VSOM Christmas Concert 2024
Town Mill Theatre Strathaven
Thursday 28th & Friday 29th Nov
VSOM Christmas Concerts 2024
28th & 29th Nov 2024
Each night will feature a unique concert, so performers are only required to attend on the evening of their performance – see the bottom of the page for a list of performances for each night.
Tickets: Tickets will be available shortly through Eventbrite. Performers' families will have an exclusive 3-day window to organise their tickets before they go on general sale to the public.
Please note, the Mill Theatre has a maximum capacity of 110, and we anticipate tickets will sell out quickly. To avoid disappointment, please organise your tickets promptly.
Arrival: Performers should arrive at the theatre between 5:45 pm and 6:30 pm on the evening of their concert. The shows will start at 7 pm sharp, with a break around 8 pm, and should finish around 9 pm.
What to Bring
VSOM/The Mill will provide:
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Microphones
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Stands
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Amplifiers
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Piano
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Drum kit
Musicians (guitarists, bassists, ukulele players, and violinists) must bring their own instruments and any required accessories, such as:
Strap: All acts will perform standing. Please ensure you have a strap for your instrument and have practised playing while standing.
Guitar Cables: Longer cables (20ft-30ft) allow for better spacing on stage. Please avoid bringing short (5ft-10ft) cables.
Clip-on Tuners: Ensuring your instrument is in tune is essential for a good performance.
Spare Strings: In case of unexpected breakage on the night.
Plectrums
Violin Rosin
Drum Sticks, etc.
Preparation
For guitarists and violinists, we recommend fitting a fresh set of strings 2-3 days before the show. This will improve the tone and playability of your instrument and limit the possibility of breaking a string on the night.
Guitarists, please check and ensure your jack socket and cables are functioning properly and do not crackle.
Acoustic guitars with pickups typically require a battery. If you want your guitar plugged into the PA, please ensure the battery is fresh with plenty of juice.
If your instrument is not playing as well as it should – crackling or buzzing – you are welcome to bring it to Village Music. Remember to say you attend VSOM and that it's for the concert, and the team will ensure it's ready to rock 'n' roll for the event – you'll also get 10% off any accessories or servicing fees. However, please do not leave this until the day before.
Attire: Performers are welcome to dress as they please for the show – extra points for Christmas jumpers and T-shirts. To support VSOM, branded T-shirts are available to order on demand in 2-3 working days from Teemill – click HERE to see the collection
Finding the Venue
The theatre is a repurposed mill and may not look like a traditional theatre from the outside, which can make it tricky to find. Below are some pictures of the outside of the theatre, its location on Google Maps (circled in green), with suggestions for parking (circled in red). The red arrow indicates the direction you enter Strathaven from East Kilbride.
Parking: While there is no dedicated theatre car park, there are 5 nearby parking locations within a 2-minute walk:
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The Drawing Room/Parlour Car Park
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A small car park across from The Drawing Room/Parlour
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Station Road car park
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Two car parks at the Common Green (Village Square)
Eating
Strathaven has some fantastic eateries. If you aim to eat before the concert, we recommend:
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Casa – Modern Italian – this is a super-small, cosy restaurant – booking in advance is recommended.
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Taal – Award-winning Indian.
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The Waterside – Casual dining/Pizza restaurant.
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The Strathaven Hotel – 5-star dining.
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The Strathaven – Casual gastro pub.
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The Parlour – Closed on the 28th but serving Christmas-themed tapas on the 29th.
Running Order
Thursday 28th Nov - Click HERE for Tickets
Echo’s: ‘Hotel California’ (Eagles) – ‘Summer of '69’ (Bryan Adams) - 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' (The Clash)
Featuring: Barclay Wales - Jeff Boyle - Andrew - Stephen Forbes - Sharon Forbes
Nico Adult Guitars: ‘Big Me’ (Foo Fighters) – ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ (Johnny Cash)
Featuring: Tom Bisset - Ron Sweeney - Frank Mahon - Davey Mooney - John Palmeri - John Anderson - Steven Irvine
Sarah’s Ukuladies: 'Dancing in the Moonlight' (Toploader)
Featuring: Ashley Gowans - Zoe Green - Libby Powell - Zahra Henderson - Ava Hetherington - Megan Johnstone
Rockstarz: ‘I Was Made for Loving You’ (Kiss) – ‘Centuries’ (Fall Out Boy)
Featuring: Lilly, Ava, Stars, Charlotte, Caleb
VSOM Allstars: Show Closer
Thursday Soloists
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Leah: 'Babooshka' (Kate Bush)
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Eli: Stand By Me
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Amber: Colours of the Wind
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Blair: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
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Lauryn: Out Here On My Own
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Ellis Walker: Classical Guitar Duet
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Lewis McCrory: 'Till There Was You' (The Beatles)
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Maria - 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'
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Friday 29th November - Click HERE for Tickets
Nico’s Wee Kids: 'Smoke on the Water' (live lesson)
Featuring: Lucas - Finn - Lewis - Matthew - Aaron - Adam - Accompanied by Vincent
Nico’s Teen Guitars: 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' (Nirvana) - 'Big Me' (Foo Fighters) - 'Candy' (Paolo Nutini)
Featuring: Adam - Bree - Callum - Lizzie - Jack - Alexander - Ryan - Tadhg
With Donald on Drums and Lauryn & Blair on Vocals
RockClub: 'Hysteria' (Muse) - Hotel California (The Eagles)
Donald Netten Drums - Eva Boyle Drums - Kyle Duke Guitar - Tadhg Guitar - Sofia Palmieri Piano
With additional guitars from Ryan & Rory + Ellijai on Vocals
Dani's Violins: Trad Set
Names TBC
VSOM Allstars: Show Closer
Friday Soloists
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Lucy Bourke & Ellijai– Duet – 'Always Remember Us This Way' (Lady Gaga)
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Layla – Piano Solo – Summer Song
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Vishaan – Piano Solo – Tricky Traffic
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Ruby – Piano Solo – TBC
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Lizzie & Alexander – Guitar Duo – Riptide (Vance Joy)
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Amy Clark – Piano Solo – Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Elton John)
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Erica Gibb – Vocal Solo – TBC