Written by Georgina Lennon

Playing alongside Midge Ure was an opportunity 27-year-old Michael MacLennan could only dream of as a young boy so when the opportunity arose for him to play an intimate gig with him in Glasgow later this month, he grabbed it with both hands.

As part of Glasgow Art Fair - which runs from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th March – Braewell Galleries have organised an intimate audience with Midge Ure and Michael has been lucky enough to have been chosen to play alongside him.

Marcus McLeod, curator of Braewell Galleries, said: “Michael is an extraordinary Scottish talent who is on the cusp of major success.

“We are thrilled to have Midge Ure perform an acoustic set.”

He added: “He has played for a number of big celebrities and counts the likes of Rod Stewart and the late Stephen Gately as fans of his music.”

“When coming up with the concept of the evening I had to think who would compliment someone as great as Midge, and for me, Michael was the obvious choice.”

Looking over the Cairngorm Mountains from his Highlands home in Nethy Bridge, Michael would dream of one day being as big as The Stones, Otis Reading or Bruce Springsteen.

He said: “I used to look at photos of musicians on classic albums from the likes of the Band, Springsteen and the Eagles and think the whole image and romanticism of being a travelling musician was something I really wanted.”

He added: “I used to read books about these people and spend all my time learning how to play their music so when I was about 16-years-old I decided that was what I really wanted to do with my life and was determined to do everything possible to make that happen.”

Like many people Michael’s age, his first introduction to Midge Ure as an artist was through his involvement in the Live Aid campaign.

He said: “I was too young at the time to realise how powerful and what a great artist Midge was, so when I grew up and was at an age to appreciate what went on, I looked back on footage of all the great artists who were brought together and was really impressed by what he’d achieved.”

Studying at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London, Michael achieved a BMUS (Hons) as a classical concert pianist, however his true passion was for song writing, something which he moved back home to the wide open spaces of Inverness for inspiration.

He said: “After college I moved back up to the Highlands to begin properly focusing on song writing. “I quickly gained interest from several figures down in London, one being Eaton Music Ltd who remain my publisher to this day.”

“While living in London in 2007, Michael played in various piano bars throughout the city including the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel and the Dorchester Hotel – where a very special member of the audience offered his some invaluable advice.

He said: “While at the Savoy I got the chance to play to many famous faces including Rod Stewart and Bob Geldof.”

He added: “Playing to Rod Stewart was a great moment for me as I’d always been a fan.

“On leaving he tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘bloody good job son’ and gave me a tip – that was the greatest encouragement for me to get as a young musician.”

Around the same time Michael was booked to play for a birthday party in north London and once at the venue he realised among the guests invited were Natalie Imbruglia and the late Stephen Gately.

Michael described that night as one of the most memorable so far, saying: “It was a great night - both singers ended up getting up to the piano to sing a song or two with me – it was amazing and I’ll never forget it.”

The consummate perfectionist has been putting in long hours, working on his set for the night, making sure every not is pitch perfect.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with Midge,” explains Michael.

“To be given the chance to play alongside such an iconic Scottish musician is fantastic. “It’s a real privilege for me to be a part of the evening.”

He added: “Aside from getting the chance to play some of my own music I am also greatly looking forward to sitting back and listening to Midge’s set.”

On the night Michael plans on playing his own songs with a few interesting covers thrown in for good measure.

“I just want to entertain people and hopefully I’ll do myself and Midge proud.

“Hopefully people will go away at the end of the night interested in hearing more from me as an artist and then come along to a future gig of my own sometime.”