John Gault
Audience Member / Arts-Goer
Interview
Can you tell me about one specific visit to Dundee that really stays with you — maybe a night at DCA, the Dundee Rep, Generator Projects, or somewhere around DJCAD — and describe what the place felt like, who you were with, and what made it memorable?
There was this weekend that I went down to help my brother (in a minor way) put on a Micro music festival at the botanical gardens in September about 16 years ago and I had such a great time saw some really cool acts especially the headliner being Loops Haunt(aka Scott Gordon) a friend of my brother’s which was epic to watch him play live in a way I had never experienced before. Also the festival from the year before was really good as well so they both bleed into each other when I remember attending the festival with was called “N_ILK” both years ie 2009 and 2010.
What do you remember most vividly about that N_ILK weekend at the Botanic Gardens — the setting, the crowd, the sound, the atmosphere — and what was it like seeing Loops Haunt play there in that open-air Dundee space?
The chill vibes and the laid back crowd as well as my brother being a bit rushed off his feet. Loops Haunt was a frenetic blur of motion and improvised creativity.
When you think back to that contrast between the relaxed crowd and your brother being rushed off his feet, what did that say to you about Dundee’s creative scene at the time, and did the Botanic Gardens feel like a place that could really host something a bit unexpected and special?
I think at the time it was the height of the DIY music so acts such as Esperi, Loops Haunt and others I can’t quite recall the name of, I should add that Esperi(Chris Marr) was the co-organiser along with my brother. So at the time I would describe the creative scene as very deconstructed and it had a bit punk ethos to it.
What do you remember about Esperi, your brother, and that wider DIY circle in Dundee at the time — how they worked together, what the scene felt like socially, and whether there was a particular venue, corner of the city, or night that best captured that deconstructed, punk-ethos energy?
The whole scene felt very relaxed and laid back definitely not up itself like the scene in Aberdeen was, where I live, at the time. For particular venue I have fond memories of The Reading Rooms.
What was it about The Reading Rooms that made it stand out for you — can you paint me a picture of what a night there felt like, and why it seemed to capture Dundee’s laid-back scene so well?
Just a nice vibe similar to the other music venue I found myself in on a few occasions when out and about in Dundee namely The Art Bar.
Can you describe a particular night at The Art Bar, and what it was like compared with The Reading Rooms — the people, the music, the atmosphere, and any small details that made it feel especially “Dundee” to you?
The Art Bar was just that a Bar so it filled up quickly so it didn’t take many people for it to feel lively and have a nice atmosphere. The Reading Rooms was a bigger than TAB so it rarely felt rammed well whenever I frequented the club TRR.
When you were in The Reading Rooms on those nights it never felt rammed, what do you think that room size and atmosphere did for the music and for the way people mixed — did it make Dundee’s scene feel more intimate or more connected?
Yes, it just felt very chilled and the night I remember in particular was when Optimo played a DJ set which was very eclectic and up my street musically speaking.
Can you tell me more about that Optimo night at The Reading Rooms — what the set was like, how the crowd responded, and what it felt like to be there in that moment?
It is about 20 years ago when I was at particular gig so I would have to say it was a like a chilled version of the gig I saw them play at The Fringe in 2004 when they were an integral part of the evening that featured the musical acts: LCD Soundsystem (on their UK debut), Soulwax, Too many DJs.