ON TOUR WITH ROD
Blantyre singer will tour with Rod Stewart
Blantyre singer Joe Gallacher to back superstar
A Blantyre singer/songwriter is proving that‘some guys have all the luck’ after being picked to go on tour with Rod Stewart.
Joe Gallacher, who goes by the name Toy Tin Soldier, has performed for fans at Celtic Park.
And it was there that he caught the attention of American band Johnny Mac and the Faithful, who have also played at the stadium.
They were so impressed that they invited him along to perform with them as part of the support band for the global superstar’s upcoming tour of the UK and Ireland.
Joe will take to the stage at the Glasgow SSE Hydro as well as dates in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Dublin and Belfast throughout November and December.
He told the Advertiser: “It will be a total thrill for me to perform next to, and on the same stage as, a true icon such as Rod.
“He is one of the originators of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it, and to watch him every night and possibly pick his brains will be a true honour.
“Plus, he’s a true Celtic man, so I’m sure we will hit it off.”
But the good news doesn’t stop there for the dad-of-three. Following on from the successful release of his 2016 album Yield, he is also set to release his new record Soldier ON in the spring of 2020.
And Joe hopes to better the success of Yield which reached number 7 in the itunes singer/songwriter chart.
The 35-year-old told the Advertiser: “The success of Yield was unexpected. The response was fantastic and I hope everyone gets behind the new record.”
And this week he launched his first ever crowd-funding campaign.
The idea is to raise at least £2500, which will then be invested be invested into the radio promotion of the upcoming album.
Joe added: “It’s been a huge year for me and my family and we’ve enjoyed a lot of success working with Celtic Football Club and now with both Johnny Mac and the Faithful, and indeed the one and only Rod Stewart on the forthcoming tour.
“It’s been a real whirlwind but it’s really important to me to raise the £2500; it’s all or nothing.
“They way we do this is by having a huge variety of items on offer – signed CDS, limited edition album prints and even house concerts. There will be something for everyone for as little as £8.
“That’s why it was decided to release the new record on our own rather than through a label. This will allow us to reinvest into the promotion of Toy Tin Soldier.
“And hence our Kickstarter campaign has been launched. The record is ready to go, we just need the money to press physical copies and promote it to radio.
“It is not a cheap game, but I know with the support I have we can do it. After all, what use is a record if people can’t hear it?
“I’ve had phenomenal support from the Lanarkshire and wider Glasgow public and I’m very excited to see what the Rod tour and Kickstarter campaign brings.”
Hoops fan Joe has performed at Celtic Park in front of 60,000 fans on a number of occasions, and appeared on the team bus when they celebrated the treble-treble. To help Joe raise the funds, go to www.kickstarter. com/projects/ toytinsoldier/ on-new-toy-tinsoldier-album