At a time when there were only two large outdoor music festivals in the UK, a promoter and a venue manager decided to create one for Scotland. Despite doubts by others that there would be enough Scottish music fans to attend such a festival of that scale, T-In-The-Park grew to become the second largest annual outdoor music event in the UK. It's hard to believe that three decades have passed […]
Following the success of Ricky Gervais’ TV series “Extras,” there has been a lot of interest in becoming a “background artiste.” But how do you do it? What’s involved? Who do you contact? Most importantly, how much does being an Extra pay? We have all watched films and TV dramas where leading actors play to camera with a well-rehearsed script. However, on many occasions our eyes wander away from the […]
An experimental form of television that was first tested in Lanarkshire, prior to the launch of fifty-nine other channels across the UK, which were later replaced with localised digital TV services. Lanarkshire Television (LTV) was a local station based in the former Hartwood Hospital, which began broadcasting from April 1999 until its closure in 2005. While it may not have achieved the same level of fame as other UK television […]
When a Lanarkshire band decided to create their own record label, they were soon on their way to being a major influence for Scottish independent music. With their Chem 19 recording studios based in Blantyre, Chemikal Undergound Records has become an influential label that has played a significant role in the Lanarshire and Scottish indie music scene over the past three decades. On their own social media pages they […]
Shire Extra supports Lanarkshire's many brass bands, as well as events and festivals that celebrate this important sound of Lanarkshire's culture, especially within the former industrial and mining communities. We have programs dedicated to this genre on Monday evenings, produced by Sounds Of Brass Radio in Girvan. We also endeavour to attend events within Lanarkshire where pipe bands regularly perform. Historically, Lanarkshire has had far more brass bands than any other […]
The Glasgow Mela was founded in 1990 as part of Glasgow’s celebrations as European City of Culture and has grown to become the largest multi-cultural celebration in Scotland. It is one of many Mela events that take place across the country every year. The free event is held annually in Kelvingrove Park (in the city's West End) on a Sunday in June, bringing dance, crafts, food, worskshops and more. Although […]
Lanarkshire Songwriters is group of local musicians who get together twice-monthly in Stonehouse and other venues throughout Lanarkshire, to perform and share songs and stories in an informal evening of music and discussion.As well as having its own strong membership, the group encourages other musicians to come along and participate in their many musical projects, whilst sharing advice and experiences of songwriting and performing in a variety of styles that […]
Lanarkshire continues to have more active pipe bands than most other counties in Scotland, all of which perform in the county's many annual celebrations, such as gala days, Highland Games, farming shows, Christmas parades, Hogmany festivals and more. Shire Extra supports Lanarkshire's very many pipe bands and solo pipers (see our list below), as well as events and festivals that celebrate this important sound of Scottish culture. We also have […]
