Thursday, February 23, 2017 31Highland News Group

A 13-year-old Matt Jr on stage with his father.

Tech wizards bring Matt Monro backIN 1977, when Matt Monro Jr was 13, he was invited by his father to join him on stage to perform a duet.

It only happened once, but now you can hear it at Eden Court on Tuesday by the magic of technology in Matt Jr’s tribute to his late dad’s life and music.

The Matt Monro Story: 30th Anniversary Tour packs in all the hits, from Bond theme From Russia With Love to the movie song Born Free, which became the theme song for “The Man With The Golden Voice” himself.

And for Matt Monro Jr who says he never cries, this show is proving an emotional experience.

“I can’t express the happiness I feel because I’m singing with my dad again,” he said. “I just sang once with my dad when I was 13-years-old. So it brings back such happy memories.

“But then when I did the trial run last year I cried every night on-stage, I couldn’t stop myself.

“I felt so embarrassed – it got to me at the same point of the show every night.

“So I presume I’m going to be crying 36 times again on this tour!”

Matt Jr gave up a career in professional golf to return to his first love, singing. Later this year he hopes to do an album, more in his own style.

“I’m more of a cross between a Michael Buble and a Sammy Davis Jr whereas my dad was more of a swing act, a crooner.”

It took Matt Jr a while to work out that his dad was famous when he was a youngster.

“I didn’t know till he did the TV programme This Is Your Life – I was 13.

“He and mum brought us up in a very down to earth and low-key way – treat people the way you want to be treated back, that sort of thing.

“I just thought he went and sang and

that didn’t mean anything to me.“But a couple of things intrigued me,

When I was at school, everyone seemed to know who my dad was. But I didn’t know who their dads were. And I couldn’t work that out for a very long while!

“We weren’t brought up like ‘Your father’s famous’. But after he appeared on This Is Your Life, I did start travelling a lot more with my dad – and I became his ‘gofer’. I loved that, just to be slightly involved.

“I remember when he first said ‘You don’t need to sit in the audience, you can sit in the wings, if you want?’. That was just an amazing thing for me – and then I realised he was not your normal nine to five, Monday to Friday person.”

And it’s the person behind the voice that Matt Jr wants to celebrate, as much as one of the great voices of the ’60s and ’70s.n The Matt Monro Story: 30th Anniversary Tour comes to Eden Court in Inverness on Tuesday.

NessCon ‘is a real force’EAGER Highland pop-culture fanatics have helped make the first comic convention to grace Inverness in five years a force to be reckoned with – with tickets selling out five months in advance.

NessCon, which is set for Eden Court on July 8-9, is the first convention of its kind to hit the Highland capital since Hi-Ex, which last opened its doors in 2012.

And Darrel-John Paterson, director of organisers Highland Heart Events, can’t believe how successful it has been.

“It feels very surreal that tickets sold out five months

ahead of us opening the doors!” he said.

“I am so honoured and the team are too – when we sat down last summer we thought it would be a small get together with a few people.

“We never anticipated it to be this successful.

“Highland Heart Events is something that I started as a hobby, and NessCon will be our staple event for many years to come. It’s different for Inverness and we need more ‘different’.

“The power that the superhero phenomenon is having is huge and we want Inverness to embrace it. Marvel has

announced scenes are being shot in the Highlands for an upcoming project, so events like NessCon can only be a good thing for the area.”

So far, confirmed guests for the event include original green Power Ranger Jason David Frank; Josh Herdman, who played Gregory Goyle in the Harry Potter films; and Kai Owen, star of BBC sci-fi drama (and Doctor Who spin-off) Torchwood.

There’s little doubt however as to whom their dream booking for the convention would be – hometown hero Karen Gillan. “We’d love all of Inverness’s support to help us with our Twitter campaign to get Karen home for NessCon!” Darrel-John said.

“So far we have been unable to reach her, and we understand that she is a very busy lady!

“But wouldn’t it be great to get our girl home to celebrate her success in the Doctor Who and Marvel franchise?”

The event will also feature exhibitors both national and local, with Dingwall’s Heroes Haunt and Ellerium Games in Inverness both set to take part.n NessCon will take place at Eden Court on July 8-9. While the event is currently sold out, there is a waiting list available in case more tickets become available – www.highlandheartevents.co.uk/ticketsTo get involved with the #ComeHomeKaren Twitter campaign, search @Invcomiccon

BY MARGARET CHRYSTALL

What’s OnMore coverage of what’s on in Inverness and around the north of Scotland at www.whatson-north.co.uk

Eden Court in Inverness will play host to the two-day NessCon convention on July 8 and 9.