“THE music scene in Dunfermline is the best it’s been in years. There’s no doubt about it.”

As two music lovers who have played a key part in catalysing that development, Calum Miller and Calum Traynor know what they’re talking about.

They’ve seen bands come and go, succeed and struggle. They know their music and recognise the talent on Dunfermline’s doorstep is frightening.

Their mere hobby – and passion - of providing chances to bands struggling for bookings transformed into a revolution; Weekend Revolution, to be exact.

Investing in the potential of natural talents from the town paid dividends, and after finding success as promoters, they are now the proud owners of PJ Molloys.

Ahead of what is a packed Christmas run of gigs, Press:ON caught up with the duo to discuss their beginnings, memories and hopes for Dunfermline’s plethora of musicians.

“We started off separately, but it was after we both worked with Beatnic Prestige that we realised we should be pulling resources and working together at every opportunity,” they said.

“It went from being a hobby to a career.

“We never thought we’d be able to achieve that. Never.

“We started out doing small local promotions, so for us to now have Big Country and the Skids, two of the biggest names to come out of Dunfermline, working with us, it’s a real honour.

“We always wondered whether we could ever work with names like that, and now it happens on a regular basis.

“It’s crazy for us to think about.”

They’ve invested heavily in ensuring PJ Molloys is a venue to be taken seriously on the national touring circuit.

Ranging from the sound system to elements behind the scenes, they feel they’ve earned recognition from the industry and the bands and figures that occupy it.

“We’re trying to establish ourselves on the national scene.

“But, it’s extremely difficult to do that.

“We’re very privileged that we’re able to run the shows that we do.

“PJ’s is now seen as part of the touring circuit and we have conversations with the leading promoters and bookers in Scotland.

“Through those means we’ve got so close to having some incredible acts in our venue over the years.

“Some of the names we’ve heard on the other end of the phone give us chills at times!

“We certainly feel our reputation is growing every year.

“We pride ourselves on the way we treat the bands that come in to PJ’s. It’s second nature to us to do so.

“The Spitfires came up recently and their manager is a seasoned man who knows his stuff. We asked him why did they pick our venue for their tour?

“He said it’s because they had heard so many good things about PJ Molloys from people down in London.

“There’s circles in London talking about our venue. That’s mental.”

When you look at the track record of names they’ve had enter through the doors at PJ’s over the years, it’s no surprise the venue has been nominated for national awards since they acquired the keys in 2011, a year after they quit their jobs to pursue the business full-time.

“Miles Kane’s gig on March, 4, in 2011, was something else.

“It was absolutely carnage from start to finish.

“He was supporting Beady Eye at the Barrowlands in Glasgow that night, and after he came off stage he drove straight to PJ’s in his van.

“The place was bouncing and once he came in through the back door everyone just went mental.

“It was absolutely brilliant. I think that was one of those nights where we realised PJ’s could be huge.

“It was the same when we had Frank Turner the weekend that we signed the paperwork for PJ’s.

“We were pinching ourselves the moment we saw a proper full-size tour bus pull up outside.

“I think he played PJ’s, then 18 months or so later Frank was playing at the Olympics opening ceremony in 2012. That’s surreal. It shows what one PJ Molloys gig can do!

“There’s been so many great nights in PJ’s ranging from those big names to the local bands who have sold-out shows in here right now.

“The Dunfermline music scene is the best it’s been in years. There’s no doubt about it.

“There’s a real buzz in the town.

“It’s funny to think that bands like Moonlight Zoo and Foreignfox are almost veterans of the scene with all the young emerging bands coming through.

“We know how great they both are; they’re amazing.

“We see all the bands across Scotland dubbed as the next ‘big band’ as it were, and these guys are right up there.

“It would be amazing to see one of them, or any of the other local bands, get that national recognition because I’m sure it would give a monumental boost to the scene here.

“The place would explode as there’s so much talent here waiting to be heard on a larger scale.

“You just have to look at what happened in Dundee because of The View, and the wave of momentum that brought.

“We’ve also got Dancing on Tables, a Dunfermlne band, signing with an American label, too.

“It shows the progress that everyone is making.

“You could easily go through the list of bands and struggle to find reasons why they can’t be successful and make strides in the music business.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure we have another Christmas programme to remember.

“We’ve had The Dicksons have their farewell gig, and we’ve got OSKAR Braves, Moonlight Zoo, Foreignfox and The Shambolics all in during the rest of the month.

“We’ve also got national names like Lewis Capaldi playing (Saturday) and his show sold-out in 24 hours.

“It’s definitely in the top three quickest sell-outs we’ve had along with Glasvegas earlier this year and The View’s first gig in PJ’s in 2015.

“Lewis is going to be massive in 2018. It’s going to be another gig that people will look back on.

“People still talk about Miles Kane, Frank Turner and Jake Bugg playing PJ’s.

“We love getting these names into the town and watching them grow.

“It’s great for the venue as it gives PJ’s that aura. You always wonder who we’ll have in next.

“There’s a lot of national promoters who aren’t able to give local bands the chance to play with the bigger acts.

“We want PJ Molloys to be a hub and the centre of Fife’s music scene while also giving younger bands those opportunities.

“We feel it’s part of our duty and responsibility to help them where we can. 

"There’s no denying that it’s predominantly an indie bar, but nowadays we’re very open to any genre. At the start, we were quite strict in our own minds as to who we wanted in. Our booking policy is as loose as it’s ever been.

“We have the space and we’re inviting you to play it. We have the right formula now. 

“This year was our best to date and PJ’s is always evolving.

“Social media has aided and hindered that in some respects.

“Due to Facebook now being monetised, it puts an extra burden on the business and becomes a huge overhead. Our marketing budget through Facebook is frightening.

“Right at the start, we would have a couple hundred posters and a bucket of wallpaper paste!

“It’s totally changed; you can sit in the office now rather than plastering the streets.”

Laughing at those days is easy for them now, but they’ve put in the hours to afford that luxury.

Understandably proud of their accomplishments, they’re eager for more laughs and nights to remember.

Having run events like Dunfermline Live in the past, a burning ambition of theirs is to host a new music festival in the town.

When? Watch this space is the message.

“It’s always on the cards.

“Dunfermline’s at a point now where it’s ready for a big musical festival.

“We hope we could play a big part in that. We know the right people in the industry to make it happen.

“We’ll just see what tomorrow brings.”