Scottish singing legend Marti Pellow has urged Aberdeen fans to “bring a smile and dancing shoes” to his show because he’ll do the rest.
The former Wet Wet Wet frontman will celebrate his remarkable career with a headline show at the city’s Music Hall on Thursday as part a Greatest Hits tour.
Marti insists he has a strong emotional bond with Aberdeen having regularly travelled to the Granite City for day trips with his family as a child.
The city sparkled for a kid who would go on to become a multi-million selling chart-topping star.
Now Marti aims to sparkle for his fans in Aberdeen.
He said: “I have always felt at home in Aberdeen as I’ve had so many great times there.
“As a kid I would often leave Glasgow Central Station with my brother and da and travel up to Aberdeen.
“I remember as a wee boy the first time I went to Aberdeen the sun was shining and the city sparkled for me.
“And every time since I have returned it has done that.
“I want to hang out in Aberdeen and shoot the breeze with everyone.
“Aberdeen, the only thing you have to do is bring a smile, your dancing shoes and leave the rest to me.”
Tackling a fish ‘like a whale’ in Aberdeen
Marti has headlined Aberdeen as a solo artist, performed in musicals in the city and also headlined the old AECC with Wet Wet Wet in their halcyon chart-topping prime.
The last time he performed in Aberdeen Marti had to tackle the Moby-Dick of fish suppers!
He said: “I remember going for fish and chips when I was last in Aberdeen.
“The fish… it was like a whale.
“It’s the first time I have walked out a fish and chip shop with it under my arm.
“As I walked back to my hotel I was thinking ‘wow. I’m going to be busy with this’.
“I wish I could remember the name of the fish and chip shop.
“I couldn’t believe the size of the fish – it was gigantic.
“I was busy with it and gave it my best shot.”
Which begs the question, did you finish the fish or did it beat you?
“Aye, it beat me,” he laughed.
‘Life doesn’t get much better than this’
During his time as frontman of Wet Wet Wet, the band racked up three chart-topping singles, had 12 singles in the UK top ten and enjoyed four No.1 albums.
Worldwide smash hit Love Is All Around spent a remarkable 15 weeks at number one in the UK in 1994.
However, Marti’s career encompasses so much more than his time at the front of one of Britain’s most successful chart acts of the 80s and 90s.
As a solo artist, he has released 12 albums with the latest, Stargazer, critically acclaimed.
Marti has also received rave reviews for headline performances in West End and Broadway musicals such as Chess, Evita and Jekyll and Hyde.
Denied the opportunity to perform live for almost 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic Marti is relishing the opportunity to reconnect with his fans.
He promises a special night at the Music Hall.
He said: “To see any of your favourite artists in this period will be a wonderful time as we are doubly enthusiastic.
“When playing live was taken away from artists during the pandemic a lot of people struggled with how to express themselves and feel that connection with fans.
“I want to experience that sense of connection again through an audience.
“It is your energy they feed off and give you it back.
On my way to rehearsals 😝 I hope you've all been practicing your dancing?? 💃 L2L Marti x #nomartinoparty #GreatestHitsTour pic.twitter.com/D4n7oCzaoV
— Marti Pellow (@martiofficial) November 5, 2021
“That is the essence of what all artists miss –that live connection, being in a room – the power of the collective.
“The Music Hall in Aberdeen is great for that.
“It’s so beautifully designed and a wonderful venue for the voice.
“The Music Hall is built in a way that even if you sitting up the back you can still hear a feather drop.
“Music is about harmony and in a good room when the audience are up for it, as I know they are in Aberdeen, you think to yourself ‘come on, life doesn’t get much better than this’.”
Lockdown sessions enjoyed by 12m
Deprived of live performances during the pandemic Marti began delivering Lockdown Sessions which were laid back ‘wee sing songs’ to deliver some light to his fans.
The online initiative, filmed in his home studio throughout the first lockdown, was enjoyed by more than 12 million.
He said: “I factored it into my week and every few days I would sing a wee song and take questions from fans online.
“I just wanted to shoot the breeze and didn’t want to go into anything in-depth.
“I was just telling wee stories about my life and what had happened to me that day.
“It was wonderful to navigate that whole time together with my fanbase.
“I don’t know who got more out of it – them or me.
“It was a two-way thing.
“Whether that was singing to help raise money to buy PPE after a couple of nurses reached out to me from my hometown in Clydebank.
“Or whether I was singing as part of little Oliver’s Army for a young boy who was ill and his family were raising money.
“Some people were baking cakes, others were going on marathon runs to raise money for this wee boy.
“All I had to do was sing into my phone and ask my fan base to contribute which they were delighted to do.”
Praise from an Aberdeen legend
Marti even received positive feedback on one of his Lockdown Sessions from a world-famous Aberdeen born and raised music legend.
He said: “You never knew who was watching.
“I got a lovely message from one of Aberdeen’s own Annie Lennox because I did an interpretation of one of her songs and she loved it.
“Those Lockdown Sessions were wonderful and I want to tip my hat to that in the show.
“I called it the Greatest Hits tour but whether I wrote the songs or not it’s about songs we are familiar with.
“If it’s a good song I love to tell the story that lives within it.”
There are still a few tickets left for Marti Pellow’s Music Hall gig on Thursday. To find out more visit aberdeenperformingarts.com
