21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Award-winning Michael Brawley Big Band marks 30th anniversary with series of gigs
It all began when musician Michael Brawley sent out a call to players in the Hamilton Advertiser back in 1995 in the style of First World War minister Lord Kitchener, which read '(Your) Swing Band Needs You' - and the rest, as they say, is history.
It's 30 years since Lanarkshire's award-winning Michael Brawley Big Band first took to the stage - and it all began with an ad in the Hamilton Advertiser.
And to mark the anniversary milestone, the marvellous musicians have a number of gigs lined up, including at Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Super Sunday Community & Family Day, at Bridgeton Bus Garage, this Sunday, July 27, performing two sets from 12 noon.
Hamilton musician Michael Brawley sent out a call to players in the Hamilton Advertiser back in 1995 in the style of First World War minister Lord Kitchener, which read '(Your) Swing Band Needs You' - and the rest, as they say, is history.
The band, which performs solely to raise money for well-meaning and worthy causes, has donated more than £60,000 to charity.
Michael, 50, said: "Looking back, I'm proud of what the band has achieved.
"I was two-and-a-half years into my degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland when I came up with the idea.
"I'd played in jazz bands at school and knew there were lots of local players whose instruments were lying under their beds.
"Eileen Mortlock, principal music teacher at St. John Ogilvie High School in Hamilton, and her husband, musician Ernie Mortlock, were great supporters.
"We rehearsed in the school and our first gig was at a Christmas concert."
The band went on to win a raft of awards at the National Concert Band Festival, the UK's largest festival for wind and big bands.
The players secured a platinum award, two gold awards and a silver award at events in Cardiff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Michael, who has a distinguished career as a musician and music teacher, still plays with the band on occasion.
The group has been run for many years by a committee of players and its current musical director is Duncan Parkinson.
Michael said: "Being a musician is part of something that you are. If you have that compulsion, you can't choose not to follow that path.
"The band has such a good energy about it, and I'm thrilled that there are players still there who were there at the start. Here's to the next 30 years."
The band's schedule in the past year alone has included gigs at the iconic B-listed Kelvingrove Bandstand in Glasgow, Gleddoch Golf & Spa Resort, Hamilton Pride, Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust (GVVT) and Coatbridge's Summerlee Museum.
As well as the gig at Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust Super Sunday Community & Family Day, at Bridgeton Bus Garage this weekend, locally, the band is performing at an event to mark 150 years of Lodge St Bryde in Uddingston on August 22 at 7pm.
This is open to all and donations to charity are welcome on the door.
And the band returns to GVVT on September 7 for the Blue Lights, Buses and Troops open day, celebrating the services, emergency and military; for more information, visit or the band's Facebook page.
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