Continuing my dig into the motivations of the bands involved in Buckfest 2015 here are the final interviews from the day. Firstly here's Joe, singer and guitarist of The Phlegm.

DS - Joe, why are your band supporting this event?

Joe - We love playing – I suppose there are a few reasons why we are playing Buckfest this year; we had so much fun playing last year that we jumped at the chance to play again! We are also playing because we love the other bands that are playing, and we know them very well. It’s a great chance to see a bunch of great bands, who are also our friends. It’s also a good opportunity to try and reach out to the Glasgow crowds and widen our fanbase.

DS - What can we look forward to from The Phlegm?

Joe - We're playing at the Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh on the 30th (October) with Random Scandal supporting the Devil Jocks on their Halloween tour – which we are really looking forward to! In addition to that, we are hoping to get into the studio very soon to do some recording.

Later on I sat down for a few words with Becca' guitarist and vocalist of The Creeping Ivies. 

DS - Hi Becca, what decided you and the band on playing Buckfest this year?

Becca - We've played the event before and it’s always a great time. McChuills is a good venue and the crowd are always really into the music so that makes it enjoyable for us!

DS - And what does the near future hold for The Creeping Ivies?

Becca - We're playing McChuills again for a Halloween show on the 30th (the Witches' Sabbath 2015) with Fanny Pelmet And The Bastard Suits. We're also playing London on 11th November at Oslo supporting Shannon And The Clams so we're very excited for that!

Recording-wise, we're currently planning a new album. We have a huge amount of new tracks so hoping to get them recorded over the next few months.

Stevie, Organist of '60s garage punk combo The Kosher Pickles was next on the list for a blether.

DS - Evening Stevie, why are the band playing this year’s Buckfest?

Stevie - It’s an invitation to play that you don’t turn down without a really good reason. We’ve know The Rage a good few years so if you get an invite to play with them you say, “yes please”. I think we did the first one and maybe the second in the 13th Note.  

I guess the main incentive is knowing you’re going to be playing to a receptive crowd. The Rage pick all the bands. You pretty much know that everyone’s going to be on a similar wavelength. I think all the other Pickles had heard the Phlegm before but I hadn’t - I thought they were ace. So you hear new stuff and it’d be odd if you didn’t like it.

DS - Anything in the pipeline for The Pickles?

Stevie - We’ve got a gig in McChuills on Halloween. I think we’ve bought giant cobwebs and we have our lights and stuff so that’s a fire waiting to happen!  It’ll be a good laugh. Really we’re just in this for good times.

Recordings, well we’re really slow at putting stuff out. We did a split 7” with The Bucky Rage a couple of years back so that’s kicking about and there’s the odd track on the internet. We’re hoping to get some recorded stuff finished off soon and we’ll probably put that on bandcamp, do some CDs to hand out at gigs etc.

Last up I had a sit down with Carl Brick, who performs as The Locarno Big Beat.

DS - Carl, could you tell us why you are supporting the Buckfest this year?

CB - I've been playing Buckfest for what must be at least 5 years or so however this is the first time I've played as The Locarno Big Beat - in fact that's the first gig ever. 

Once again the back room at McChuill's played host to the madness engendered by unleashing Buckfest, free, upon all who dared venture across the threshold. Seven hours of some of the finest garage, rock 'n' roll and drag acts that Scotland has to offer were here in plain sight if you had the courage to only but look and listen.

Sporting highlights were still being broadcast behind them when Geek Maggot Bingo got things off to a flying start with 'Stupid Is As Stupid Does' and other numbers all delivered at high speed (and a volume that was thankfully lowered as the day progressed) & with a voice described as lie "a corpse being dragged across gravel". This is an act that reaches you in places you don't normally think about, but in a positive sense of course.

Next up came to solo performers back to back. First off was the very Joe Meekesque The Locarno Big Beat, laying down some Link Wray guitar over beats seemingly provided from a Bontempi. A string breakage in what proved to be his final number put paid to what was a very short set that was beginning to get interesting. Following on from that point came B-Side Boy, all decked out in dress, heels and a traditional Welsh woman's hat. Go figure. Beginning with what sounded like an ode to pretty active S&M his was a set of sustained wit and good humoured banter that never faltered for pace and definitely entertained.

Throughout the latter part of the day, as is unavoidable with the scene in question, cover versions were thick on the ground. 'Mongoloid', 'The Crusher', 'Monk Time', 'Mr. Pharmacist' and a bunch of others all got good treatment from the bands that made use of them. That first one featured in the set of the youngest act on the day's bill, The Phlegm (previously much enjoyed on the opening night of the first Franklin Fest back in June). Other than their upright bass not enjoying the best of sound this afternoon they were as tight as when last seen, playing with possibly a greater amount of confidence and once more showing they have great prospects.

Hosts The Bucky Rage made their appearance next in the line-up. Veterans of the scene, masters at the use of a luchador mask (or a pair of tights over the head) they embody the spirit of the Dwarves and The Mummies and deliver it with their own dollops of abuse, cheek and, above all, vibrant songwriting. Seeing them today for the first time was an experience too long in the realisation and one that deserves to be repeated at the earliest opportunity. A great example of just getting out there and doing it yourself.

Building to a close The Creeping Ivies were tonight's penultimate act. Also last seen at Franklin Fest they've undergone a change of bassist since the Summer but with no loss of energy or pace. New material featured in the set and so it's safe to say that it's business as usual from the trio and their The Witch House EP may well see a follow-up release alongside it in the coming months. Last on stage, with a nice line in blonde wigs and a suspiciously familiar looking bass player, were the excellent Kosher Pickles. Assuredly a band who need to get some more of their own material released as soon as possible, so authentic a garage sound do they produce. Backed by projections more akin to what you'd expect from a metal band and amid a slew of punchy cover versions and abuse their own 'Let's Get Pickled' and other originals had the audience bouncing around and calling for more. As free shows go you can only hope that they mostly come off as well as this one did and we heartily recommend that you make your way along to the 2016 version.