Here Comes Southern Fried!

Our favourite festival of the year has arrived! Grab your stetson, get your dancing boots at the ready and prepare for a weekend of partying! Southern Fried kicked off in style with a screening of American Epic and as we launch into the weekend, Perth's city centre is gearing up for a sold out extravaganza of American roots music.

Both Friday’s and Sunday’s Perth Concert Hall concerts with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack and Andy Fairweather Low are sold out and it is standing room only for Imelda May in Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 30 July.  (But please... BE QUICK!)

There are, however, a whole host of other gigs for music fans to enjoy including The New Madrids and Colin Clyne on Friday 29 July in The Green Room, Late & Southern Fried in Perth Concert Hall from 10.45pm on Saturday 30 July featuring Perth favourites Red Pine Timber Company and Daniel Meade and Dean Owens in the Salutation Hotel on Sunday 31 July.

Free music includes the afternoon Outdoor and Acoustic Stages on Perth Concert Hall Plaza and in Perth Concert Hall’s Norie-Miller Studio, Rocking’ All-Dayer in The Twa Tams on Saturday 30 July, Sunday Morning Coming Down in Perth Concert Hall plus the Southern Fried Open Mic in That Bar on Sunday 31 July.

We hung about here all year last year and I can honestly say, it is a fantastic atmosphere.  Music, food, happy people - what's not to love?!

***Just announced is a free evening show on Sunday 31 July in That Bar with Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay and Amythyst Kiah.***

Check out the 2015 video here:

As always, festival-goers can fuel up between shows with a selection of authentic Southern Fried soul food. (We love this almost as much as we love the music!)

The menu is created by Horsecross Arts head chef Martin Buchan in consultation with US food historian Dr Peggy Brunache (chekc out her Big Personality story for an amazing read!)  and this year they've introduced monkey bread, strawberry-rhubarb pie, upside down grilled peach cake, buttermilk biscuit shortcake with cherries, whipped cream and drunken sauce and Southern style mac n cheese to their soul food line-up!

All of the usual favourites are there including fried chicken, duck and sausage jambalaya, gumbo, peanut soup, pecan pie and more, with a special BBQ menu during Outdoor Stage performances. Alabama Slammer pitchers will be on offer again as well as a new Southern Fried iced tea cocktail called Mama P's Sweet Tea. There will be gluten free alternatives with halal chicken available on request.

Tickets for the Southern Fried Festival which was named Scottish Event Awards Best Small Festival 2014, are available from Horsecross Arts Box Office on 01738 621031 www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk

We'll see you there!

***

Southern Fried – Perth’s annual Festival of American Roots Music is organised by Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation behind Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre. Now in its ninth year, the festival offers three days of the very best in Americana, covering all the roots music bases from blues to bluegrass, soul to country, rock and gospel. Listings are available at www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk

Follow them | Facebook – Southern Fried Festival Perth | Twitter @SouthernFriedPH