Largs Live music festival was a big hit over three days

FIFTY bands playing across seven venues in three days ensured the 2024 Largs Live music festival was a rocking success.

The event has been running in town since 2012 and is a firm favourite amongst locals and visitors.

The extravaganza saw Sharps, Room, Ye Old Anchor Inn, Three Reasons and The George, and MacAulays all host live gigs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, creating a real buzz around the town.

Friday night got off to a flyer with a late change at Sharp's Bar as Plymouth 57 provided a fast paced country Americana vibe, and they were hugely impressed with the reaction from the locals.

Plymouth 57 provided a country style Americana vibe at Sharp's Bar on Friday evening as Largs Live got off to a fantastic start (Image: Newsquest)

Also on Friday evening, Room hosted Largs Live veteran Drew Galt, who went on to perform at The Three Reasons on Saturday night with a set combining rock numbers and some well-loved Scottish classics, including Smokie's Living Next Door To Alice and Dougie Maclean's Caledonia.

Drew even ventured into some Morecambe and Wise territory with 'Bring Me Sunshine' - a coy plea to the weather during a typically unsettled Scottish summer - and singled out his friend Benny Gallagher, who receives a doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland this week for his services to music.

(Image: Largs Live)

Paul Murdoch and his electric guitar wowed The Three Reasons crowd on Friday evening, rolling back the years with covers of The Eagles' Hotel California and The Drifters' Saturday Night At The Movies and You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book.

There was another busy crowd at Ye Old Anchor Inn for Suzanne and The River Boys.

Suzanne and The River Boys at Ye Old Anchor Inn (Image: Largs Live)

Eugene Whyte's three-hour set at The George on Saturday afternoon included covers of plenty more classics, from Prince's Purple Rain and Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty to an instrumental version of The Chain, The Allman Brothers' hit that provided the theme tune to the BBC series Top Gear, and some much-loved Deacon Blue classics.

The big draw on Saturday night was the farewell gig for Crisis after 21 years on the Largs live music scene, with a full crowd in Room's restaurant area making for a fantastic atmosphere for their blockbuster finale.

Well known Dutch piper Eddy Van Kaathoven provided the bagpipes for a fantastic start to proceedings, setting the scene for a final Crisis gig in true Caledonian style.

(Image: Newsquest) Giving it laldy! Crisis farewell at Largs Live was exceptional (Image: Newsquest) Also pictured enjoying the atmosphere in The Three Reasons was Miss Glasgow pageant queen Aimee McKay, from Largs, pictured with News reporter Calum Corral.

(Image: Newqsuest)

There was plenty more music on Sunday with The Upbeats and Papa Booch and the Amigos performing at Room, while Scott Watson from Millport took to stage at Ye Olde Anchor Inn and Sonny Daze did likewise at The George.

Drouthy Neebors played host to traditional Scottish folk music in the form of Stoddy's Session, moving to a new home after the closure of its previous venue, The Waterside.

Eugene wows the crowd at The George (Image: Newsquest)

While the organising forces at Largs Live may have changed over the years, the combination of electrifying music, packed pubs and a buzzing atmosphere showed there's clearly still a high demand for live music in Largs, with people coming to town in their droves from around the west of Scotland to enjoy the top hospitality and festival vibe - and showing that good weather isn't essential for the town to put on a top-notch event.

(Image: Newsquest)