Music

Behind The Noise ends with a spectacular live show

Behind The Noise, a Glasgow-based music business education programme, is designed to inspire and engage young people who are interested in music, and show them the different career paths open to them.

The programme culminated in a series of live shows at Glasgow’s Classic Grand last week, and we sent Ticketmaster’s very own Doug Smith, SVP Business Operations, to up there to scope out exactly what the deal was for himself:

Arriving at the venue I was greeted with the news that it was a DRY BAR! Two words to put a chill into anyone’s heart!

However, as soon as I entered the auditorium I could feel the positivity emanating from the crowd and the need for a restorative pint was swiftly eliminated. The hall was full of teenagers and their families; with everyone cheering the bands on stage (the presence of the teenagers explained the dry bar!)

I headed for a raised vantage point by the merchandise stand, and was greeted by the broadest smiles I’ve seen in a long time; the volunteers staffing the stand tried to entice me into purchasing some memorabilia, but before I could make my choice, one of the bands hit the stage.

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Every single act that stepped onto the stage was impressive. There were plenty of stand-out moments, with some real stars of the future hitting the stage and wowing the audience. I was taken aback by the camaraderie displayed between the bands; none more so than when one act’s guitarist failed to turn up to the gig, forcing his bandmates to draft in someone from another band –  thankfully he learnt the songs during the day, and totally smashed it on the night.

One of my favourite moments was when I was spotted by Michaela, one of the students who worked with Ticketmaster at the Box Office at T in the Park last summer. She whisked me away into the VIP area. It was really great to hear how the Behind the Noise programme had benefitted her and helped her move into the industry.

The final act of the night was a super group made up of alumni from previous years of Behind The Noise. Called, fittingly, Beyond The Noise, they performed a stellar Bowie tribute. They owned the stage and really ended the gig on a high.

I left the night with a big grin on my face, chock-full of those fuzzy warm feelings that come from seeing a bunch of inspiring kids doing what they love to do, all thanks to Behind The Noise. I’ll be back for more – the lack of beer and all!

We can’t wait for Behind the Noise to return next year. Keep an eye on the blog for when new tickets become available.