'Fine and local' MacMoray Festival 'really good for our area'
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LOCALS who flocked to Elgin's very own festival gave it glowing reports.
Kevin Kay from Buckie went to MacMoray with partner Rachel Miller and daughter Bethany Kay.
He said: "It's good like, especially because it's fine and local.
"I'm just along in Buckie and once everything is finished you're only 20 minutes down the road."
He said his top pick of the weekend was Big Country, who played on Sunday evening.
Originally hailing from Fife, Mr Kay said the Dunfermline band played an important role in his life growing up.
"I grew up with Big Country, because I'm from Fife originally," he said.
"I'm a really big fan and it was just great to see them."
Married Elgin pair Lorraine and James Ironside-Bown, along with Marney Ironside and her mum Sheila Ironside, decided to go all-out for MacMoray.
The four dressed up for both days of the festival, adopting a "70s, 80s and 90s" theme for Saturday and going whole-hog into the punk look on Sunday, in honour of main stage legends the Buzzcocks.
However James, sporting a foot-tall green-tipped mohawk and a studded dog collar, said he would have to abandon the look upon returning to work at Tesco.
And despite her own outfit, Lorraine said Saturday band Five had been her favourite performance.
She said: "Five were absolutely brilliant.
"And, overall, the event has just been really well organised."
Marney Ironside said: "I was actually only going to go to the first day but I saw Nazareth were playing and said I thought: 'I have to go.'
"But, as well, it's a good excuse to dress up."
Meanwhile, Rhona Scott from Elgin was excited to see hard rock legends Nazareth and highlighted the festival's positive impact on the community.
“It is really good. We were here yesterday and everybody was having a great time," she said.
“I came to see Nazareth, but everything has been excellent.
“The festival is really good for the area.
“And it means we don’t have to travel for miles to come to an event like this."
Hardcore Buzzcocks fan David Salmon, who lives in Turriff, first saw the band 45 years ago and has followed them "through thick and thin".
Earlier this year he spotted the Buzzcocks on MacMoray's bill and decided to go – despite already having organised a pilgrimage back to his Essex homeland to see the band with friends six weeks ahead of the Elgin festival.
He said: "I saw them in Colchester six weeks ago.
"I had organised to meet up with friends and got tickets for the gig, but then I saw they were playing here.
"I'm just up the A96, so I thought: 'Well, I'll do both!'"
David said that retirement had given him the chance to attend more gigs, and encouraged people to support local events like MacMoray.
"The Buzzcocks are still a great live act.
"And I've retired and I've got the money and the time so I like to do as much as I can.
"If you've got events on the doorstep, you've got to go or else they'll disappear.
"You have got to support these events."
