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

MARC ALMOND SLAMS HATERS AFTER BOWIE GIG

MARC Almond has hit back at the haters who claim he 'murdered Bowie' after he performed two of the legend's songs at the BBC Proms.
The Soft Cell singer who bumped into theshowbizlion.com at Rewind festival in Perthshire's  Scone  Palace just last weekend, defended himself after some claimed he sang out of tune and forgot his words on David Bowie's Starman and Life On Mars.
He said: "Well if you're given two untouchable iconic classics to sing with totally new arrangements, you have to expect the flak. Stumbling over one word due to sound and nerves in LOM becomes forgetting all the words and singing COMPLETELY out of tune! Love Twitter."
He added: "I'd rather listen to Musical experts than some musically ignorant obsessed Bowie Fan and people who just have a problem with me period."
"Apparently I'm not a true Bowie fan and have no respect for him or his songs and let down the whole event. Oh please Give me strength.
That's why Tony Visconti Bowies friend and Producer asks me to sing at his Bowie shows."
The unusual versions of the songs he sang were arranged by Scottish Album of The Year winner Anna Meredith.

- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

TEN MUSIC TALENTS COMPETE FOR THE TITLE AT SCOTTISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR

CHVRCHES, Emma Pollock, Lau, Young Fathers and FFS are just some of the artists who have made the top ten for Scottish Album of The Year (SAY)
The shortlist for Scotland's big music award was revealed last night at The BBC Quay Sessions during an exclusive live broadcast and the winner will be announced on Wednesday June 29 at a Paisley Town Hall ceremony to tie in with the Paisley bid for UK City of Culture 2021.
Previous SAY nominees Fatherson performed alongside last year's award winner Kathryn Joseph before this year’s shortlisted albums were announced live on air by host Vic Galloway. Amongst the shortlist this year are a number international collaborations: Ghanaian and South African performers and producers, LA based glam/art rock icons Sparks (who teamed up with Franz Ferdinand) and a project with 70s disco ensemble Sister Sledge.
Producer Graeme Clark also known as The Revenge, and ex Beta Band member Steve Mason all also made it onto the shortlist while FFS were the winner of the public vote.
The overall winner will pick up a £20,000 first prize while nine shortlisted titles will receive £1,000 each.
Run by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), previous SAY Award winners are Kathryn Joseph (2015), Young Fathers (2014), RM Hubbert (2013) and Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat (2012).

The full SAY Award 2016 shortlist:

ANNA MEREDITH - VARMINTS

AUNTIE FLO - THEORY OF FLO

C. DUNCAN - ARCHITECT

EMMA POLLOCK - IN SEARCH OF HARPERFIELD

FFS - FFS

LAU - THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG

STEVE MASON - MEET THE HUMANS
THE REVENGE

YOUNG FATHERS - WHITE MEN ARE BLACK MEN TOO

CHVRCHES - EVERY OPEN EYE















- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com