This year’s Big Burns Supper Festival hosted in many venues around Dumfries was a huge roaming and out reaching success. From the pop up venues, local function suites, to the newly purpose built performance space and the beautiful temporary Spiegeltent. The venues alone had plenty of variety to offer.

Then there was the community outreach engagement work, bringing the performance arts to people in less affluent areas, showing that art, theatre and music appeals to the masses and is not about classes.

I kicked off the 2nd weekend of the Big Burns Supper 2015 with Robyn Stapleton, a young talented traditional Scottish folk singer who is a self-confessed obsessive with singing Rabbie Burns songs. Accompanied occasionally by her friend on guitar and at times simply acapella, she was incredibly impressive. In the simple function suite of the Cairndale Hotel the strength of her voice gave me the dose of traditional Burns I needed to balance the eclectic flavour of the festival so far.

Tartan in heart I then ventured along to the ever beautiful Spiegeltent to watch Hector Bizerk. Where I was also equally inspired by the topical, social context of front man Louis. With his brash harsh in your face style, and rhyming lyrics to really make you think I came away unable to write with putting a rhyme in my mind and a poem in my step.

While Louis rants and the band plays, Pearl paints a picture. A banner of moments sprung up stage side as the band strum memorable moments into us. Sensual splendour for your eyes and ears.

See here for the ludicrously lyrical rhythm and rhyme I was left spinning in my mind that evening:

The next day started early with a duet performance from the beautiful Adorah and her soulful soothing voice accompanied by the brilliant guitar skills of James. Together they played a surprisingly short but sweet, bold and beautiful set filled with punchy and poignant songs. A lovely start to the day.

Next over to Fiona Soe Paing and her unusual futuristic ensemble of music and visually stimulating computer generated effects. Alien Lullabies leaves you surprised and surreally unsure. She was darker than PJ Harvey, stranger than Kraftwerk with a twist of Dali style visuals all on a touch of LSD. It certainly was Alien. Unique. Incomparable. Like nothing I have ever seen or heard before. I felt slightly out of this world afterwards.

We were privileged to catch a free three minute dance performance immediately afterwards by the talented Corina Andrian, performing Dor under her stage name of Red-cor. A perky and peaceful dainty dalliance across the performance floor. Clever Dor.

A few hours rest and then the glamour was on, the feathers adorned, the corsets tightened and the Spiegletent entered again for the highly esteemed performance of the festival, the cabaret show Le Haggis – The Second Coming. It did not disappoint. A strong strutting burning with desire Burns front man with a loud and tuneful voice. An impressive seven piece band absolutely rocking out songs and accompaniment for the incredibly taut and teasing Can Can girls, the humorous Mr Strong, the stunning and swirling Justine from the roofy ribbons and the risky and saucy perfectly pert sky twirling sexy performer Star. Her silver star sprinkled body stretched beyond imagination above our heads and balanced precarious. Just 8 inch heels between rope and floor. And then there was the large barely naked large lady, lingerie and nipple tassels, playing a kazoo with her foofoo and chasing a rather repelled Burns around the stage.

The show was brave, bold, brash, bare naked and brilliant. It raised the roof as well as many a temperature across the audience.

A quick wait in the bar area of Spiegel with our complimentary cheese board and then back inside for the incredibly bouncy Peatbog Faeries. The place was full. All hands flung high in Scottish dancing honour. The faces were smiling. The toes were pointing and dancing. Beautiful moments of pure quick fingered genius and pipe blowing pleasures.

And then, after the Peatbog Faeries, as if we hadn't heard enough windblown instrumentals, the monumental New York Brass Band (from York and they are new, not to be confused with thinking they are from the big apple). Boy could these boys blow their own trumpets. And trombones and bugles and all things brass and wind related. They were fantastic, engaging, exciting. They romped off the stage and piped and trumped around the tent with fans behind. Much to the sheer panic of the security stewards they went out of the front door, around the police station and back into the tent with gusto. The conga line of followers high kicking and swinging their own wrist bands and hand bags. It was a small crowd with a big heart and a humorous brass neck moment.

Finally it was a journey through the sounds of St Mungos Hi Fi and other Knockengorroch favourites to wile away the early hours of the morning dancing to the sounds of the summer.

The next day, the finale day of the festival. We start with the children enjoying the Scottish sounds of Caleig. A lovely gentle way to ease into the day with more traditional Scottish songs performed by three lovely young lassies. The kids loved it.

We end with Comedy. And very good it was too. Four great acts with a brilliant compare. The comedy ranging from strange little guitar ditties, the trials and tribulations of family life, the weird and wonderful worlds of others and their comical view on life.

Coming to an end with smiles on faces and no airs and graces. This festival took our hearts to many places. My tartan heart has been found and warmed up good and strong, entertained with lively Burns celebration of song. A beating bonanza of big burns brilliance. Well done Dumfries.

Review & Photos: Lou Hyland