Dundee lead reporter Stefan Morkis considers if Slessor Gardens might encourage the city council to get into the Hogmanay party mood in future years.
It turns out UB40 stories are a lot like buses: you wait ages for one to come along and then two arrive (almost) at once.
After one incarnation of the group returned to the front pages by backing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – a move that has, so far, failed to turn the political world on its head – another faction of the reggae-inspired chart botherers has suddenly found themselves spearheading the revival of Dundee’s waterfront.
That’s right, forget the V&A or the billions of pounds of investment planned for the waterfront, the singer of Red, Red Wine is to perform at Slessor Gardens on an action-packed bill that includes Level 42 and the Original Wailers, a group who, funnily enough, do not contain any original Wailers at all.
The concert is scheduled for May but it’s unclear whether there will be any gigs before then.
Whether or not UB40 is your particular cup of tea – not that any music fan is getting T next year – there is no doubt Slessor Gardens provides a much-needed community space in Dundee.
This year’s People’s Arch event and the numbers of people milling about on sunny days during the summer have already shown it is becoming the green heart of the waterfront.
But, as great as that is, it is unlikely Slessor Gardens will be hosting any Hogmanay celebrations any time soon.
Dundee has not hosted any formal New Year events since the Millennium and it may be years before any such gathering takes place.
Cities like Stirling have staged successful Hogmanay events, with bands like Deacon Blue performing at the castle, but there is little political will in Dundee to replicate those efforts.
Perhaps more importantly, there’s little spare cash to pay for such an event.
While ticket sales for a big-name performer might help to meet the cost, the price of security and policing means there are still many rivers to cross before such a shindig is likely.