09/12/08
The line-up for this year’s Hogmanay party in Aberdeen will guarantee people travel far and wide to see out the old year and bring in the New Year at the city’s Castlegate.

Scottish singing and song-writing sensations Amy Macdonald and Sandi Thom will lead a wonderful night of live music and entertainment. Any Dream Will Do finalist Keith Jack, currently starring in Peter Pan, at His Majesty's Theatre, will add to a fantastic night of live music and entertainment.

Born in Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, Amy Macdonald's debut album This is the life was released in July 2007 and has sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide. She has played at the major music festivals including T in the Park, Glastonbury, V Festival and Hyde Park. Macdonald started playing on-stage acoustic gigs at the age of 15.

Sandi Thom is from Macduff, Aberdeenshire and has sold over one million albums and one million singles worldwide. Thom became famous after being promoted as an unknown webcasting gigs from her basement flat in Tooting, London.

Both Amy and Sandi are among a host of Scottish stars encouraging Scotland's people to take part in next year's Homecoming celebrations.

Keith Jack from Dalkeith, near Edinburgh was a finalist on BBC television show Any Dream will do which offered the chance to the next West End Joseph for the hit musical Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. He was the last contestant to leave the series, losing to Lee Mead in the final in June 2007. Before his appearance on Any Dream will do Keith was a customer assistant at Tesco.

Leader of Aberdeen City Council, Kate Dean, said: "With such a fantastic line-up Aberdeen's Hogmanay party is the place to see in the New Year. It is always a fabulous event with a great party atmosphere."

Depute Leader of Aberdeen City Council, Kevin Stewart, said: "At the beginning of Homecoming year I am absolutely thrilled that we have secured three immense Scottish artists for our Hogmanay celebrations.

"In particular it is phenomenal that we have Sandi Thom, the voice of Homecoming singing here in Aberdeen."

Luke McCullough, managing director of Northsound Radio, said: "All the team at Northsound Radio are delighted to be working in partnership again with Aberdeen City Council for this year's Hogmanay celebrations. We're proud to be able to bring the best of Scottish talent live to all our North-East listeners, for a free event this New Year."

Aberdeen City Council's marketing and events manager, Dawn Schultz said: "Attracting musicians of this calibre continues to reinforce Aberdeen's reputation as a key destination to celebrate Hogmanay.

Thanks must go to Northsound on being able to secure such an impressive programme for the city.

This line up is the perfect way to start the year of Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrating the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth with a year-long programme of events across the country Showcasing Scotland's rich culture and heritage.

City Council staff have been working closely with Northsound Radio, and with representatives from a wide range of organisations across the city including the police, fire and ambulance services, to ensure the event takes place safely and successfully. We thank them all for their support which is vital in putting together
an event of this scale."

Event details
Gates open at 8.00pm, bands on stage from 9.00pm, event finishes approx 12.30am.

Entry to the event is free on a first come first served basis via gates at the junction of Union Street and Market Street. A wristband will be issued on entry and you are requested to return it on exit to allow maximum attendance. Barriers will be erected around the event arena, and numbers admitted will be monitored to ensure crowd safety at all times.
Please do not bring glass, bottles or cans into the event, you will be asked to exchange them for plastic glasses. Archibald Simpsons and Old Blackfriars pubs will be open for the purchase of alcohol throughout the event.
The event is not suitable for small children or animals.
There is a viewing platform for disabled party goers on the steps of the High Court – Mercat Gate on a first come first served basis.
Union Street will be closed to traffic from 4pm on Wednesday, 31 December 2008 to allow the event to be set up. All buses will be on divert during this time and for further information please contact Busline on (01224) 650065. The street will reopen at 6am on Friday, 01 January 2009.

Further information is available at:
www.aberdeencityandshire.com/web/site/whatson/winter_festival.asp

If you have any queries regarding this, or any other news story, please contact Aberdeen City Council on: 01224 522000.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARCHIVE
Hogmanay2006

Chart-toppers Liberty X and The Coral are to play Aberdeen's Hogmanay party, along with headline act The Proclaimers, it was announced today (Friday, November 18).

Organisers unveiled the full programme for the 31 December date at the Castlegate, which will draw thousands to the city to celebrate the New Year in great musical style.

Those behind the big day, which is organised and funded by Aberdeen City Council and staged by Northsound, are confident that this top quality line-up will appeal to a wide range of music-lovers, and is a tremendous opportunity to hear three top live acts in the city for FREE.

 Also joining the line-up on the night will be ceilidh band Shindig and the Grampian Police Pipe Band.

To ensure public safety, access to the event will be via Union Street only and numbers will be restricted at the entry point at the junction of Union Street and Market Street. Entry will be on a first come-first served basis. Barriers will be erected around the event area, and numbers admitted will be monitored to ensure crowd safety.

The evening's entertainment begins at 9pm with gates open from 8pm

The event this year will offer a bigger stage than ever before, along with a 30 square metre screen and additional speakers, to allow crowds well back from the stage to enjoy the event.

Councillor Ron Clark, Chairman of the Council's Festival and Events Forum, said: "We are absolutely delighted to unveil this year's programme for Aberdeen's Hogmanay 05>06. We're extremely pleased with the tremendous calibre of acts which Northsound have been able to book on our behalf - and we really feel we will be offering one of the best Hogmanay parties in Scotland.

"The street party has become an extremely popular finale to the year, and to the Festive Aberdeen programme, and we have high hopes that this will be the very best yet.

"Our staff have been working closely with Northsound, and with representatives from a wide range of organisations in the city, such as the police, fire and ambulance services, to ensure the event can take place safely and successfully. We thank them all for their input, which has involved considerable time and effort so far, all of which is vital to putting together an event of this scale."

Iain McKenna, managing director of Northsound, said: "We are very pleased to be working with the City Council again on what promises to be a great Hogmanay party and we are absolutely delighted with the quality of the line-up we are able to offer this year.

"We've had some great feedback from the public already following the confirmation of The Proclaimers to headline the night. Craig and Charlie have a tremendous following across Scotland, the UK and - as their recent tour again illustrates - around the world for their unmistakable brand of Scottish rock and we know they will get a fantastic reception on the night.

"The Coral will bring their own unique style of music to Aberdeen on Hogmanay and I am sure that the reaction to the news that they have been confirmed will be tremendous.

"Liberty X complete the fabulous line-up and will provide some pure unadulterated pop for the crowds at the Castlegate."

Castlegate pubs Archibald Simpson's and Blackfriars have also agreed to become part of the event, and will be selling alcohol, in plastic bottles and glasses, to those attending.

Anyone bringing alcohol into the city centre should ensure it is carried in plastic containers only - there will again be glass exchange points where revellers will be asked to decant glass bottles into plastic glasses.

THE PROCLAIMERS

The Proclaimers, who have already played Glasgow and Edinburgh at Hogmanay and opened this summer's Live8 concert in Edinburgh, had been hoping to play Aberdeen before they were approached.

They have a tremendous following, amongst all age groups in the city, across Scotland and around the world and organisers are confident they will get an enthusiastic - and noisy - reception.

The Fife-based musical twins - Craig and Charlie Reid - shot to fame in the late '80s, and have earned renown with a string of hits such as Letter from America, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and King of the Road, with I'm On My Way winning the boys a whole new generation of young fans when it featured on the Shrek soundtrack.

The pair completed a US and Canada tour earlier this year, and are touring the UK and Ireland till late December

THE CORAL

Formed on The Wirral in 1996, The Coral have released three full-length albums and scored a clutch of top ten hits.

Their self-titled debut was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize the day after its release in 2002 and went on to reach number 5 in the UK album chart. Their 2003 follow up, Magic and Medicine, went to number 1 and spawned the hit singles Dreaming of You (number 3) and Pass It On (number 2).

This year's The Invisible Invasion saw the band continue their success, reaching number 3 in the album chart, and singles In the Morning and Something Inside of Me becoming their sixth and seventh top ten hits.

The band was asked to record a track for the latest Warchild charity album, lining up alongside Radiohead, Gorillaz, Kaiser Chiefs, Manic Street Preachers and Mylo. They have just completed a European tour with Oasis and will be playing a series of gigs in Japan in December.

LIBERTY X

Liberty X have enjoyed spectacular success since the band was formed by the entrants beaten to the top spot in Popstars by Hear'say.

The band - Jessica, Kelli, Kevin, Michelle and Tony - have had five top ten hits, including the 2002 number 1 Just a Little, enjoyed sell-out success on tour, and have picked up an Ivor Novello award and Brit Award along the way.

Recently, they have again being enjoying top five success with their Song 4 Lovers, a collaboration with rapper Reverend Run of Run DMC. The original track was co-written by Reverend Run and the band's Tony in New York, the setting for the single's video and is taken from their latest album X.

To top it all, they were recently announced as the band selected to perform the BBC Children in Need single, a remake of the Shalamar disco classic A Night to Remember, which is likely to send them straight back to the top of the charts. Fans can tune in to see them live on Children in Need night this Friday (November 18).

A number of road closures will be in place on the 31st, which will mean some bus routes are diverted. Full details of roads closures and bus services on the night will be released shortly.

The Hogmanay celebrations are the culmination of the Festive Aberdeen programme put together by Aberdeen City Council and a number of partner organisations.

You can get in touch with the Council by using the following contact details:

Post: Aberdeen City Council
Town House
Aberdeen AB10 1FY
Aberdeen online

Telephone: 01224 522000
Minicom: 01224 522381