Boxtones mix with rock royalty but cherish their roots in Fernhill
They have been picked to support Elton John, have performed huge gigs to thousands of people and are one of Dubai’s most successful local bands.
But the roots of rock band The Boxtones lie in Fernhill.
That is where two of the group, guitarist Gary Tierney and drummer Gill Tierney, are originally from, having grown up on Morar Drive.
The group might not be known on Scottish shores but in the United Arab Emirates they have achieved a level of fame, having played a host of huge gigs and been signed to the Universal Music label.
It is a far cry from their early days in Fernhill, where they lived as young children, moving abroad when Gary was nine and Gill was just two.
Gill explained:“Our dad took a job in Saudi Arabia when we were young and the family have since moved to Bahrain, which they have called home for the past 22 years.
“The Boxtones formed in Edinburgh, where we were living for a bit and working as musicians, and we have since travelled the world playing music before deciding to build a home base here in Dubai by starting our own company in 2013.”
The latest boost to their career came when they were announced as the support to Elton John when the Rocket Man plays in the UAE in December at the 13,500 capacity Dubai Autism Rocks Arena.
The gig was originally supposed to take place a couple of weeks ago but the tour was postponed until the end of this year.
Gill said:“We can’t wait for the show in December.
“Unfortunately, due to Sir Elton’s health issues, we’ve now to wait 11 months for this awesome opportunity.
“Our keyboard player Will is a big fan and has seen him live twice already.
“He is a legend and we are very honoured to have been asked to open for him and his band.”
However, supporting music royalty will not be a new experience for the group.
They have played festivals and shows with The Who, Pharrell Williams, the Stereophonics, Florence and the Machine and Travis.
Gill added:“One of my favourite shows was Yasalam Beats on The Beach, which was part of the Abu Dhabi Formula One weekend in 2014.
“We performed our own material to 28,000 people on the road and it was such a rush.
“We have been very fortunate and worked hard to get some amazing support slots and the opportunity to play alongside some massive artists.
“We are annually invited to play at Party in the Park, which is held at a huge