THE LYONS SHARE

Yeehah! The country music scene is huge and my whip was a-cracking after being invited to meet the cast of Nashville at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro.

The Lionsgate and Country Music TV series has just finished after six seasons and has gained a massive following - managing to pack out the SSE Hydro with last minute tickets swapping hands for £400 on Tuesday night!

I was chuffed to be invited to the Opry style gig by the lovely people at Barrhead Travel, Tennessee Tourism and Hollicom who got me a hot ticket.

I couldn’t find a stetson but wore my Tartan Apparel shirt (sent to me by plaid loving husband and wife manufacturers The Sloans in Tennessee) with a guitar on it and a leather jacket to try and look the part.

The evening began with some light bites at Greek restaurant Mezze - which I sadly missed - because I was finishing off a couple of other stories.

Thankfully I got some appropriate southern fried chicken at the venue to keep me going and then I met the charming cast including Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson and Sam Palladio.

I told them about Glasgow’s own Grand Ole Opry and they were keen to see it.

They said it was obviously smaller than the real thing.

I also suggested they’d brought the good weather with them from Nashville Tennessee.

They told me it was sunny last time they were here which kind of proved the point.

Show star Jonathan Jackson even paid tribute to Jim Kerr with a rendition of Belfast Child.

COOL CAT

Nashville weren’t the only people to sing country this week as 911 star Jimmy Constable showcased his new album.

The boybander decided to try his hand at the genre after getting together with his Glasgow songwriting mate John McLaughlin and music partner Jud Mahoney.

I met him in Glasgow for a bite to eat after he performed at Paisley record store Feel The Groove.

Jimmy who has followed in the footsteps of Kylie Minogue and Justin Timberlake with his recent country vibe, told me he’s nervous and excited about the album. It went into the charts at number five but he says he is still looking forward to performing with his band 911 so fans shouldn’t worry that he’s going solo.

WHAT EVERYONE IS GOING WILD FOR...

Maybe I should take the hint...

I met up with Real Housewives of Cheshire Star Dawn Ward and her ex footballer hubby Ashley this week.

The glamour gal and business woman was appearing at Fake Bake’s cool offices in Renfield Street to promote her aesthetic machines through her cosmetic business Skulpt.

They offer machines for all sorts of things like fat removing treatments, Bloomea skin rejuvenation, Hifu skin tightening and vitamin drips and you will soon spot them in Scottish salons.

I asked Dawn what I needed to do to become one of the Real Housewives of Cheshire - aside from moving there.

She told me to have some Botox - no punches pulled there!

That’ll be a no for now, thanks.

Dawn who lives in a £15 million mansion with her man was here just two weeks ago in Gleneagles for a romantic break and loves visiting.

She’s just returned to our screens on ITVBe so you can see what cat fights she and the cast, including Paddy Mcguiness’s wife Christine, get up to.

WILD THINGS

My life was thrown into chaos as English boy rockers The Verse crashed at my pad.

I might be in the middle of my house move and still awaiting my bed but that didn’t stop them.

The four lads played at The Classic Grand for Alstar Music with other bands The Hara and Galaxy Thief.

They were recording some tracks in a Scottish music studio so decided to take over my living space.

We managed to go out for some grub in the Merchant City where some fans turned up to greet them and they even sampled the nightlife in Kokomo after local dj and club promoter Alfredo Crolla invited them there.

HAIRY BEAST

I have an adopted Basset Hound who is nine years old and is called Bertie.

He’s beautiful but very smelly.

As a result there was no other choice but to take him to the doggy spa this week for a little pamper and clean.

The K9 Design doggy spa in Westmuir Street treats him like the king he is.

Not only does he get a Hydro bath and Jacuzzi before being brushed, having his ears cleaned and having his nails clipped, he also even had a little tie on and a spray of doggy after shave when I went to collect him.

He’s definitely more pampered than me this week.

While I was there, I saw they also sell Parrot harnesses to allow you to walk your bird...

THE WEEK’S PRIDE

The honours this week go to a man who will be well missed from the Scottish hotel scene.

The gent that is Mr Dominic McVey has been in the hotel biz in Glasgow for 19 years, serving at the old Glasgow Albany which became The Holiday Inn City West and more recently (for the last fifteen years) manager of the Crowne Plaza.

His wife Andrea and kids Catriona and Patrick live in Newcastle and a weekly commute for the last eight years has finally taken its toll.

Dominic is upping sticks to return to his family and start with a new privately owned hotel company The Gainford Group.

He has tales galore and told me when he first started that direct dial hotel telephones were a unique selling point for the rooms here. These days he reckons people wouldn’t even notice if they no longer even existed!

Ironically Dominic’s daughter wants to go to a Scottish university so we might not be seeing the last of him just yet.

ON THE PROWL

I’ll be catching up with my old pal Ricky Magowan of the famous club Colours shortly.

He’s got loads of events coming up including Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike (the world’s biggest DJ duo) at Braehead Arena Glasgow on Saturday May 5, the brilliant Hacienda Classical May 19 at Braehead and Eric Prydz & Camelphat June 2 at Braehead. I’m getting my dancing shoes on.