Lovely local news story yesterday which was widely covered by the press and TV. Fifty years ago the Beatles played in Dingwall, a small town 11 miles north of Inverness, to a mere 19 people! It was just before they became famous with the release of their first top ten hit, 'Please Please Me' and they had to compete that night with local favourites,The Melotones, who were playing just along the road in the village of Strathpeffer to a sellout 800 audience! Now they are trying to track down the 19 people who attended the Beatles concert. As I say, great story but it got me thinking why - it would not have been news if this were in some large city, it's the fact that it occured in a small community in the Highlands and I think today there is still very much a feeling amongst musicians that playing the small rural venues is not only very special but almost a right of passage and I for one have to say I'm very glad! Recently we have had up here in the Highlands mega new supergroup Mumford & Son playing a whole host of small venues and personally, with one or two exceptions, the best music concerts for atmosphere that I have ever attended were at Farr Village Hall 20 miles from Evergreen and Pitlochry(in rural Perthshire) village hall in 1993!!