By Kathleen Speirs

AN IRISH chart-topping musician is heading to Greenock as part of his much anticipated UK-wide tour.

Irish country superstar Derek Ryan will take to the stage at The Albany on Sunday November 13 on the back of a string of sell-out shows in Scotland.

The award-winning singer songwriter will be performing in Greenock for the first time and cannot wait to be back on Scottish soil.

He said: “Scotland is amazing, it’s one of my favourite places to play.

“You certainly don’t have a passive audience; the Scottish crowd is always up singing, dancing and clapping along, it’s a great atmosphere when we perform there.”

Derek is looking forward to playing at the converted church and now popular entertainment venue on Orangefield Place, where he will showcase exclusive tracks from his next album, ‘This is Me’, which is out at the end of this year.

He said: “We can promise the people of Greenock a good night out.

“Irish country is based on traditional Irish music, which is very similar to Scottish music, with American influences of blue grass, old school country and rock and roll.

“As well as all my original songs from the 
album, I’ll do quite a few acoustic covers of songs from modern artists such as Avicii and Walk the Moon.

“Scotland has a brilliant traditional music scene and keeps its roots alive with events such as Celtic Connections. I feel very lucky to be performing this kind of music in this country, it’s a very exciting time.”

To buy tickets for Derek Ryan in Concert, which cost £21, contact The Albany box office on 866100.