GOGGLEBOX GIRLS SANDY AND SANDRA SING IN SCOTLAND

GOGGLEBOX girls Sandra Martin and Sandy Channer showed off their singing skills during a whirlwind visit to Glasgow.
 The two couch potatoes who won an award for the Channel 4 telly review show were only too happy to swap their usual four walls for the sights and sounds of Scotland after being invited up for the weekend by local recruitment agency boss Tony Benedetti and his wife.
After popping into the south side for a quick bite to eat the girls headed with Tony, who owns Central Staff Services, into the city centre where they took up residence into Glasgow's oldest gay bar, The Waterloo. As legendary resident entertainers Robert and May Miller performed, Sandra and Sandi enjoyed cocktails and chat with excited punters.
Sandra even gave out some of her famous blingy oversized rings and tings to www.theshowbizlion.com as she mingled with regulars.

As the evening went on, the two ladies, who later visited cafe Andaluz for some dinner tapas, couldn't resist getting up on stage to sing a couple of songs with beloved resident May.
Sandi, in particular, proved that she had her own strong set of pipes as she gave everyone an impressive rendition of Amy Winehouse's Valerie. The thrilled crowd couldn't believe their luck as she and Sandra hit the stage and thanked them for a lovely evening.
The ladies, who are currently on our screens for the telly series were staying at Glasgow's Village hotel before heading to Oban for a few days of peace and quiet.

CALVIN HARRIS AND DIZZEE RASCAL REUNITED AFTER 7 YEARS

CALVIN Harris has finally got back into the studio with the man who gave him his first number one. The superstar DJ collaborated with Dizzee Rascal in 2008 when he produced, co- wrote and sang on his hit record Dance Wiv Me.

Following the success of the hit, and their follow up Holiday in 2009, Dumfries born Calvin appeared to lose touch with the star and even went on the record to say he was worried Dizzee was trying to cut him off.

He said at the time: "I would work with Dizzee in a heartbeat. I loved making those tracks with him. But as for more songs, I don't know what he's doing at the moment and whether he's making another album.He's lost my phone number or he's trying to cut me off. But I thought we had a good track record - two songs and two No1s."

The two artistes did indeed lose touch with one another, but over the last few days they've rekindled their passion for making tunes together.

 The first hint was when Dizzee told fans he was getting 'piano lessons' from Calvin.

He then revealed he'd been larking about in the studio with Calvin, Oliver Heldens and John Newman.

On Friday night the two went totally public about their collaboration with Calvin posting up a photo of the two online.

 Calvin said: "8 years after my first #1 I produced for this man...feels great to be back in a studio with @dizzeerascal "

This is one collaboration worth waiting for.

REBUS AUTHOR WROTE POETRY FOR RADIO TIMES IN HIS TEENS

REBUS writer Ian Rankin confessed he once sent a poem into the Radio Times to try and get published.
The award winning crime writer may have sold more than 20 million books, which have spawned several telly shows, but he claims punk music inspired him to get creative.
As he appeared at The Tower Digital Arts Centre in Helensburgh for a Cafe Improv session with Scots musician King Creosote, Fife born Ian, 55, revealed his DIY attitude came from music.
 He said: "The whole thing about punk was it came along at the right time. I was 16 or 17 in high school and we were trying to start a magazine and thought anyone could do it. I was brought up on prog rock and you had to have Mellotrons and know classical music and score stuff.
"With punk you could just pick up the cheapest  guitar going and hammer away at it. It was like that. Anybody can do it to get on board. You want to be a writer? I was sending off stories and poems to ridiculous places like The Times Literary Supplement and I even sent off a poem to the Radio Times thinking maybe they will take it. I was eighteen at the time and thought why not? " 
Ian, whose first book The Flood was published in 1986 by small indie uni run company Polygon in Edinburgh, added: "It was DIY things, in Scotland per say, not just in music and film but writing too.They were put together by kids  fresh out of high school trying to do something different ."

GRAMMY GAL TORI KELLY MISSES SCOTS FANS ALREADY

US singer Tori Kelly admits she's missing her Scots fans already after playing her last  date of her UK tour in Glasgow.
The Grammy nominee who performed at the Grammies with James Bay was gutted to say good bye to the city after she met up with fans at the 02 ABC.
Unbreakable Smile star Tori, 23,  who rocked with tracks like Falling Slow, Should've Been Us, and First Heartbreak at the gig  finished her tour with a flourish in Scotland  and  said: "Missing you already."
 She'd earlier said of her visit to the venue: "I love you Glasgow.You ended this tour with a bang. Thankyou."
Tori managed to see around some of the city before her gig at the O2 and even passed by the Clydeside to pop into BBC Scotland where she met up with  presenter Janice Forsyth.
During her visit her she explained it had been surreal being nominated for a Grammy. 
She laughed: "All the nominations go out at one time and since I was  in Califorinia it was five am for me when it came out and I was still in bed and I got waken up by a phone call from my publicist. It was hard for me to process everything and it felt too surreal."
Tori, who duetted with Ed Sheeran on I Was Made For Loving You, has been making music since she was twelve and was encouraged to do so by her parents.
She said: "Both my parents are pretty musical and mum played piano and dad played bass and sings so singing was like second nature and my parents nurtured that . A family friend taught me a couple of chords and although singing was my main instrument I  got sick of relying on others to play guitar for me and I learned a couple of chords and it just kind of stuck."
Tori also claimed she had to go through some setbacks before she discovered what kind of artist she was.
 She added: "I got signed to a record label and went through all the motions and did what I was asked . I  didn't know who I was as a an artist and didn't really have a voice. I guess it took me being knocked down a few times to have a thick skin and put that emotion into songs now. There are so many opinions you are tempted to listen to everybody else and it can be tricky but as long as you stick with your gut deep down you know its right."

COLLABRO HIT THE HIGH NOTES DESPITE DRESSING ROOM DRAMA

CLASSICAL group Collabro might have come from a reality TV show but they ooze a quality that transcends the hackneyed format.
The five lads each offer something different for fans - from high to low on the singing scale - and grungy to polished on the looks side, but on the night they were suited and booted and blended together perfectly.
Michael Auger, Richard Hadfield, Jamie Lambert, Matthew Pagan and Thomas J Redgrave have come a long way since winning the eighth series of BGT in 2014 and their performance at Glasgow's  Royal Concert Hall was one of their best yet. 
Mash ups were promised on the night  as well as songs from their album Act Two, but there were a few nice surprises along the way.
Five part harmonies shone on songs like Somewhere Only We Know while the lads got to do a bit of swing with That's Life, bringing even more life to their set. 
Their chat on stage was natural, and they even managed to laugh things off when Richard arrived late on stage from the dressing room. He claimed he was putting on his tie.
There were some original vocal arrangements on tracks like No Matter What, originally suggested to the the boys by former Boyzone manager Louis Walsh.
A section of the show devoted to The Phantom of the Opera played perfectly and gave Scots soprano Catriona Murray another chance to shine too. She gave Sarah Brightman a run for her money.
Songs like A Thousand Years were pitch perfect while the boy's attempt at twisting Mumford and Sons also thrilled their Collaborators.
Standing ovations were order of the night during this sold out gig and this, we're sure,  will be one of the last chances to see Collabro in a smaller venue before they play arenas. 

REMAINING TOUR DATES:

MARCH

4th SOUTHEND – Cliff Pavilion

6th LLANDUDNO – Cymru Theatre

8th LIVERPOOL - Philharmonic Hall

9th CARLISLE – Sands Centre

11th SHEFFIELD – City Hall

12th BRIGHTON – Centre

14th GATESHEAD – Sage 1

15th NOTTINGHAM – Royal Concert Hall

17th  CAMBRIDGE – Corn Exchange

18th STOKE ON TRENT – Regent Theatre

19th CARDIFF – Motorpoint Arena

21st BRISTOL – Colston Hall

22nd WATFORD – Colosseum

24th PLYMOUTH – Pavilions 

25th BOURNEMOUTH – International Centre 

26th LONDON – Royal Albert Hall

28th OXFORD – New Theatre

29th & 30TH BIRMINGHAM – Symphony Hall

APRIL 

1ST GRIMSBY – Auditorium 

2nd LEICESTER – De Montfort Hall

3rd GUILDFORD – G Live


http://www.collabroglobal.com/

JK ROWLING OFFERS UP SOME MAGICAL BANTER WITH TINIE TEMPAH

HARRY Potter author JK Rowling got her wand out to scold musician Tinie Tempah after he quipped that she should go back to magic school.
The Edinburgh based author behind the book and film franchise was having some banter with fans on her Twitter account when Tinie, who's new song Girls Like includes the line 'Tell J.K that we still rolling', decided to test her humour.
 After a fan asked if she'd ever imagined that she'd be name dropped in a song about what girls like, JK confessed: "I did not" .
Tinie, who was clearly in the mood for a verbal joust, then decided to challenge with his own wizardly humour.
He told JK: "Well maybe you should have spent more time in Divination class #girlslike."
JK, who has bewn known to debate with more than a few celebs in her time, didn't take his cheek sitting down and she responded rather dryly: "Divination is a very imprecise brand of magic!"
We think he-who-must-not-be-named has met his match.

JK meantime has just confirmed  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will form part of a trilogy of movies.

PAOLO DOESN'T NEED TO SCREAM AFTER SPLIT

 PAOLO Nutini didn't seem like he needed to Scream at the T in the Park launch despite reports that he recently split from his girlfriend Amber Anderson. 
 The Pencil Full of Lead and New Shoes singer was in a jovial mood as he mingled with muso pals including Voice star Stevie McCrorie and his brother Paul  at the bash in Glasgow's St Luke's church last Friday night.
After T in the Park boss Geoff Ellis and Tennent's head of sponsorship George Kyle made speeches, the talented Paisley lad who was clad in denim even took time out to have a giggle with The Showbiz Lion about the length of his hair, joking that he was turning into biblical character Samson. 
Paolo, 29, is reported by The Mirror to have split from 26 year old model Amber after their romance 'fizzled out'. 
The two started dating at Glastonbury in 2014 after Amber passionately made out with him in a bath in his raunchy video Diana, but the Caustic Love singer has obviously taken heed of his album title to turn to pastures new.