Battle to bring big name acts to the Highlands

Rag 'n' Bone Man will perform in Inverness' Northern Meeting Park this weekend

A music promoter has told of the challenges of bringing big name acts to the Highlands.

Inverness-headquartered LCC Live Event Services will stage shows by Clean Bandit, Ella Henderson and Rag 'n' Bone Man in Inverness' Northern Meeting Park this weekend.

The firm has previously put on performances by Noel Gallagher and Rod Stewart, but director Les Kidger said securing such artists had become harder due to rising costs.

He said: "It is difficult times for everybody, we appreciate that, and the money's not there."

Ella Henderson is Inverness-bound this weekend

Mr Kidger added: "The costs for the artists to come out on the road have gone up - coming to Inverness adds a few thousand pounds on to everything.

"A lot of them this year said they were only doing four weekends to keep day costs down."

Mr Kidger said that previously artists would spend two to three months over the summer touring.

He said it was important to continue to offer an opportunity to enjoy live music in Inverness, which lost its purpose-built entertainment venue Ironworks to redevelopment earlier this year.

"Although we do shows all over the UK, we are a huge campaigner of doing events locally within the Highlands," he said.

"Rag 'n' Bone is playing his only Scottish date, so fans are travelling from the central belt and east and west Scotland to Inverness, and that makes the city busier and brings money into the local economy."

He added: "What we say to all the managers and agents is: there is life past Glasgow.

"If you look over the past 10 to 12 years Noel Gallagher, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams and Olly Murs have all come up for us and proven the point the Highlands and Inverness are a great place to come to."