Michelle Shields
Where are you from/where do you live?
Stornoway, live in Glasgow now.
What is your role?
I work in the Box Office making sure everyone gets their tickets (order early to avoid disappointment ;) and their lovely HCF merchandise!
How did you get involved in the festival?
I was always a fan of HCF growing up and the summer before I moved to Glasgow to study Events Management I was looking for some work experience and HCF seemed the perfect place to go. I was very lucky that Caroline invited me in to the HCF family and they haven't managed to get rid of me yet :) (2012 will be my 8th year)
Why do you do it/What makes HebCelt special for you?
My festival family make it special for me, it's such a great team to be part of! I love seeing the Pipe Band walk past the festival office towards the festival site, I get so excited knowing that the festival is about to start. Then after that, I love the feeling of locking up the festival office with the rest of the girls, pulling on our wellies and heading over to the festival site, rushing to make sure we don't miss anything and then getting into the full tent to see all the people we have been speaking to throughout the week and listen to some amazing music!
What's your best memory over the years?
Personally there are a lot of good memories...some of them a bit hazier than others :) But one that stands for me is the night of my 22nd birthday standing side of stage listening to the Red Hot Chilli Pipers when all of a sudden they ask the 4000+ crowd to sing 'happy birthday' to me, I was so surprised (and embarrassed) it was totally surreal.
Who were your favourite band of HebCelt 2011?
This is a difficult choice but I'd have to say Eddi Reader really stood out for me in 2011, I knew she had an amazing voice but I wasn't expecting her and her band to be my No.1 highlight, but they really were. Fantastic performance!
What band has been your highlight of HebCelt?
There are so many bands I could answer this question with, but I'll try and stick to one... Oojami in 2007, they were so lively and so much fun!
Who are you looking forward to seeing at HebCelt 2012?
I'm looking forward to seeing EVERYONE at HebCelt 2012, I really like what Kassidy do so they are a must for me, also Adam Holmes & The Embers, and definitely looking forward to my first live Waterboys experience :)
