THE FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS ARE COMING TO GLASGOW’S BARROWLANDS

THE Fun Lovin’ Criminals always have blast when they come to Scotland and they plan to do exactly that when they come to Barrowlands in October. 

As the lads celebrate twenty five years since the release of Come Find Yourself thru are looking forward to getting out of lockdown. 

As always, the multi-platinum New York trio have plenty to celebrate but the opportunity to escape the gloom of the past year and party with fans across the UK this coming October is bringing a huge smile to the trio.

 
"With the world in the toilet, and all the strife and bullsh!t that’s been going on; here is the light at the end of the tunnel. The FLC are accepting the United Nation's invitation to be the first real motherf@ck£rs to get back to making rock and roll shows great again. No huge bubbles or liquor free silly a$$ gigs, just some real New Yorkers bringing you the best in live music! You are welcome."
-Huey
 
2021 marks the 25^th anniversary of their acclaimed debut album Come Find Yourself, the 20^th year since Loco, their highest charting single and the end [we hope] of a horrendous global pandemic for pretty much everybody. Besides, this is the Crims, naturally they will find something to party for.
 
Fun Lovin’ Criminals burst onto the music scene in 1996, gate crashing the euphoric Brit-pop party with unforgettable finesse. Heralded for their generation defining blend of styles and effortless Lower East Side charm, FLC’s refreshing cocktail of rock n’ roll, funk, blues, soul, hip hop, jazz and latin, gave the Crims a unique timelessness that is still apparent three decades on.
 
FLC’s debut single ‘Scooby Snacks’, famed for sampling Tarantino movies such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction launched a career that saw the debut EMI album Come Find Yourself remain in the UK album chart for an astounding two years. FLC performed an infamously raucous set on the legendary Pyramid main stage at Glastonbury ’99 and have been bringing the party to stages worldwide ever since.
 
2021 also marks the 20^th anniversary of Loco, a song that may be remembered for sound-tracking a sun-drenched Miller beer ad in which Huey can be found riffing the songs unmistakably cool, latin-infused guitar lick on the roof of car…in a traffic jam. Loco became the FLC’s highest charting single and likewise the Loco album became a Top 5 album in the UK.
 
Still a mainstay on the festival circuit in UK and Europe, FLC are Europe’s best-loved “cousins from New York”, whip-smart story-tellers in smarter Saville Row suits who, through comically tall tales of living large in the neon metropolis, launched a career in music that saw three ordinarily New Yorkers who met working at the legendary Limelight on W 20^th St, swap glass collection for world tours with their pals U2 and studio collaborations with the late-great BB King.
 
Playing a headline set of their most cherished work and maybe even something new, rock star turned BBC 6music broadcaster Huey Morgan and his Fun Lovin’ Criminals return to UK stages in October 2021. The party is on, and you are all invited.
 
Fun Lovin’ Criminals (support tbc) – UK Tour 2021
 
Thu 7 Oct        BRISTOL                      O2 Academy
Fri 8 Oct          NOTTINGHAM            Rock City
Sat 9 Oct         MANCHESTER            Albert Hall
Thu 14 Oct      NORWICH                   University of East Anglia
Fri 15 Oct        NEWCASTLE               Boiler Shop
Sat 16 Oct       GLASGOW                  Barrowland Ballroom
Thu 21 Oct      BRIGHTON                  CHALK
Fri 22 Oct        WOLVERHAMPTON   KK’S Steel Mill
Sat 23 Oct       LONDON                     O2 Forum Kentish Town 
 
Visit funlovincriminals.co for more information and ticket sales.

TWO DOORS DOWN GETS A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OUTING

WE can hear the jungle drums and the jingle bells as BBC Two comedy Two Doors Down is coming calling this Christmas.

 

 It was announced in the spring that the award-winning Scottish comedy will be returning to UK screens for a fifth series on BBC Two next year.

But in a surprise move, theshowbizlion.com can now reveal that the BBC has now also signed up for a Christmas special of the comedy to go out this December on BBC Two and BBC Scotland. 

The Christmas special will be filmed in line with Covid-19 industry guidelines but will be taking a side-step from the current pandemic to focus on laughs.

 

Steven Canny, Executive Producer at BBC Studios Comedy which makes the series in Scotland said: “I’m delighted that Two Doors Down is going to give people the neighbourly get-together they have been missing out on in recent times. Eric, Beth, Colin, Cathy, Ian, Gordon and, of course, Christine get together to celebrate in the way that only they can. This special episode is the complete package of uncomfortable comments, barbed compliments and, of course, a ton of laughs.”

 

Further details of the Christmas special will be released at a later date but it will feature Arabella Weir as Beth and Alex Norton as Eric - the long-suffering Bairds  - and Elaine C Smith as Christine, Doon Mackichan as Cathy and Jonathan Watson as her husband Colin Whyte, Jamie Quinn as the Bairds’ son Ian and Kieran Hodgson as his boyfriend Gordon.

 

Graeme ‘Grado’ Stevely and Joy McAvoy, who play young couple Alan and Michelle, will not feature in the Christmas special but will be back for the fifth series, which is due to be recorded and shown next year.

 

Two Doors Down was launched with a Hogmanay special at the end of 2013 before going onto become the much loved series. It last had a Christmas special in 2018, with its fourth series going on to air in 2019. It has received multiple awards including the Best Comedy award at the 2017 Royal Television Society Scotland Awards and Elaine C. Smith won Best Actress at the BAFTA Scotland Awards in 2018. It is one of BBC Two and BBC Scotland’s top performing comedies. Over the course of 2020, Two Doors Down has been shown on the BBC Scotland channel, with all four series available to watch on BBC iPlayer where it has been gathering an army of new fans. In total the four series have amassed more than 30m requests on BBC iPlayer. It is a BBC Studios Comedy production, written by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp. 

 

The fifth series had been re-commissioned by Shane Allen, Controller of BBC Comedy, and Patrick Holland, Controller of BBC Two, who also gave the go-ahead for the Christmas 2020 special.

 

SAY AWARD AND TIM BURGESS HOLD LISTENING PARTY AHEAD OF BIG NIGHT

THE Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has announced that this year’s Shortlist will be featured in Tim Burgess’ Twitter Listening Parties from 26th to 28th October ahead of the winner announcement ceremony on 29th October, live on www.sayaward.com.   Theshowbizlion.com can’t wait to watch the virtual ceremony on the night but we will miss the rock n roll after party this year which last year saw us mingling with everyone from The Vegan Leather to Young Fathers.  In a special one off series to celebrate the 10 outstanding Scottish albums making up the Shortlist, Tim Burgess has teamed up with The SAY Award to bring music fans together to discover their new favourite Scottish album each evening, prior to the winner announcement on Thursday 29th October. Tim’s Listening Parties have become a cultural phenomenon, developed into an almost-nightly event and will celebrate their 500th Listening Party on 25th October. The SAY Award Shortlist for 2020 is:  Blanck Mass Animated Violence Mild Bossy Love Me + U Callum Easter Here Or Nowhere Cloth Cloth Comfort Not Passing Declan Welsh & The Decadent West Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold Erland Cooper Sule Skerry The Ninth Wave Infancy NOVA RE-UP SHHE SHHE The concept, created by Tim Burgess, came to life on Twitter during lockdown, attracting thousands of music lovers across the country as Tim explored some of the most iconic albums from artists like Oasis, KT Tunstall, Joy Division, Anna Meredith, Hot Chip, CHVRCHES, Laura Marling, Michael Kiwanuka, Wolf Alice and more. Listeners stream or play the chosen album at the allocated start time, and fans will have the opportunity to explore all 10 albums on this year’s Shortlist with Tim and the relevant artist as they tweet along; sharing memories or insights into making the album. Listeners are invited to ask questions and share their thoughts on each of the chosen albums using the hashtag#TimsTwitterListeningParty.

The highly anticipated Shortlist includes a record-breaking EIGHT debut albums, the most to ever feature on a SAY Award Shortlist.   Timings for The SAY Award#TimsTwitterListeningParty special are:   Monday 26th October 7pm Callum Easter ‘Here Or Nowhere’ 9pm Erland Cooper ‘Sule Skerry’ 10pm Blanck Mass ‘Animated Violence Mild’   Tuesday 27th October  6pm Bossy Love ‘Me + U’ 7pm Declan Welsh & The Decadent West ‘Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold’ 9pm Comfort ‘Not Passing’ 10pm SHHE ‘SHHE’   Wednesday 28th October 6pm NOVA ‘RE-UP’ 7pm The Ninth Wave ‘Infancy’ 10pm Cloth ‘Cloth’ Following each party, the Twitter conversations will be archived on timstwitterlisteningparty.com.  For 2020’s SAY Award, a record-breaking 362 eligible album submissions were narrowed down to the 20-strong Longlist by 100 impartial nominators; representing a variety of genres including jazz, classical, hip-hop, pop, trad folk, rock, electronic, indie and many more. The Longlist has now been whittled down to a Shortlist of just 10 albums; 9 chosen by the Judging Panel and 1 as the winner of the public vote.

The winner of The SAY Award will be announced onThursday 29th October, with this year’s ceremony pivoting to become an online event, broadcast as a YouTube Premiere. One artist and their album will be crowned the Scottish Album of the Year, in turn collecting one of the most lucrative prize funds in the UK: £20,000. Developed and produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), the 2020 campaign will be delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland,City of Edinburgh Council, YouTube Music, 54EP, Sweetdram, Culture & Business Fund Scotland via Arts & Business Scotland, PPL, Summerhall, Ticketmaster and new charity partner Music Declares Emergency. Previous winners of The SAY Award include Auntie Flo ‘Radio Highlife’ (2019), Young Fathers ‘Cocoa Sugar’ (2018), Sacred Paws ‘Strike A Match’ (2017), Anna Meredith ‘Varmints’ (2016), Kathryn Joseph ‘Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled’ (2015), Young Fathers ‘Tape Two’ (2014), RM Hubbert ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ (2013) and the inaugural winner Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat ‘Everything’s Getting Older’ (2012). To keep up with The SAY Award 2020 journey, make sure you follow the award on Twitter @SAYaward, Instagram @sayaward and Facebook @SAYaward

SCOTS BAND THE RONAINS HAVE SONG CENSORED FOR DRAGONSOOP AD

Scots band The Ronains ended up having their famed song censored for a new telly advert. 

The Clydebank based pop rockers who regularly tour Stateside bagged a UK wide advertising deal with drinks brand Dragon Soop.

But their track ‘Who The F *** are The Ronains’ was beeped out by telly watchdogs before the ad for Dragon Soop ESQ was broadcast on Tuesday night pre-watershed on Channel 4. 

Last night bass player Jim Reid, and bandmembers  Debbi, Linzi and LP laughed off the snub saying: “It’s funny because the drink was quite edgy but clearly our song was edgier.“

He added: “We actually thought they’d use our new track Quarantine but you can’t go wrong with glam rock.”

The band performed  in The Barrowlands for the advert which saw them play to an empty venue.  

Jim said: “We are one of the few acts to have graced the stage there in lockdown.  We had to mask up after the performance and keep our distance. We have played twice before but it was pretty eery because it was only the band onstage with a smoke machine. 

“Barrowlands Ballroom provided the sound and light guys and it felt good to help  some people in the music sector earn some money. The guys hadn’t been able to work since February.”

The deal also saw the band recording their song in Morse Code studios with the advert being played out across 3.4 million homes on Capital Radio Over the next month. 

Jim said: “Lockdown has been a funny time for us. Around July we got talking to the Dragon Soop bosses and we reckon we are a marriage made in heaven. Their audience fits us. It’s young, it’s rock n roll, it’s colourful and it’s edgy.”

The band’s new track Quarantine was picked up by Radio 1 this week as Track of the week. 

Debbi said:  We are looking forward to playing it and other songs live when we can.

LINE OF DUTY ACTOR MARTÍN COMPSTON HAS GOOD HAIR DAY

LINE Of Duty’s Martin Compston showed off his shaggy hairdo before getting a cut backstage on the set of the award winning show. 
Greenock born actor Martin told fans he was ‘officially back in business’ as he shared a picture of himself in his famous waistcoat and suit on set. 
And after quarantining for two weeks ahead of filming to ensure he followed the health and safety procedure he wasn’t taking any chances with Covid backstage as his hair stylist Cat Coogan wore a mask and shield as well as plastic apron to protect him from any risks. 
As he sat in the barbers chair he joked: “This woman’s surgical with scissors.”
Martin also posted up a picture of himself in police uniform teasing fans: “In The civvies, must be Line of Duty 6.”


The actor has been spending lockdown with his family and recently posted a picture of a damaged bush in his garden after he fell into it during an outdoor dancing session. 
He told fans at the time he’d been dancing to the tunes of local DJ George Bowie when the mishap happened and after  apologising to his wife Tianna Flynn also admitted he hurt his back.
Martin also said that  lockdown was like being an unemployed actor, but said he enjoyed the sober conversations he been having with pals on WhatsApp and time with family after spending March till November away from home last year.

TRNSMT COMES UP WITH COVID ALTERNATIVE

NOTHING beats a great music festival and theshowbizlion.con is gutted that TRNSMT Festival isn’t happening this year in its fully immersive form.  We are thrilled to say that the innovative peeps behind the fest have come up with something that is music to our ears,  On what should have been one of the biggest weekends in the UK’s festival calendar, TRNSMT Festival have announced a weekend of non-stop festival fun as fans mark the upcoming festival weekend. Determined to give TRNSMT fans a festival experience this weekend, ‘TRNSMT AT HOME’ will kick off on the TRNSMT Festival Facebook and YouTube pages at 5pm on Saturday 11th July featuring exclusively ‘made at home’ content from TRNSMT acts including Fontaines D.C, The LaFontaines, Joy Crookes, Dylan John Thomas, The Ninth Wave, Luke La Volpe,  Kawala, Charlotte, Spyres and more. Following this stream, BBC Scotland will air a TRNSMT Takeover on Saturday 11th July at 9pmfeaturing highlights from the festival’s star-studded history including Biffy Clyro, Lewis Capaldi andRadiohead.   After marking the 2020 festival weekend in style - whatever the weather! - fans can now look forward to TRNSMT 2021 with acts including Courteeners, Liam Gallagher, Lewis Capaldi, Ian Brown, Foals, Rita Ora, Sam Fender, Snow Patrol and more set to make sure the 2021 edition is worth waiting for.   TRNSMT 2021 tickets are on sale NOW via – WWW.TRNSMTFEST.COM   Fans can purchase via Tickmaster's payment plan deposit scheme, securing their 2021 ticket from just £33 (+fees) on their payment, followed by two more instalments. Visit Ticketmaster for more info.    TRNSMT will be premiering a ‘TRNSMT AT HOME’ stream, hosted by presenter Laura Boyd. The stream will feature exclusive content from some of the most exciting artists set to perform at TRNSMT 2021 plus some TRNSMT alumni. Streaming from 5pm on Saturday 11th July on Facebook and YouTube, fans can expect performances from the likes of Fontaines D.C, Vistas, The LaFontaines, Joy Crookes, Dylan John Thomas, The Ninth Wave, Luke La Volpe,  Kawala,  Rascalton, Aaron Smith, Another Sky, Voodoos, Tamzene,  Charlotte and Spyres. The chance to catch some of the best stars in the music scene, ‘TRNSMT AT HOME’ will feature some outstanding musical performances as a taster of the festival’s return to Glasgow Green in 2021.   The festival fun doesn’t stop there - TRNSMT Takeover on BBC Scotland, hosted by presenter and DJ Edith Bowman, will feature highlights from some of the most iconic performances from previous years, on what would have been Saturday night at TRNSMT 2020. Edith will present a three-hour long highlight show from TRNSMT’s star-studded history as fans tune in for performances from all three years of the festival, including Biffy Clyro, Lewis Capaldi and Radiohead. Keeping festival spirits high in the comfort of their very own home, fans can tune in from 9pm on Saturday 11th July to BBC Scotland and iPlayer for the very best of TRNSMT.   Entertaining the nation on what is normally one of the biggest weekends in the UK’s festival calendar, TRNSMT has something for everyone this weekend and fans should stay tuned to the festival’s social channels for even more activity #TRNSMTATHOME.

The full list of acts announced for TRNSMT 2021 are: Friday 9th July features Courteeners, Ian Brown, Sam Fender, Blossoms, Yxng Bane, Inhaler, House Gospel Choir and Sports Team on the Main Stage while Little Simz, Joy Crookes, The Lathums, The Regrettes, Red Rum Club andShambolics play the King Tut’s Stage. Playing the River Stage are The Ninth Wave, Voodoos, Gallus, Another Sky, The Mysterines, and One Nine. Taking to the Main Stage on Saturday 10th July is Liam Gallagher, Foals, Keane, AJ Tracey, Twin Atlantic, Beabadoobee, Picture This and Vistas, and on the King Tut’s Stage is Jimmy Eat World, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West, Dylan John Thomas, The Murder Capital, Georgia, Miraa May and Mike McKenzie. On the River Stage; Orla Gartland, Rascalton, Pip Blom, The Hara, Vukovi, Spyres, and St Martiins. Bringing the festival to a close on Sunday 11thJuly, the Main Stage line-up includes Lewis Capaldi, Snow Patrol, Rita Ora, Amy Macdonald, Declan McKenna, Jay1 and Sea Girls, while the King Tut’s Stage will feature Loyle Carner, Joesef, Ash, Ryan McMullan, Ms Banks, Kawala, Lyra and Tamzene. Playing the River Stage are Saint PHNX, Chloe Moriondo, Aaron Smith, Charlotte, David Keenan, Luke La Volpeand Sara ‘N’ Junbug.

Tickets for the 2021 festival are available to buy from WWW.TRNSMTFEST.COM.

KIRSTY GALLACHER REVEALS HORRID COVID SYMPTOMS

SHE might be a well known face of sport but Kirsty Gallacher said that having coronavirus caused her to have ‘horrific’ sickness and shortness of breath that left her ‘struggling to do anything‘.
The glamorous Edinburgh born former Sky Sports presenter and model claims she was struck down by Covid 19 during the early stages of lockdown and said she was hit by loneliness and major anxiety during it. 
Kirsty, 44, who has been spending lockdown in the middle of the countryside in her new £1.4 million home in Berkshire and has had her sons Oscar, 13 and Jude, 10 living with her for only part of it - after sharing time with their father - admitted she had been really unwell. 
The brunette beauty who now hosts a variety of sporting events including Soccer Aid said: “I actually had coronavirus quite badly just before lockdown. I had it over that period. I didn’t feel normal for about a month at the start of it.  I was very unwell. I completely empathise with people who have had all different strains of it and things go on. I had the whole lot. It was awful. I had the breathing thing which I thought was anxiety because of the lockdown situation. I was full on working the week before lockdown and at the time I didn’t know had it. All these symptoms were not actually really documented until weeks later - like loss of sense of smell and taste and sickness and all those nice pleasant things .”
Kirsty whose father is the former Ryder cup captain Bernard Gallacher split from her husband rugby star Paul Samson in 2014. She had visited Edinburgh in the days before lockdown for a promotion with Gavin Hastings. 

The presenter who takes her fitness and well being seriously, and packs in three personal training sessions a week plus running and swimming on top of sustaining a well-balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, lean meat and fish, admitted that she had suffered anxiety during her illness. 

She said: ”It’s been hard in many ways as well. I was on my own and that was when I felt the loneliness and was really unwell. I was not sure of what was going on and I had major anxiety. I had real trouble breathing. I didn’t go to hospital or anything. I controlled it. Coronavirus is a very strange virus is all I can say. Every day I had something different and  new. The cough actually came last for me which was weird. The shortness of breath, I struggled  just doing anything. having a walk was almost impossible, it really was. 

Kirsty who has tried to get her fitness levels back throughout lockdown with a variety of exercises and took part in Wheels For Heroes on Sky Sports this week said: “It was dreadful and the sickness was horrific. I’m trying to get back to  normal and it’s really hard.”

Now that she is feeling a bit better Kirsty claims she has been enjoying  wearing little to no make up during lockdown. 

She said: “I am low maintenance. One thing about lockdown I’ve been loving is having no make up. I was on Good Morning Britain and had to put on some and almost forgot how to do it.  I’ve been loving not having to do it and it’s been lovely having a rest from it. On TV you end up wearing so much and on TV with high definition you have to have it trowelled on.”