for everyone to return to Backstage.”
The Frank O’Hagan gig tonight is followed on Saturday night, September 4, by Heart of Rust, a Neil Young tribute act.
September 10 sees The Mentulls, followed by Thin Lizzy tribute Black Rose on September 11.
Just Beatles play on September 12 and Voodoo Room take the stage on September 15.
See www.mundellmusic.com to find more entertainment for the months ahead.
