STRICTLY STAR SUSAN CALMAN TRIES TO FIND HAPPINESS IN NEW SHOW

 

STRICTLY star and Scots comedian Susan Calman is searching for happiness on her new show - and she’ll be doing her utmost to chat to those who are bringing some cheers through difficult times. 

The chatty presenter is on a quest to investigate the weird and wonderful ways we are discovering unexpected hits of happiness in these uncertain times, in a brand new four part series for BBC Scotland.

 

Each week Susan Calman’s Happy Space will seek out and celebrate the many ways, however odd,  we are all seeking out the lighter side of life.   From her studio-based Happiness HQ Susan will be speaking to people around the country and joined by famous faces who will share some of the ways they’ve discovered happiness and, never one to shy away from embracing the more eccentric parts of life, Susan will be road testing a few herself.

 

Commenting on the series, Susan said:  “I'm so looking forward to spending time in my Happy Space, and finding out what's bringing people cheer in difficult times.  No matter how unusual or incredible it's a quest to find the joy in life.  And I'll be sharing some of the strange things that make me happy, like my Smurf Collection.  I can't wait to get started!”

 

Gavin Smith commissioning executive, BBC Scotland adds:  “It’s never felt more relevant to highlight all the fantastic and varied ways the Scottish public are making themselves and others happy. We’re delighted Susan will showcase and celebrate some of these joyful activities with the BBC Scotland audience. Hopefully the series will inspire viewers to take up something new!”

 

Susan’s new show is part of BBC Scotland’s continued effort to commission programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Across the year it has worked closely with the independent production sector and collaborated with creative partners to bring a variety of content, across all genres, to help entertain and engage audiences.  Titles include the recently recommissioned Shelf Isolation, Socially Distant with Susan Calman,  Scenes for Survival, in partnership with the National Theatre of Scotland and Reflections at the Quay.   This is in addition to its comprehensive education service Bitesize which is available across television, iPlayer and online.

 

Susan Calman’s Happy Space is due to broadcast in March on the BBC Scotland channel and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.  It is produced by Red Sky Productions for BBC Scotland.

WEST LOTHIAN BAND THE SNUTS HELP REFUGEES

WEST Lothian band The Snuts have teamed up with the Scottish Refugee Council for their new video. 

The hotly tipped ban, who theshowbizlion.com first met during at Battle of The Bands competition at Hard Rock Cafe in Glasgow, will officially release  their raucous, hook laden debut album, W.L. on 19th March on Parlophone Records. 

Today they released their infectious new single ‘Somebody Loves You’, which premiered on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show, alongside an emotionally uplifting video for the track. 

A love song for the ages, with its title deep-rooted in the desire to check in on people closest to us, the radio-ready indie-pop tune sees the band step into another direction with ‘Somebody Loves You’.

“Three simple words: ‘Somebody Loves You’, spray painted all across my city. It is a simple but powerful reminder,” Jack said of the track. “As the days disappeared into months, I noticed myself and everyone around me scrambling to stay in touch, to check up on each other. There was something really special about this to me. I don’t think anyone really saw that coming. It shouldn’t take a global pandemic to remind us how important the people we care about are, but I'm kind of glad it did.”

A charity close to their hearts, the band teamed up with the Scottish Refugee Council to create the video and help raise awareness for the charity. Directed by Michael Sherrington and shot in Glasgow, the video follows the lives of people directly affected by the actions and efforts of the charity, who with the help of the Scottish Refugee Council have made a home in Glasgow. As well as the band donating the video budget to the charity, the band’s label, Parlophone Records, will also donate all proceeds from downloads of the single.

Speaking of the video Jack said: “When our record label asked what we’d do if they gave us the full video budget, immediately we decided to use our platform to help bring attention to the Scottish Refugee Council here in Glasgow. The song for us is a universal message of love and compassion and the work of this charity and others like it is something I am particularly inspired by.” He continued, “It  is exactly this sense of an expanding and welcoming community spirit we hope to portray with this video.”

Watch the video for ‘Somebody Loves You’ HERE

Hailing from Whitburn, West Lothian, The Snuts have well and truly found their stride on W.L.. Produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix, M83) and recorded at the Firepit London, the album encapsulates the band’s journey from four working class kids growing up with a dream in Whitburn, to becoming one of the UK’s most exciting and vital bands of the new decade. 

Adored up and down the country for their uninhibited, sweat-drenched live shows, the band have also announced a UK tour for May/June 2021, including 3 sold-out dream shows at Glasgow’s Barrowland. Tickets on sale now from HERE

The Snuts play the following UK and Irish shows:

April
Fri 30th             LIVERPOOL, Sound City 
May
Sat 1st              DORSET, Teddy Rocks 
Sun 2nd            CARDIFF, Globe                                        SOLD OUT
Tues 4th            SHEFFIELD, Leadmill 
Weds 5th           LEEDS, Stylus                                           SOLD OUT 
Thurs 6th           MIDDLESBROUGH, Town Hall Crypt        SOLD OUT 
Sat 8th              NORWICH, Waterfront 
Mon 10th           BRISTOL, Fleece 
Tues 11th           OXFORD, O2 Academy
Weds 12th         MANCHESTER, O2 Ritz                            SOLD OUT 
Fri 14th              EDINBURGH, Corn Exchange                   SOLD OUT 
Sat 15th             LONDON, O2 Kentish Town Forum 
Mon 17th            DERBY, The Venue 
Tues 18th            BRIGHTON, Concorde 2
Weds 19th           EXETER, Phoenix
Fri 21st                COLCHESTER, Arts Centre 
Sat 22nd              HULL, Asylum 
Sun 23rd              BLACKPOOL, Waterloo                           SOLD OUT 
Tues 25th             DUBLIN, Button Factory 
Weds 26th           BELFAST, Empire 
Fri 28th                LEEDS, Temple Newsham 
Sat 29th               WARRINGTON, Neighbourhood Weekender
Sun 30th              NEWCASTLE, This Is Tomorrow 
June
Tues 1st               BIRMINGHAM, Sonic Wave Closing Party – O2 Institute
Tues 8th               GLASGOW, Barrowland                          SOLD OUT
Thurs 10th            GLASGOW, Barrowland                         SOLD OUT
Fri 11th                 GLASGOW, Barrowland                         SOLD OUT

The Snuts are: Jack Cochrane (vocals/guitar), Joe McGillveray (guitar), Callum ‘29’ Wilson (bass) and Jordan ‘Joko’ Mackay (drums).

https://www.thesnuts.co.uk/ / Twitter /Instagram / Facebook / TikTok / YouTube

About Scottish Refugee Council
Scottish Refugee Council are an independent charity dedicated to supporting people in need of refugee protection. Through direct services they provide practical support, advice and a listening ear to help people rebuild their lives in a sustainable and meaningful way. 

EDINBURGH BOOK FEST IS GOING OUTDOORS FOR 2021

EDINBURGH International Book Festival is going fully outdoor this year and will stream online. 

The biggest book fest in the UK has cconfirmed that the 2021 Festival will take place from Saturday 14 to Monday 30 August 2021 from the beautiful indoor and open, grassy outdoor spaces of the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place.

  While the full programme and event details will not be announced until the end of June, the Book Festival team are planning a range of live online author talks, workshops and readings and, only if circumstances permit, some events for in person, albeit socially distanced, audiences.  

 Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said, “While we are now experiencing a full lockdown in Scotland which is challenging for so many people on so many levels, we very much hope that the combination of this, together with the ongoing vaccination programme, will bring the virus under control by August.  While 2020 proved extremely challenging for the Book Festival it also opened up some extraordinarily exciting opportunities.  

Building on the success of our online Book Festival we can now announce that we will be entering into a new strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh that will enable us to inhabit this innovative space in 2021 with facilities to create events for both digital and, if circumstances permit, physical audiences.

 “Covid19 has created a huge tectonic shift in the way that live events, ourselves included, can reach their audiences.  With in-person ticket sales impossible to forecast this August, we simply can't justify incurring the costs of the tents and infrastructure we'd normally put into Charlotte Square Gardens.    It is highly probable that most events will take place online, and the need for broadcast studios is more likely than large venues for an audience.    

 “In the grassy courtyard of Edinburgh College of Art we will, if rules allow, recreate the elements of the Book Festival that our audiences love – bookshops, cafes and open spaces in which to come together safely offering the ‘oasis of calm’ for which the Book Festival is renowned.  The College offers excellent studio and theatre facilities for both online broadcasting and potential events with a socially distanced audience.”

 He added “We intend that this partnership with the University will be a long-term arrangement, and the Book Festival will continue to occupy their spaces when a Covid-free Festival, with audiences able to enjoy live events in person, can be staged.    However digital events will continue to be a key part of future Book Festivals, enabling us to reach truly global audiences as well as those closer to home who face barriers to attending the event.  We are excited that our hybrid festivals of the future will engage with authors and audiences around the world in a more environmentally responsible way.”

 Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Peter Mathieson, said, “We were delighted to be asked by the Edinburgh International Book Festival to support future events through this mutually beneficial arrangement. Building on our existing partnership this new deeper relationship will help to ensure that people in Edinburgh, and all over the world, can continue to come together to explore the power of ideas through their love of literature.”   

This strategic partnership gives the Edinburgh International Book Festival licence to occupy spaces within the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art in August.  The University of Edinburgh will operate catering and bar provisions, if permitted by the Government’s Covid19 guidelines, while the Book Festival is on. 

The 2020 Edinburgh International Book Festival presented a fully digital programme In August, with 146 online events ranging from daily draw-alongs to conversations with Bernardine Evaristo, Douglas Stuart, Samantha Power, Matt Haig, Hilary Mantel and Marian Keyes.  Audiences watched and engaged with events from around the world and have continued to watch on demand over the winter months.  

The full programme will be at www.edbookfest.co.uk.

CALEDONIA WRITER DOUGIE MACLEAN WANTS ROD STEART TO SING ANTHEM

CALEDONIA writer Dougie Maclean says he would love Rod Stewart to sing his famous anthem as he gets ready to pick up a Special Recognition award at this years Specsavers Scottish Music Awards. 
Caledonia, which Dougie wrote in 1977 as a ‘wee homesick song’ in his twenties, has been covered around the world and is seen as an unofficial anthem for Scotland, played regularly at football and rugby matches, weddings and funerals.
But despite being covered by everyone from Dolores Keane to Amy Macdonald, Dougie says he’d love Rod to do his own take on it. 
He said: “It’s a fantastic thing as a songwriter to have a song that has become a part of common culture. I always thought Rod Stewart would sing a great version of it. I don’t think he has ever done it.”
Caledonia is just one of hundreds of songs written by Dougie over a careers spanning forty six years. 
He said: “As I grow older my music becomes more personal. Music is quite magical.  My daughter was at school what her daddy did and she said ‘my daddy is a magician’. Music brings a lot of pleasure whatever story is behind it.”
Dougie’s songs including The Gael have soundtracked films like Last Of The Mohicans as well as having actors like Sean Connery quote them.
He said: “I did an advert for Visit Scotland and I got to meet Sean Connery who had to read a line from Caledonia in it. It was done in a film studio. You’re standing there and thinking ‘There’s James Bond and he’s saying the words of my song and it’s nice’.”
Yet despite his success he says he is not rolling in riches. 
He said: “I’m not minted and have not treated myself to anything other than guitars by Jimmy Moon, my pride and joy. I have three of them and they are the tools of my trade.”
For Nordoff Robbins fundraiser Scottish Music Awards on Saturday, Dougie plans to play a special song which he wrote after meeting a very sick girl in Rachel House years ago.
He said: “I was very lucky to sit in the music therapy for terminally ill kids and wrote a song called The Gift which came from watching a wee girl who got music therapy. I often thought I’d love to give the song to the mother.”

Five Caledonia Covers 
Frankie Miller (advert for Tennents Lager)

Paolo Nutini (T In The Park)

Amy Macdonald (on album This Is The Life) 

Ronan Keating (on album Winter Songs)

Sir Sean Connery, Lulu, Amy Macdonald, Sandi Thom, Eddi Reader, Brian Cox, golfer Sam Torrance, multi Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy and Scottish international rugby players Thom Evans and Kelly Brown(Homecoming Scotland ad 2009)

REVIEW: ITISON GLASGLOW 2020 WILL HAVE YOU FLYING

GLASGLOW returned to Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens and theshowbizlion.com was invited to try it out. 

We  jumped at the chance because let’s face it, it’s been a long time since we could go out and have some actual fun in a Covid safe environment. 

We took our mask and our own hand sanitiser in case buy they’ve got plenty of sanitiser dotted around the Botanics in case you need some. They ask you just to wear a mask in queues or loos but we kept ours on for the bits where we thought there would be more people. There are stewards all along the attraction asking people to socially distance so it seemed very safe. 

 The attraction this year is centres around superheroes and Itison founder Oli Norman wrote a narrative that sees you start off on a journey of self discovery. It’s a positive message for wee ones - and those who might need it in this time of anxiety. There’s a hero in every one of us. 

We were taken through different zones that were reminiscent of a Superman movie, the crystals, the fire, the lasers and the other worldly props. 

There were pumpkins galore in what might be one of Scotland's largest pumpkin patches and we loved the huge Close Encounters style UFO. 

The marshmallows and fire pit proved a hit and at £3 extra it wasn’t overpriced. 

There’s a good village too if you want to enjoy some tacos and burgers. 

By the end of the night we could feel the power and we loved posing for some superhero pics. In fact,  you could say we were flying. 

Tickets are officially sold out for those year but there are some floating about online - just make sure they are authentic :) 

For peace of mind: 

* A fully outdoor event with one-way system

* Reduced capacity and staggered arrival times

* Widened paths and removal of any pinch points

* Dedicated COVID safety officer

* Socially distanced queue management throughout

* Increased facilities, cleaning and hand sanitising stations along the route

ROCKETMAN TARON EGERTON TOOK CLIMBING TRIP IN SCOTLAND DURING LOCKDOWN

ROCKETMAN star Taron Egerton spent time in Scotland climbing mountains with his friends during lockdown. 
But when someone asked if he was visiting his movie co star Richard Madden he joked that Richard was a pretend Scot who actually came from Essex. 
The Welsh star and his two pals explored the wilds of Scotland at the end of last month over five days and Taron showed off pictures of the trio exploring the Scottish Munros. 
He appeared to be at the summit of Ben Nevis in Inverness in one of the pictures. 
Ben Nevis, in Invernessshire is the highest mountain in the U.K.  at 1345 metres above sea level.
Taron who wore a Napapijri recycled puffer jacket in some of the pictures had a pair of white trainers on his feet and told fans that he’d left his climbing boots in the van.
He wrote: “In the wilds of Scotland (for some reason left my boots in the van) in my @napapijriCircular Puffer jacket. Not only is it insanely warm, the fabric is made from recycled fishing nets and other waste materials.”
Asked if he’d visited Richard Madden during his trip he said: “No, he’s actually from Essex. He says the accent is ‘better for his brand.’
Richard spent time at a country estate in Scotland in August, where he caught up with fellow acting friends Lily James, Dominic Cooper and Gemma Chan during a rural group holiday.

It was believed that Richard stayed in the Blair Atholl area of Scotland, a village in Perthshire known for its rustic stone buildings and scenic landscape.
Earlier in the day Taron told followers on his Instagram stories that he’d been chopping up dog treats and joked that he needed to get a job.
The star was of course joking about being out of work. 
He has a busy schedule lined up for acting in coming months with the release of Tetris, Little Shop Of Horrors and Sing 2 followed by Kinsman 3 in 2022.

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.