The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Marti Pellow
Perth Concert Hall, October 7
Scottish crooner Marti Pellow is going back to his musical roots by performing the songs he holds most dear.
The Wet Wet Wet legend is marking three decades since the band’s big breakthrough with his Private Collections Tour, a sweeping career retrospective.
It is a chance to hear Marti sing Wets favourites, solo offerings and a few choice covers of works by some of his favourite songwriters.
“It’s just basically me going through my record collection – songs that inspired me when I was growing up – ‘cos I’m a fan of music,” the builder’s son from Clydebank says.
“For instance, if I hear Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind And Fire – which is a great song – instantly I’m transported back to being this 12-yearold boy who was too embarrassed to go and ask the girl that I liked to dance.
“Close To You by The Carpenters – I love that. Every time I hear that I always think of my mammy when she was at the sink doing her washing or whatever and she was singing that song.
“My mum liked to sing and that’s how I like to imagine her.
“We all make connections with music and that’s its power. We invest little pieces of our lives in it while it’s a backdrop when real life unfolds, and somehow we connect with the music.”
Marti, 53, whose real name is Mark McLachlan, first found fame in 1987 with the Wets’ debut hit Wishing I Was Lucky.
The band’s albums Popped In Souled Out, Holding Back The River, High On The Happy Side and Picture This sold in huge volumes, with their three UK number one singles including Troggs cover Love Is All Around, the secondlongest British chart-topper ever at 15 weeks.
Internal disputes over money created friction and Marti quit the band in 1999 in a bid to kick alcohol and drug problems.
Long since sober, he says it was his family who helped him through those dark days.
“After I got myself together and got knowledge about the disease that I had then I could move forward,” he adds.
“It wasn’t because I was a pop star or anything like that, because addiction isn’t fussy who it breaks bread with.
“Once you get education then you can do something about it, because you can’t plead ignorance.
“For me, I was always going to be that, it was in me. When I had my first drink it was about escapism. It did something to me, and I liked that.
“In the same way that I connect with music it was something that was all or nothing. I was lucky enough to have my mum and dad still alive at that time and my family all came round me.”