The year that was - 2009

Last year's festival was a raging success, and if you weren't there you should be ashamed of yourself.  You missed a Scottish Lullaby Workshop, the belting blues of Jellyroll Gumdrop, the jaw-dropping guitar brilliance of Farino, the massed hordes of the Woodshed Allstars and the quirky exuberance of the Banana Sessions - and that was just Friday night BEFORE the pub sessions (which were the stuff of local legend themselves...).

Saturday offered something for the kids, with the storytelling and songs of The Wee Folk.  This was followed by good food and an eclectic mix of open-stage hi-jinks at the Music Cafe. 

Appetites sufficiently whetted, the musically enlightened then made their way to the Big Gig - opened by Cameron O' Hagan (it would hardly be a Gatehouse Festival without him, he's too damn good), followed by Glasgow's own dedicated rockers Pablo Eskimo and rounded off neatly with The Common Empire, Dumfries's uplifting lovechild of Jamiroquoi and The Specials.  More pub sessions kept the spirit going until Sunday's chilled gig in the Faed Gallery - the Geese, Susi Woodmass and Marcus Wright.

But don't be unduly downhearted if you were unfortunate enough to miss all of that, because we're overjoyed to announce that it all kicks off again on the 18th of June 2010!