Latest news with #SunshineonLeith
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Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Robbie Williams sings iconic Hibs anthem at Murrayfield as he asks Hearts question
Robbie Williams has paid homage to an iconic song synonymous with Hibs - and asked a Hearts question about the anthem. Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Robbie Williams has tackled Hibs' iconic Sunshine on Leith anthem - with a question asked on Hearts. The 51-year-old performed at Murrayfield over the weekend as part of his Britpop tour where he played plenty of his famous hits. As part of the slate of songs he performed, Scots star and Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus joined him on stage for a duet of Take That's Relight My Fire. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One fan got close to the singer as he worked with the crowd at a barrier, stopping to serenade them with emotional lyrics from She's The One. He then moved into a heartfelt rendition of Sunshine on Leith, which was met with mixed response, with Hearts' Tynecastle home close to the home of Scotland's national rugby team. Robbie Williams sings Sunshine on Leith Originally sang by the Proclaimers, Hibs fans belt out the anthem in times of joy and outstanding results, a rare occurrence happening in the season past as it was heard two times in a week after wins over Celtic and Hearts in Leith. Williams asked: "Now there's two things here. One is I think that's a better song than You'll Never Walk Alone and the other thing is why don't Heart of Midlothian boo that song? I don't get it?" "Are you here Hearts?" was another question posed by the frontman before he finished off any talk of football rivalry "Ok that's enough of that s**t." He is the latest high profile music act to cover Sunshine on Leith after Coldplay had a go earlier this year. Coldplay on why they sung Hibs anthem Chris Martin said: 'This cover that Guy sent me three days ago - he said 'listen to this song by The Proclaimers.' And I'd never heard it before. It blew me away. I'd never heard it before. Then I watched the Hibernian fans singing it in the terraces and it just gets me so much that song. There is a whole other world of music behind that song that I've just been discovering, and they're a wonderful, wonderful band. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Now we live in the age of coolness doesn't mean anything, just quality and soul. The Proclaimers make more sense than ever. This song is so astonishingly good and we're going to butcher it right now!" Guy Berryman, the bass player who comes from Kirkcaldy, explained : "I'd never heard it before either and I'm Scottish! I was listening to it in the bath three days ago and when it got to the second verse I was like kind of like 'oh, this is a serious song.' By the time it got to the chorus I was crying. I got to the end of it and I said to myself, if I listen to it again I wonder if it'll have the same reaction. So I did it again and the same thing happened. And by the third listen, I was in the bath howling. It's just one of those perfectly simple songs and I can't believe I'd never heard it before."
The Courier
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Robbie Williams superfan from Dundee reveals how she got a kiss from idol in front of 70k fans
A Robbie Williams superfan from Dundee has revealed her kiss from the star in front of 70,000 people nearly didn't happen. Debbie Allan, from Lochee, says her 'dream came true' when she received a peck from the singer during his gig at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. It was the highlight of their 10-minute interaction, which was displayed on the big screen on Saturday night. During this time the former Take That superstar sang Proclaimers classic Sunshine on Leith, held Debbie's hand, and even lightheartedly traded swear words with the 42-year-old. Pictures and video of the encounter have gone viral on Facebook and TikTok, with thousands empathising with Debbie's on-screen tears as she got up close and personal with the household name. But the once-in-lifetime meeting so nearly didn't happen, Debbie told The Courier. Debbie has been a Robbie Williams fan for more than 30 years and has seen him perform live around 35 times. These include all his Scottish shows, many in England, and even a gig in Munich, Germany. In the past few tours he has picked out a fan standing at the front to dedicate his song 'She's The One' to. So Debbie, with fellow Dundonian and superfan Paula Williamson, joined the Robbie Williams gig queue first thing in the morning in the hope of being picked out by the 51-year-old Stokie. But on Saturday at 10pm, having been at Murrayfield since 6am, Williams chose another woman standing nearby. 'He actually spoke to another girl first,' Debbie told The Courier. 'But she was from Germany and he wanted someone from Scotland. 'So I shouted 'I'm from Dundee'. 'That's when he came over.' The next 10 minutes were 'crazy', Debbie says. 'He came down, asked me where I was from and then he started singing Sunshine on Leith,' she said. 'He had his hand on my arm and I was holding his arm. 'I was quite happy and could have stood there all day – I wouldn't have cared. 'I was just holding him, looking at him and thinking 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is actually happening'.' After mischievously asking why Hearts fans tend to boo Williams' rendition of Hibs anthem Sunshine on Leith, the focus again turned to Debbie. 'He said to me, 'I never ask a woman how old she is…so what do you weigh?',' she recalled. 'And I told him to f*** off. 'He then cuddled me and said, 'That's why I love Scottish people. You ask them a question and they tell you to f*** off'. 'He gave me a direct kiss on the lips. It was so unexpected and I burst out crying. 'The camera was on me the whole time. 'The crying face was all over the screens. 'It was the most surreal experience ever.' Williams returned to the stage to sing She's The One, which topped the UK charts in 1999. But the spotlight hadn't left Debbie just yet. She explained: 'He dedicates that song to a fan. 'And even during the song he said things like 'wee Debbie'. 'There was still a camera on me the whole time. 'Then he waved at me after he sang it. 'I was crying.' Debbie had only once before made it onto a TV screen through her Robbie fandom. It was in February 1999, when she was asked why she was queuing so early for Williams' only Aberdeen gig. 'It was snowing and reporters were saying 'You can't be out queuing in the snow'. But we didn't care,' Debbie said. The scale of this exposure was minor compared to Saturday's experience. Debbie said: 'I've waited 30 years for a moment like that, it's just unbelievable. 'Every fan wants it to be them, and I hope that girl from Germany gets her moment when Robbie is next over there. 'For it to be me was unbelievable. It was surreal. 'Even after the gig, complete strangers were coming up to me, saying 'It's Debbie from Dundee'. 'It's been so emotional. 'Robbie is one of the best entertainers we have. 'He knows how to work the audience and is just unreal. 'I can't put into words what the guy means to me.' She added: 'I have followed him since I was 10 years old and to have this moment is like a dream come true. It's just amazing. 'Every time I watch the video and talk about it I'm crying. It's mental. 'I'm trying to save all the different videos but every one of them is just amazing. It's crazy.' The Courier's live news reporter James Simpson was among the 70,000 people at Murrayfield for the gig. The Dundonian admits Debbie's interactions with Williams put a lump in his throat. He said: 'Robbie asked if anyone else was from Dundee, and there was a good reaction. 'Robbie then had a bit of banter with Debbie and her pal, who was trying to film it or take pictures. 'Robbie then dedicated 'She's The One' to Debbie. 'It was brilliant. 'She was emotional and gave him a hug during the performance. 'I was delighted that a local person had been picked – she even got a smacker on the lips from Rob. 'Suffice to say, she looked chuffed.'
Edinburgh Live
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Lotto winner Jane Park makes cheeky jibe as Robbie Williams song choice divides crowd
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Robbie Williams' impromptu performance of an Edinburgh football club's anthem received a mixed reaction from the crowd at Murrayfield on Saturday night. As well as performing his biggest hits during the first leg of his Britpop tour, he decided to ditch the stage and head towards some unsuspecting members of the crowd mid-performance. At one point, Robbie, dressed in pink, appeared to serenade one fortunate fan by touching her on the shoulder and encouraging the crowd to join in. However, the song in question was Sunshine on Leith by The Proclaimers - an iconic tune associated with Hibs and the club's fans. Many were quick to point out on social media how Robbie decided to sing that particular song while performing in the west of the city and near Tynecastle - the home of Hibs' city rivals Hearts. One well-known Hibs fan who couldn't resist posting a video of the rendition was Edinburgh EuroMillions winner Jane Park. She wrote on X: "Robbie Williams singing sunshine on Leith over in Gorgie," along with a laughing face emoji and green love heart. Once finished singing Robbie said: "Now there's two things here. One is I think that's a better song than You'll Never Walk Alone and the other thing is why don't Heart of Midlothian boo that song? I don't get it?" He added: "Are you here Hearts?" to which cheers can be heard from the crowd before Robbie quickly shuts down all talk of football rivalry by quipping: "Ok that's enough of that s**t."
Scotsman
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Scotsman
I'm moving house to this Edinburgh neighbourhood and it's making me nervous
Johannes Valkama - I'm moving somewhere slightly livelier Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There is an unwritten rule that, as you get older, you're supposed to edge further out of a city. I'm doing the opposite, as proof, I suppose, that I ain't dead yet. As muckle Samuel McJohnson might have said, 'tired of Edinburgh, tired of life.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, for the last couple of decades, we've lived in a nice leafy residential area that's just outside of the centre. I wouldn't say it's the 'burbs, definitely not, but I do spend a lot of time riding LRT chariots. I'm always at least five stops away from wherever I need to be. While we were house hunting, which took a couple of years, we did look even further out. That's because it was more affordable, but also, it seemed like what was expected. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We could make our budget go further if we thought about, say, Liberton, Dalkeith, Colinton or Mortonhall, and we even started to consider going beyond to East Lothian, as far as Dunbar or Musselburgh. North Berwick was a bit of a fantasy, until it became more expensive than the Capital. However, there was a gravity that dragged us back into the epicentre. I suppose I always felt a bit lost when we viewed suburban-ish homes. What would I do, if I lived there, anyway? I don't drive, so it's not so easy to just whizz about. My husband does have a car, but he does not do lifts on demand. In fact, he only really takes the banger out when we go to Lidl, and, even then, we have to park at the furthest point away from the entrance, so it's still practically a ten minute walk away. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Thus, if we moved to the middle of nowhere, I'd just be marooned. Although I do generally love getting the bus, while five stops makes me happy, anything over 20 makes me angry. And then there's the fact that, apart from when I'm working, I spend very little time indoors. Unlike my other half, I have never been much of a homebody. If it's the weekend, I'm out at 9am, and back at 5pm. I'm always beetling about, and flitting from exercise classes, to cafes and restaurants. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Basically, all the food things, then leaping around to work off the food things. So, in a few weeks, I am pleased to announce - drum roll - that we're moving to Leith, and I plan to be the Leithiest Leither in town, bar getting a 'persevere' tattoo, though I'm not entirely ruling that out. Ever since we got the news, I've been singing Sunshine on Leith, under my breath. I don't know the lyrics, except for the 'sorrow, sorrow, sorrow' bit, so it already seems as if I'm a gloomy ghost who's haunting my soon-to-be-former flat. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Anyway, a recent trip down The Walk really opened my eyes to how trendy the area is these days. It has been for a few years now, but it seems to have ramped up even further. I'm probably not cool enough to be there, though I have been reassured by the fact that lots of my colleagues at The Scotsman already live in Leith. And they're definitely not hip. Quite the contrary. That assuaged my worries, but I might still upgrade my suburban home office workwear game, from Birkenstocks and joggers, to something more groovy. I can always complete the transition by buying a yellow beanie hat and a whippet when I get there. Or, we can go for the full-on toff look, and say that we've arrived in order to complete the gentrification. We will be twirling our moustaches and you'll hear us coming, as our silver-tipped canes click along the street. Out of our way, riff-raff and urchins. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is an exciting time for other reasons, too. After a lifetime in the city, this is one Edinburgh postcode that I've never inhabited. The closest I've ever got was a flat share on Hillside Street back in the Noughties. Other than that, I've always been a Southsider. I haven't even been on a tram yet. They scare me, a little. I'm not certain how you're supposed to mount one. Do you jump on, while they're still moving? I definitely don't know how you pay. Someone told me you don't just tap on, but also you have to tap off, so I'm using the mnemonic of bright red torsos in the summer. There will be a lot to learn, and I can't say I'm not nervous about the transition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I am saying goodbye to the leafy-ness of our current area, and I do like a bit of greenery, though there's always Leith Links. When we viewed the new house, the biggest shock was the sudden concentration of Deliveroo drivers, buzzing around like green hornets. And, as well as the takeaway options, I will go from having one or two local shops, to having a whole batch of them. My money will be burning a hole in my pockets. It's the Leith bakeries that have me in their doughy thrall. I will have about four on my doorstep. The nearest will be Twelve Triangles, and I've already decided that my Friday treat will be their magnificent millionaire's shortbread. We will never be without a loaf of their excellent porridge bread. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Or, there's The Pastry Section on Great Junction Street, with their window of goodies. Or Hobz, for their chesnut-coloured croissants. Even though I've lived in the Capital for almost all of my life, the change in neighbourhood is making me feel like a country bumpkin, who is coming to the big city for the first time. It's kind of thrilling.
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Top Hibs star on fan connection, emotional scenes and Euro hopes
Nicky has new targets in sight as UEFA competition beckons Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was all a bit much for little Leo Cadden, whose first reaction to being taken on a lap of honour at Easter Road was to start bawling as he cooried into dad Nicky's shoulder. Still, maybe the wee man – just two – will be more up for a party on one of the glorious European nights destined to have the place absolutely rocking in just a few short months. To say that Cadden has enjoyed his first season as a Hibs player would be fair enough. Warts and all, this has been a campaign to remember for many a highlight, the best moments made more special by the bleak beginning that cast so much doubt on David Gray's first steps into management. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From derby wins to beating both Old Firm sides, hearing Sunshine on Leith being sung around Easter Road on THREE separate occasions, culminating in Saturday's love-in between players and fans as the campaign was capped by a barmy 2-2 home draw with Rangers, it's been eventful, to say the least. Cadden has been a stand-out, too, the left wingback topping the assist charts with seven in 19 league starts. The former Barnsley wide man, who joined twin brother Chris at East Mains last summer, has also banged in five goals despite his appearances being limited by injury. Fit enough to start against Rangers at the weekend, season 2024-25 has been pretty much everything he hoped for. 'Yeah, it's been good,' he said, laughing at his own tendency towards understatement. 'Obviously the start was a wee bit ropey, and it was tough at the beginning of the season. But once we got to grips with basically winning games and getting the individual error out the way, we started to kick on. 'You can see how much it meant to everyone from the celebrations. Wednesday night in Paisley and then Sunday at home to Rangers, those were special scenes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So, yeah, now I can't wait for next year in Europe. Because this is definitely up there with anything I've experienced in my career. 'Even beating Hearts and Celtic at home, hearing Sunshine on Leith being sung all around the place, I've never experienced something like that in my life. I've been around the game a long time, I know when something's special - and those were two special days.' Wide man grew up watching Scottish clubs on big European glory nights Looking ahead to the prospect of playing either Europa League or Conference League football in season 2025-26, Cadden confessed: 'Oh, I'm buzzing. Absolutely buzzing. 'Obviously it's going to be hard. You look at all the teams we might get, and it shows how difficult it could be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'None of us really want to look too far ahead. We just want to enjoy what we've achieved and see what summer brings. 'But all of us grew up watching European football. I've spent my life watching Scottish teams playing all the different competitions – and now I'm going to be playing in it, whether it's the Europa League or Europa Conference League.' Saturday was a day for families as well as players, as kids of varying sizes joined dads for the traditional post-match show of thanks to supporters. Some of the youngsters coped better with the sensory overload than others. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Yeah, my wee boy Leo didn't like it,' confessed Cadden. 'I tried to take him round at the end, he didn't like it. He was just crying on my shoulder. He's just turned two, he's two and three months or something. He never liked that, so I had to give him back to his grandpa. He went upstairs again. 'But I took him out as a mascot for a moment. That's a moment he'll cherish when he gets older, hopefully. He'll look back on that, and he'll see he walked out with his dad against Rangers at Easter Road. 'And, aye, maybe he'll fancy one of the European nights. Probably still a wee bit young for that! Maybe. We'll see.'
