The sun is starting to break through those winter clouds and summer is drawing near, which means that you are starting to think about how you will be spending those lovely long summer nights.

Well, today DF Concerts is delighted to announce that you can end the summer on a high by revealing a truly stunning list of bands and artists that will be playing at Connect, Scotland’s new and wonderfully unique boutique music festival.

Headlining the Oyster Stage on Friday night are The Beastie Boys, followed by Primal Scream on Saturday night, with Bjork closing the festival on Sunday. The Jesus and Mary Chain will be playing their first gig in Scotland in nearly 20 years along with CSS on the Friday.  Recently reformed, legendary post-punk pioneers The Only Ones (Saturday) and LCD Soundsystem (Sunday) will all be gracing the Oyster Stage.  The Guitars & Other Machines tent will host amongst others, Idlewild and Tilly and the Wall on Sunday and King Creosote on Friday.  All will be heading to Inveraray for the weekend of August 31st – 2nd September, and rest assured there will be plenty more where they came from with more international, UK and Scottish bands and artists to be announced over the coming months.

Part of Scotland’s Highland 2007 celebrations, Connect will be set in the fairy-tale grounds of Inveraray Castle, situated on the banks of Loch Fyne, Inveraray in Argyll.  It will not only feature an eclectic mix of bands, artists and DJ’s, but also a plethora of alternative entertainment, ranging from local food and drink offerings in the Circuses and Bread Field that will seriously tantalise your taste buds, to magical woodland walks, comedians, old school games mixed with a touch of the Highland Games, visual artists and installations, and the strange and unusual in performance in The Unknown Pleasures Tent.

Club Noir will host The Unknown Pleasures tent on Saturday night bringing their hugely popular burlesque show to Connect, complete with live burlesque shows, ambient acts that mingle with the crowd all night and the very best in retro modern sounds.  On Sunday Vegas take over the mantle bringing along Scotland’s swinging, award-winning, jet setting club.  Expect moonlight, martinis, roulette, romance, blackjack, showgirls, and swinging sounds for hipsters.

Continuing to be at the forefront of supporting Scottish unsigned talent, DF Concerts brings to Connect the Your Sound Bandstand.  Following on from the very successful Your Sound networking event, which is hosted monthly in King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and gives unsigned bands a great opportunity to not only showcase their talent, but also to mingle with experts in the music field, the bandstand will host 20 of the very best unsigned artists chosen from the term 1 and 2 playlists over 2 days.

So all of this brought together will most certainly create an experience that will be ingrained in the memories of all those who attend Connect Music Festival for years to come!

Tickets for Connect go on sale at 9am this Friday 23rd March.  To avoid disappointment, we would encourage all music fans to be quick off the mark and log onto www.connectmusicfestival.com or call ticketmaster on 0870 169 0100.

If you want to experience Connect and its beautiful surroundings in a way fit for all Connect revellers, once you’ve booked your weekend camping ticket, take advantage of our campsite partners Tangerine Fields www.tangerinefields.co.uk.  They have a limited number of bespoke camping packages available that do all the hard work for you.  Arrive to find waiting for you your tent already pitched and fully equipped, or hire a tipi that can sleep up to 10 people, so all you have to do is just sit back, relax and enjoy the view!

Also, do yourself a huge favour and leave the car at home.  With our official transport partner, Citylink, you can sit back, enjoy the ride and take in the incredible journey that awaits you.  Plus Connect is a committed Carbon Neutral festival so you can get that warm fuzzy feeling by helping our beautiful planet if you get the coach.  Book your place on one of the many coaches that will be servicing us when you buy your festival ticket, or book through the Connect website, or the Citylink website www.citylink.co.uk.

Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts had this to say: “We have felt that there has been a gap in the market for a festival like Connect for some time now and its fantastic to see it come to fruition in such an incredible location and as part of the celebrations for Highland 2007 in its first year.

“Musically and aesthetically Connect will appeal to the discerning music fan who wants to enjoy a festival with a little more comfort, a bit more of a chilled atmosphere, a fantastic bill of high quality artists, some really delicious food and some quirky entertainment thrown in.”

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said: “Connect will bring top class international acts to perform in the beautiful grounds of Inveraray Castle.  The festival illustrates what Highland 2007 aims to achieve, it showcases one of the most stunning locations within the Highlands and Islands to a worldwide audience through a celebration of contemporary and traditional culture in the Highlands today.”

Says Alan Milstead, Head of Strengthening Communities at HIE Argyll and the Islands: "It is tremendously exciting to see this major event coming to Argyll. It is a tribute to everyone involved that this opportunity has been taken up with such enthusiasm."

Councillor Robin Banks, Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson for Development and Environment added: “I am delighted that Connect has attracted such an exciting line up for Inveraray. Not only will it put Argyll on the map, but I anticipate that the positive benefits will be felt, not only by the local community, but throughout Argyll and Bute.

“I am confident that performers and audience alike are in for a real treat, with stunning scenery and a warm welcome converting them all to becoming ambassadors for the area in the future.”

You can find out more about Connect by logging on to our lovely website www.connectmusicfestival.com.  Register there to get latest news, including further line up additions, before anyone else and a whole lot more!

Connect ticket details
31st August, 1st & 2nd September 2007

ON SALE FRIDAY 23RD MARCH AT 9AM

Ticket Prices:
Weekend Camping tickets: £125
Weekend Only tickets: £105
Friday Day tickets: £45
Saturday or Sunday tickets: £50

Telephone:
24 hour hotline: 0870 169 0100 (Ticketmaster)

Online:
www.connectmusicfestival.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Local Ticket Outlets:
Woods Newsagents, Harbour Street, Tarbert, Argyll, PA29
The Mailbox (Post Office), 46 Argyll Street, Lochgilphead, Argyll, PA31 8NE
Oban FM Radio Station, 132 George Street, Oban, Argyll, PA34 5NT
Pier Shop, Front Street, Inveraray, P832 8UW

HARD TICKETS MAY NOT BE ISSUED UNTIL UP TO 14 DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. ALL ARE SUBJECT TO BOOKING FEE.  AS ALWAYS, FANS ARE ADVISED ONLY TO BUY FROM OFFICIAL TICKET OUTLETS.

Bus Prices – Travel to Inveraray:

Zone 1 - £12
Oban, Taynuilt, Dalmally, Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Arrochar

Zone 2 - £15
Glasgow, Fort William, Ballachulish, Bridge of Orchy, Lochearnhead, Crieff, Stirling, Campbeltown,
Kennacraig, Tarbert, Ardrishaig

Zone 3 - £18
Perth, Pitlochry, Edinburgh,

Zone 4 - £20
Dundee

Zone 5 - £25
Aberdeen

ENDS

Notes to editors:

DF Concerts is one of Europe’s leading concert promotion companies bringing the best live music and events to audiences in Scotland. Founded in the early 1980s and now managed by CEO Geoff Ellis from offices in Glasgow, the company works with a diverse range of artists from cutting edge unsigned talent to the music industry’s biggest stars. The jewel in the company’s crown is T in the Park, which has twice been voted the UK’s Best Festival at the UK Festival awards, but the company has also promoted a diverse range of music events including T on the Fringe, 10 Days In May, Download, Big Day Out At The Green and outdoor shows from the likes of Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, the Eagles and Robbie Williams.

DF Concerts also owns and manages the legendary Glasgow venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, which was named Best UK Venue in 2006 by Music Week and by Radio Clyde.  In 2006, the venue also launched King Tut’s Recordings releasing a single by The Dykeenies who have been tipped as the band to watch in 2007.

Over the last few years, DF Concerts has broadened its portfolio beyond music by staging and promoting Glasgow On Ice at George Square and co-producing Radiance Glasgow’s inaugural festival of light in November 2005.

For all updated press information please go to the media room at http://www.connectmusicfestival.com/media

Vegas Scotland - For more information on Vegas club nights, go to http://www.vegasscotland.co.uk

Club Noir - For more information on Club Noir, go to http://www.clubnoir.co.uk

Your Sound - For more information on how you can get involved with Your Sound from how to send in a demo to how to be on the panel, go to http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/yoursound or http://www.myspace.com/yoursoundglasgow or contact Fiona Rosie on 0141 566 4999.

For further information, please contact:

Connect Press Office
Alison Hunter | Material Marketing & Communications Ltd
Riverside House | 260 Clyde Street | Glasgow | G1 4JH
 
T: +44 (0)141 204 6765
F: +44 (0)141 221 8643
M:+44 (0)7739 954 836
E: alisonh@materialmc.co.uk

DF Concerts Press Office
Lee Beattie | Burt Greener Communications
41 St Vincent Place | Glasgow | G1 2ER
 
T: +44 (0)141 248 6007
F: +44 (0)141 248 3322
M:+44 (0)7855 367 922
E: lee@burtgreener.co.uk