Welsh alternative rock-pop bruisers The Blackout from Merthyr Tydfil join the line-up of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival (3rd & 4th August 2012, Beauly, Inverness-shire) together with up-and-coming northern soul exponents The Milk, Willie Campbell & The Open Day Rotation from the Western Isles and Highland rock artists KOBI.

And Scots karaoke band BandeMcokie will enable a late night listeners in the Black isle Brewery Grassroots Stage to entertain their fellow audience members with band karaoke. The late night slot on the same stage on the Saturday night will be filled by MacFloyd playing the whole of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon.’

Inspired by the likes of Lostprophets, The Blackout have recorded four albums. Their latest ‘Hope’ came out in 2011 on the celebrated Cooking Vinyl label with whom they have signed a worldwide deal. The Milk have the horns, the hooks and the handclaps and will delight any bella audience who enjoyed last year’s Eli Paperboy Reid performance.

Willie Campbell from the island of Lewis was the subject of a recent BBC2 Scotland documentary about his life. KOBI are an alternative indie-rock band based in the Highlands; in hiatus since 2005, a newly energized KOBI re-emerged in summer 2011 with a fresh set of material and a renewed vigour to perform together. 

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; Aztec Camera’s Roddy Frame; 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; Edinburgh gypsy punksters Bobok; Glasgow extreme funk aficionados Federation Of The Disco Pimp; 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 3rd 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.” 

Tickets available from Skiddle