RIHANNA REACTS TO SCOTTISH CHANT ON VIDEO

HERE'S Rihanna looking confused and then delighted as her Glasgow fans gave her their famous concert chant.
The singer who performed at Hampden Park this week was thrilled to bits after Scots concert goers decided to give her a taste of home with their chant of "Here
We F***ing Go."
Work singer Rhi Rhi couldn't quite make out their lyrics but ended up congratulating them anyway.
She said: "That rocks. Y'all are awesome Glasgow. I love you guys man."
During her gig the Umbrella singer sashayed and shook her bootie like never before.


Despite brollies being banned from the stadium a few managed to smuggle them in for her big anthem.
The 50,000 capacity gig might not have been a sell out but the We Found Love star still managed to thrill her faithful followers for more than Four Five Seconds.



- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

TK MAXX CELEBRATES NEW SCOTS STORE WITH DUVET DINING

SHOPPERS in Edinburgh are about to get an extra helping of their favourite discount store when TK Maxx opens its doors in St Andrews Square.
We'll have all the info for you nearer the time but the labels-for-less retailer is one of theshowbizlion.com's favourite shops because there are so many brands and bargains under one roof.
We also love our grub and were thrilled to be invited to an amazing event at a pop up shop in Edinburgh called #DuvetDining to celebrate the launch of the store's Ridiculous Possibilities, a new campaign bringing to life the delightfully different yet brilliant opportunities made possible when shopping at TK Maxx.


As we relaxed and unwound amidst the luxurious duvet fort, complete with TK Maxx lush linens, heavenly eiderdowns, glowing lanterns and plush cushions, we feasted on an exclusive seven course menu created by renowned food guru Gizzi Erskine.


We all sat down on the duvets as we dined in style and drank some raspberry mojitos.
The menu was incredible with plenty of surprises, including tomato tea - from a teapot and with tiny little vegetable stars (a bit like a gazpacho consommé).


There was also meat fruit on sourdough which looked like a giant olive but turned out to be duck pate.


The egg Creme brûlée was a favourite, presented in an egg shell and even the jelly sweeties were made from beetroot and blood orange.


From the gourmet food to the exquisite décor, #DuvetDining turned our perceptions upside down and made us think out of the box.


We also made some lovely new friends.
The Edinburgh event was the last of a UK tour, appearing in London and Belfast previously to surprise and delight local food and fashion lovers.
Deborah Dolce, Group Brand and Marketing Director, at TK Maxx said: “In a world of shopping predictability, TK Maxx stands for something different: unbounded possibilities. We know that the thrill of the find in our stores and the element of the unexpected is a unique ingredient that draws people back in and this campaign captures that sentiment in the most wonderful and intriguing way.”
TK Maxx. Big labels. Small Prices. Ridiculous Possibilities.



- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

BEN HAENOW PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE SCOTS FUNDRAISER

SINGER Ben Haenow paid tribute to the late Donna Mortimer Ballantyne after he appeared at a fundraiser in her honour.
The former X Factor winner was a special guest at the Thistle Hotel and helped raise a whopping £164,000 to help the Kilbryde Hospice in memory of the late Bothwell born businesswoman, who died aged 39 after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma.
Donna raised funds to help the build of Kilbride hospice before her death, and her family, who own Lynnet Leisure, parent company of well-known Glasgow restaurants and clubs 29, Rogano and One Up, continue to work in her name.
Ben, who performed for VIPs on the night including new Rangers manager Mark Warburton and some of Celtic's finest, said of Donna: "This lady did such a lot of amazing things for charity and helped with charities in the West of Scotland and she helped to raise money to build Kilbryde hospice and continues to do lots even after she sadly passed away.


He added: "My granddad passed away not too long ago and was in a hospice. It does happen and the importance of this thing is that it does touch somebody at some point in their lives. At some time we know someone who has been affected from it and it's a great thing to help with it and raise money for any kind of charity.
"I've visited a few hospices, some purely for children which is quite a tough thing to see but to see the quality these hospices give people towards the end of their lives and the support they for to everyone around is a great thing and a really important network."
Ben is due to appear at Hamilton racecourse this Thursday and admitted he loves visiting Scotland
He said: "I've been in Glasgow many a times before and the crowds are cool. We were here for the X Factor tour for two days and we went out on one of the nights. But I can't give too much away about it. We're doing a lot of things just now and have a lot of gigs set up for the summer. I'm in talks about recording a new EP too."



- 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

MOET GIVES US THE PERFECT EXCUSE TO PARTY IN GLASGOW

CHAMPAGNE is something you normally drink on a very special occasion (unless you're lucky enough to have some on tap like Moet ambassador Scarlett Johansson).
And June 11 aka Moet Party Day was the perfect celebration to try some of the quite literally coolest champagne in the world.


Moet Ice was in abundance in Glasgow's Ashton lane as the champagne house marked the first champagne spray by Le Mans winner Dan Gurney in 1967 when he celebrated his win by impulsively spraying the crowd with his trophy Jeroboam of Moët & Chandon.


Glasgow's Lane Bar joined Edinburgh in being two of the 35 cities worldwide which took part in the festivities.
Later in the evening there was also a part at Corinthian Club with even more bubbles.


The all white party in Ashton Lane came complete with Balearic beats, DJ sets from Shae D and Nick Peacock and live saxophone beats.


Harry Potter and Departed actor David O'Hara was amongst the guests but the Moet was star of the show.
The white ice bottles and glasses were filled with cucumber, grapefruit and mint to set off the taste of the champagne which was slightly sweeter than usual.
It might have been Glasgow but with the outdoor seating, life rings, beach towels and ice buckets, theshowbizlion.com could have been in St Tropez.



- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

WATCH THE LIGHT THAT IS CHRISTINA GRIMMIE ON HER LAST VISIT TO SCOTLAND

The Showbiz Lion was devastated to hear about the death of young US talent Christina Grimmie after meeting with her in Glasgow.
We had the great pleasure of chatting with her when she appeared in Scotland at Glasgow's Garage Club in February last year.
We had a long chat backstage about the ups and downs of her career, the geeky fans she had, and being a female in the music industry.
Christina, 22, who was an Internet sensation and came third in the US series of The Voice was a lovely down to earth girl who was realistic about fame and its trappings.
She was shot dead during a meet and greet with fans after a performance in Orlando, Florida.
Her brother, Marcus, who was with her when she died, shared a heartbreaking statement on Saturday saying Christina was "more than my sister, she was a partner."
We send our love to her family and friends and hope the video above can provide some comfort during this awful time.


- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

COLDPLAY BRING LOVE TO HAMPDEN

Maria Callas kicked off Coldplay's biggest gig in Scotland yet and we knew were in for a night of classics.
Classic partying.
For a band that is often misrepresented as being boring and bland, Chris showed his sold out crowd at Glasgow's Hampden Stadium that he has more charisma in his little pinkie than his detractors.
A Head Full of Dreams, the title track of the tour came before anthemic Yellow which got the crowd singing along.



Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall gave them more of the same and Paradise proved to be a full on party track which even had Chris dancing along the runway.
A touching tribute to Muhammud Ali came with a moving video of the Greatest man himself and later in the set Chris paid tribute to David Bowie with his own rendition of Heroes.


The crowd was warmed up and then we all exploded with joy along with the confetti cannons as we went into true party mode on the A stage with a run of the biggies Clocks, Hymn For The Weekend, Viva La Vida and Adventure For A Lifetime.


Giant bouncing balls were thrown about the stadium as everyone jumped up and down with glee like excited teenagers at their first school dance.
And then Chris and co disappeared off the stage only to reappear on an even smaller stage towards the back of the stadium giving seated guests an even better view.


He sang Amazing Grace before giving one lucky Scots fan a song she requested on Instagram.
The canons boomed, the confetti fell, the pyros blazed, the lasers blasted and Hampden was filled with love.
A sea of neon armbands waved for Up and Up, bathing the stadium in a rainbow and it was the perfect end to a brilliant day.



- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

COLDPLAY WARM UP FOR GLASGOW'S HAMPDEN ARRIVING BY PRIVATE JET

COLDPLAY arrived by private jet in Scotland at lunchtime before their Hampden gig this evening.
Chris Martin and the lads were on top form as they stepped off their private black and white Embraer Legacy plane and were met by a fleet of people carriers at Glasgow Airport.



They came direct from London and are scheduled to fly straight out this evening.
Last time they played here however, Chris Martin stayed on to party and took a civilian flight back home the next day.
A member of their entourage took a picture of their tour buses outside the venue earlier this morning to tease fans that they'd stayed overnight.


The lads could be heard sound checking at Scotland's National Stadium just after 2pm and they even posed in front of the saltire to prove they were in town.
Here's the set list from Manchester a few days ago.
1. A Head Full of Dreams

2. Yellow

3. Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall

4. The Scientist

5. Birds

6. Paradise

7. Everglow

8. Lovers in Japan

9. Magic

10. Clocks

11. Midnight

12. Charlie Brown

13. Hymn for the Weekend

14. Fix You

15. Heroes

16. Viva la Vida

17. Adventure of a Lifetime

18. Don’t Panic

19. In My Place

20. See You Soon

21. Amazing Day

22. A Sky Full of Stars

23. Up&Up




- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

SILVERBURN GHOST SPOOKS SHOPPERS

HAVE you seen a ghost at Silverburn?
Shoppers at the Scots shopping centre in Glasgow have been left terrified, after spotting a ghostly figure floating through the nine-year-old Pollok building.
The apparition, said to be of a woman dressed in all black period clothing, has left Silverburn staff baffled, as it is the fourth sighting to be reported in as many weeks. Silverburn Management have since taken the unusual step of calling in paranormal experts, Glasgow Paranormal Investigations, to help establish the cause of the sightings.
A spokesperson from Silverburn commented: "We are aware that a shadowy woman has been spotted around the centre and we are taking the sightings extremely seriously. We have reached out to local experts in the field of paranormal activity, who will hopefully be able to shed some light on the matter."
One shopper who wishes to remain anonymous commented, "We were waiting on our friend coming out of one of the shops, when out of the corner of my eye I saw this dark figure down the corridor, almost hovering – it was terrifying."
Silverburn security guard Thomas Chalmers, who also claims to have seen the ghost said: "I had just finished my shift and was leaving the centre bathroom, when I just felt this sudden chill. I didn't think much of it, but as I looked up I saw this shadowy figure disappear down the hall. There is no way that it was human."
A member of Glasgow Paranormal Investigations explained: "It is not uncommon for a spirit to be attached to a site before the present building was constructed. Possibly Silverburn or the construction of the new cinema disturbed it. This can be common in hauntings. The most important thing is to ensure whoever it is, finds a peaceful resting place."
Silverburn opened in 2007, built on the former Pollock shopping centre site. Last year the centre opened a further £20million extension to the building, comprising of a Cineworld cinema and a new restaurant wing. Prior to the recent sightings there have been no official reports of paranormal activity.
Have you seen the ghostly lady? To help in its investigation, Silverburn would like to hear from you. Please contact enquiries@shopsilverburn.com or tell us at theshowbizlion@gmail.com







- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

SNOW PATROL'S GARY LIGHTBODY RETURNS TO DUNDEE UNI

SNOW Patrol's Gary Lightbody is going back to where his music began when he receives an honorary degree from the University of Dundee this summer.
Gary graduated from the University in 1998 with an English degree. But the real impact on his life and career from university life came with the formation of the band, which started from a conversation on his very first day in Dundee.
Snow Patrol have since gone on to sell millions of records, play the world’s biggest stages, and Gary has become a songwriter in demand, including collaborations with Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
He will receive the honorary degree Doctor of Laws at the University’s Graduation ceremony on Friday June 24th.
He said: "On my very first day at Dundee I met Mark McClelland and we started the band. It really means the world to me to be coming back to the University to receive an honorary degree. My mum and aunt are coming over and a few of my best mates will be there too, so it’s going to be a great day.”
Gary is currently busy recording a new Snow Patrol album.
Professor Sir Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, added: “We are always keen to follow the progress of our graduates and see the impact they make on the world after leaving Dundee.
“Gary’s success with Snow Patrol has helped spread the University’s name around the world and we are delighted to welcome him back to receive his honorary degree.”
The University’s Graduation ceremonies take place in the Caird Hall in Dundee from June 22 to June 24. Gary will receive his honorary degree at the afternoon ceremony on Friday June 24, which starts at 2.30 pm.











- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

CALVIN CONFIRMS TAYLOR SPLIT

CALVIN Harris claims he still has "a huge amount of love and respect" for Taylor Swift as he confirmed news of their break up.
After 15 months Talvin has met its demise and Dumfries born Calvin has tried to silence the rumours by telling fans on Twitter: "The only truth here is that a relationship came to an end & what remains is a huge amount of love and respect."
Taylor herself retweeted the message late last night.
The two former lovebirds were said to be incompatible and it is believed Calvin reluctantly ended the relationship after things became too intense.
Either way, fans of both artists are mourning the end of their very special relationship.




- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

TRAVIS GO CLASSICAL WITH A CONE ON BBC MUSIC DAY

TRAVIS claim playing their BBC Music Day gig with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestr at Glasgow's Barrowland is 'like putting the traffic cone on the statue.'
Referring to the Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square which now sports a cone on its head, singer Fran Healy explained: "Promoters generally push you to play bigger venues with more seats to make more money from tickets but playing here at the Barrowlands was all led by the BBC and there was never any talk of anywhere else.
It's like putting the traffic cone on top of the statue - mixing the two things and that sums me up.
Bassist Dougie Payne added: "I think part of that is not being afraid to put to that together. It's where interesting things happen when you put high and low culture together."
Fran is so excited about the performance tomorrow night that he's tempted to jump off stage. He said: "Fans have been going mental on Twitter. When we are doing it I'd love to be in the audience and see it. I might jump out."
The lads reckon playing with a live orchestra has been an education.
From said: "You are playing with professional musicians and I'm not talking about us. We are semi professional and when you play with a professional orchestra they turn up on time, know what they are doing and can read music. It's like German transport. It's all very union."
Dougie, Fran and the lads can't wait to showcase some of their songs like More Than Us with orchestral arrangements. They are also playing songs including Animals and Paralysed from their new album.
Fran added: "To bring a band like this in The Barrowlands is completely out of their comfort zone.
Dougie added:"It's never been done before. It's the first time they've ever extended the stage so much the permanent barrier in front of the stage has ever been moved.
It's a one off. It's so expensive we couldn't do it without the help of The BBC or a big organisation like that and and it makes it more special for us. I doubt we'll ever do anything like this again."

THE BOSS GOT THE GLASGOW HAMPDEN CROWDS ROARING

THE Temperature was already on high for Bruce Springsteen's marathon set at Glasgow's Hampden and the famous roar echoed round the stadium for his arrival.
The national stadium burst with pride as The Boss and his now legendary E Street band took over the stage, sax, guitar, bass, drums and piano at the ready.


The Boss smiled from ear to ear as he launched into the for once ironically titled track Waitin On A Sunny Day.
My Love Will Not Let You Down and The Ties That Bind led into Sherry Darling and Two Hearts which got everyone singing along.
Weirdly there appeared some boos just before Rosalita but it turned out just to be people calling Bruce in admiration. The cheers came on even stronger as well as a mass singalong for Hungry Heart while Bruce ran into the crowd.
Out In The Street followed then Lonesome Day and You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) which saw him share the microphone with Steve Van Zandt.
Death To My Hometown and Johnny 99 came soon after as The Boss showed off his skills on the harmonica or moothie was we Scots call it.
Point Blank slowed down the pace with its poignant end note 'bang bang baby your dead.



Darkness on the Edge Of Town and The Promised Land all got the crowd stomping while Thunder Road and the jaunty Badlands got arms in the air.


The pace was upped as the chords to Born in the USA were struck and everyone - including the seated part of the stadium- rose to their feet.
It was just as well as the stadium was getting a bit chilly.
Born To Run And Glory Days followed as hips shook and bodies swayed in the fully animated and chanting crowd.
Springsteen shouted: "Glasgow you don't want to go home yet" as he launched into Dancing In The Dark.
The grannies were dancing along with with mums and dads and their offspring.
Of course a Springsteen gig wouldn't be complete someone being plucked from the crowd and Springsteen managed to do just that with two lucky Scots ladies who had a night they'll never forget.


This New Jersey boy knows how to entertain and three and a half hours just wasn't enough.
Springsteen knew it himself as he asked if we had anything left and we replied with a sea of hands waving.
So he did what any self respecting rocker in Glasgow did and sang Lulus Shout. He said: "I want you to go home and tell everyone you saw the bootie shaking, viagra taking, history making, earth quaking E Street Band. "
It was some encore and it made him an honorary Scot. Rock n roll.




- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com

GLASGOW GETS LUCKY WITH PHARRELL GIG

US superstar Pharrell Williams is coming to Glasgow's SSE Hydro on Tuesday July 19.
We've been told by one of our wild contacts that the Get Lucky and Happy hitmaker Pharrell will be in the UK supporting Stevie Wonder at the British Summertime show at Hyde Park in London on July 10 as well as playing dates in Switzerland, Rotterdam and Copenhagen and will head north to Glasgow for the Hydro gig.
Pharrell who was one half of The Neptunes and also had a hit with Blurred Lines previously played Glasgow for Radio 1's Big Weekend.
The Showbiz Lion also managed to have a dance with him when he played in Edinburgh for the MTV Awards.
Tickets will go on public sale this Friday (June 3) at 9am.
- From Scotland with love from theshowbizlion.com