Aztec Camera founder Roddy Frame has been confirmed as Saturday headliner of the Black Isle Brewery Grassroots Stage at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival (3^rd & 4^th August 2012, Beauly, Inverness-shire) 

From East Kilbride, Roddy Frame was inspired by David Bowie and at the age of 16 his band Aztec Camera drew attention from BBC Radio 1 DJ, John Peel. In 1983, they released ‘High Land, Hard Rain,’ their first album on Rough Trade Records; their second album, ‘Knife,’ released in 1984, was produced by Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler. The album was highlighted by the hit single "All I Need is Everything". A third album in 1987, ‘Love,’ spawned "Somewhere In My Heart", which reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and is still a staple of FM radio in the UK. Frame performed a duet with one of his musical heroes, Mick Jones of The Clash, on his 1990 single "Good Morning Britain", which showcased an overtly political streak that sometimes featured in his work. His solo work has also received high critical acclaim.  

“We have been trying to book Roddy to the Bella bill for quite a few years now, so we are especially thrilled to be able to announce him,” said festival promoter. “It is a neat follow-on from his great friend Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice who has also headlined the Black Isle Brewery Grassroots Stage at Bella.” 

Joe Gibbs also warned that tickets are starting to run low across the board and urged regular Bella patrons to buy now to avoid disappointment as another sell-out looks possible. “Traditionally, we issue a warning when our capacity hoves over the horizon into view, just so that our regular supporters aren’t disappointed. The time has come to issue that,” he said. 

Also added to the Belladrum bill are: Glasgow extreme funk aficionados Federation Of The Disco Pimp who are, in their own words, seven ‘clinically insane professional musicians who feed off each other’s madness in an effort to create the most energetic music ever witnessed’. Combining elements of old school funk, disco, psychedelic and jazz, FOTDP are legendary for their endless energy and blistering live sets; joining them are multilingual Edinburgh gypsy punksters Bobok who were founded by the ex-pat Russian Doumnov brothers whose music takes elements of Balkan brass bands, Russian ska, tango and punk and glues it all together with cartoon absurdism; their sons are romps about displacement, travel, love, loss, the absence of bananas in Siberian concentration camps and of course, about eating your head. 

Bella’s line up includes headliners and Scots indie stars Travis and Liverpool rockers The Wombats plus numerous other acts including: Legendary punk heroes The Buzzcocks; celebrated 80s band The South (formerly The Beautiful South); UK award-winning queen of soul Beverley Knight; Glasgow-based indie rockers Frightened Rabbit in an exclusive Scottish festival appearance; up tempo US songsmiths We Are Scientists; soul/rock band Vintage Trouble; introspective pioneers of indie folk Slow Club and crafters of beautiful folk rock Fink; Pink Floyd tribute band Macfloyd play the whole of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon;’ New York singer-songwriter Willy Mason; Mercury nominated artrockers Sweet Billy Pilgrim; Celtic tune’n’groove folk artists Treacherous Orchestra; Northern Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance; Newcastle sextet Lanterns On the Lake; Carrbridge artist Rachel Sermanni; singer/songwriter hot tips Juan Zelada and Ryan Keen; new indie tyro’s Bastille and To Kill A King; Nottingham five piece Dog Is Dead; Jiggery-folkery band Mad Dog McRea; alt country Red Sky July; Edinburgh singer/songwriter Nina Nesbitt; The Magnetic North, a band with Orcadian connections and Scots indie rising stars Bwani Junction & The Draymin; Blackpool singer-songwriters Rae Morris and Karima Francis; Glasgow ska band Bombskare; young Irish singer-songwriter Marc O’Reilly; Aberdeen blues band Gerry Jablonksi & The Electric Band; ska/grime exponents Man Like Me and acoustic popsters Ellen & The Escapades; Edinburgh hip hop duo Stanley Odd; Highlands bluegrass men The Ballachulish Hellhounds; Glasgow bands Fatherson, Make Sparks and Zombie Militia; Borders Celtic rockers, The Dangleberries; Highland artistes Niteworks, Grousebeater Soundsystem, James Mackenzie, Iain McLaughlin & The Outsiders, Whisky River Band, Little Mill of Happiness, The Rogues, Torridon, Hoodja, Feis Rois, TMC Youth Fiddlers, Davy & the Hosebeast, and The Red Kites whose front-man Moteh Parrott hails from Inverness. 

A Mystery Special Guest has been added to the main stage line up on the Friday evening “The identity of this artist will not be revealed until they appear on the Garden Stage at 1830 on Friday 3^rd August,” said festival promoter Joe Gibbs. “But – and here’s a hint – judging by their previous receptions at Bella, they’re going to be a popular choice.” 

In response to popular demand, Belladrum has printed a new batch of tickets for availability through high street agents. So from Friday 1^st June, hard tickets are back on sale from the following agents: In Inverness - Eden Court, the Ironworks, Mania and Hootananny’s; Dingwall – Sweet Treats; Elgin – Sight & Sound; Aberdeen – One Up; Beauly – Morrisons; Kiltarlity – Post Office; Edinburgh and Glasgow – Tickets Scotland. Weekend and Saturday e-tickets are still available from SKIDDLE

Belladrum has sold out each of the past three years.. Advance adult weekend tickets are £95 and Saturday tickets are £65. They include parking and camping, except for campervans and caravans which will be charged £50 per vehicle or £130 to include electrical hook-up.. As in previous years, tickets for children 12 & under are free. 

Belladrum 2012 takes place in the beautiful Highland surroundings of Belladrum Estate, near Beauly in Inverness-shire. The independent festival has built a reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its off beat non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach. The festival won a VisitScotland Thistle Award in 2009 and is a past winner of the Grassroots Festival Award at the UK Festival Awards, the festival industry’s ‘oscars’.