For most touring performers, every event competes for a place in an increasingly busy calendar. Yet for more than a decade, one act has kept returning to Paisley Halloween Festival year after year.
Spark! LED Drummers have been part of the festival since it started in 2014, bringing their trademark mix of illuminated drumming, choreography, smoke effects and high-energy audience interaction to the streets of Paisley.
According to drummer and Worldbeaters Ltd director Alex Tustin, there is something about the town’s annual Halloween celebration that makes it stand out from the crowd.
“The first time we performed we were blown away by the scale of the festival, the size of the parade and the number of people watching,” he said.
Twelve years on, Paisley Halloween Festival has grown into one of Scotland’s biggest Halloween events, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the town centre every year. While large audiences are nothing new for a national touring act, Tustin believes it is the people lining the streets who make Paisley stand out.
“The number of audience members who enthusiastically dress up and put a lot of work into their fancy dress is amazing,” he said.
For performers used to travelling from event to event across the UK, audience participation can often make the difference between a good show and a memorable one. Tustin says Paisley’s enthusiasm creates an atmosphere the Spark! team look forward to every autumn.
He said: “We love the atmosphere in the town at Halloween, the air of expectation and excitement whilst lining up for the parade and the warmth we get from the people of Paisley.”
While visitors come for the spectacle, performers are equally drawn to the energy generated by thousands of families, friends and visitors embracing the Halloween spirit. That atmosphere has also created plenty of lasting memories for the drummers over the years.
“The parade is always fantastic but interacting with the audience almost entirely clad in fancy dress is special,” Tustin laughed. “Especially when a child dressed as a dinosaur chases one of our performers.”
Perhaps the strongest endorsement comes from what Tustin enjoys most about performing in Paisley. Despite the scale of the event, it is not the high production value that stands out, he said: “It’s the smiles on the faces of people of all ages.”
Paisley Halloween Festival returns on Friday 23 October and Saturday 24 October, transforming the town centre into a giant Halloween playground.
People can expect a weekend filled with live entertainment, street theatre performances, spectacular light installations, family attractions and the much-loved Halloween parade which will wind its way through the town centre at 7pm each night.
Tickets for grandstand seating are also available for those who want to enjoy the parade from the comfort of their own seat. Ticket holders will also get to enjoy goodies while they watch dedicated pre-parade performances from Pete Anderson and Missy impossible. Tickets are available from £15, with a family ticket for four priced at £54.
To find out more about the event or to buy grandstand seating tickets visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/halloween. Pictures by Jamie Simpson/Renfrewshire Council
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