How a musician's death inspired a punk festival
- Published
Graham Motion played in different punk bands in Perth
When Graham Motion drowned in the River Tay in Perth, there was an outpouring of grief in the local community.
The 20-year-old was a widely-respected musician and had twice played T in the Park as a drummer with the band Allergo.
His death led to improvements in water safety along the banks of the river and the establishment of a new music festival.
Fifteen years later, Dundee's DIY punk music festival Book Yer Ane Fest is still going strong and has raised thousands of pounds for good causes.
Organiser Derrick Johnston said: "We aim to contribute positively to our community - that's what punk is about."
Murderburgers at a Book Yer Ane Fest 7
Musician Chris Potter played with Graham in hardcore band Violent Response.
"After Graham died, me and my friends who all played in bands together had a great sense of loss about it," he said.
"He was great friend and a great musician. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had my interest in punk and hardcore."
On the day Graham died, rescuers discovered lifebelts along the quayside near the Queen Bridge had been stolen., external
His family went on to set up Safe-Tay in his memory to prevent similar tragedies.
Chris said: "We decided to put on Motionfest as we wanted to support anything that would help stop that in the future.
"We had also made so many friends while playing in bands and it was a good opportunity to get everyone together and do what we loved."
Motionfest ran for two years morphing into Book Yer Ane Fest, which also supported the water safety charity.
Chris said Derrick Johnson turned Motionfest into something bigger, introducing new kinds of music, while continuing to raise money for Safe-Tay.
Make-That-A-Take held a gig for American band The Bompbobs
"At the first Book Yer Ane Fest there were 12 bands playing and it was a fiver to get in," said Derrick, who heads up Make-That-A-Take Records (MTAT), a music collective and record label in Dundee.
"We sold compilation CDs and no bands took any money, it was just to raise funds for the charity. It was really busy and really well attended - it was nuts."
Over the years, Book Yer Ane Fest raised more than £20,000 for Safe-Tay to improve the waterfront. The charity eventually disbanded.
The festival has since expanded into a three-day event, with the 15th edition planned for the end of November.
As a record label and punk collective, MTAT has held over 600 gigs and hosted bands from almost every continent.
It has raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity and released a variety of records since they formed in 2006.
Japanese band Asthenia perform in Conroy's Basement
Derrick, from Alyth, founded the label alongside fellow musician Michael Lindsey. They have played in various punk bands over the years, including Joey Terrifying and Uniforms.
As MTAT, external grew, the collective aimed to help marginalised communities across Tayside.
Derrick said: "We saw the suffering of others and the holes in communities where the state used to act."
He said they wanted to use music "as a force for change".
The label has worked with Dundee Women's Aid, LGBT Youth Scotland, Food Not Bombs and Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (WRASAC) among many others.
It regularly hosts Tins For Tunes where attendees bring along non-perishable goods for the Dundee and Angus Foodbank in exchange for gig entry.
They hope to show that punk can be a positive force for change in the community.
Derrick Johnston (performing) with his band Joey Terrifying at Book Yer Ane Fest 10
Derrick added: "I was a maniac for 15 years and punk rock was an escape. I've been free of alcohol and drugs for nine years. Punk rock attracts broken people.
"But music is such a powerful vehicle for social change and it talks to the cycles of things.
"You create these realities because you have a need and we saw a need for our sort of punk rock, because our sort of punk rock wasn't what we saw out there."
Mr Johnston said the founders make no money from MTAT and work separate jobs.
Most gigs take place at Conroy's Basement in Dundee's Rad Apples, where the label is based.
He added: "When we were younger, we realised pretty soon that we weren't what the music industry was looking for - commercially viable rock bands.
"If we want to do something, we have to do it for ourselves."
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