Olly Murs was forced to cancel his opening gig for Take That at the Hydro arena in Glasgow on Friday (3 May) minutes before he was due to go on stage.
Event organisers had to replace the former X Factor runner-up with an unknown musician plucked from obscurity from a local hotel bar with just 30 minutes notice.
Daniel Rooney had been performing at the RED Raddison Hotel when Scottish host Ross King spotted the artist and recommended him to Take That’s Gary Barlow after the “Heart Skips A Beat” singer cancelled.
Murs had shared his journey to Glasgow with his Instagram followers as he documented delays with his flight from Heathrow.
He apologised to disappointed fans as he wrote, “So sorry to everyone at the @takethat show tonight in Glasgow, unfortunately I won’t be there, I have been at London Heathrow from 11am this morning for my flight but after several delays (check my Instagram) and then a cabin crew incident our @British_Airways flight got cancelled!”
He continued: “Don’t think I’ve ever missed a gig before, am so annoyed! But am now in a car heading up for our 6hr journey for the Saturday and Sundays show right now.”
The 39-year-old was forced to take a car up to Glasgow as he was due to perform for three nights with the band. Take That had reunited for their UK tour, which will continue in Europe over the summer.
Meanwhile, Rooney who did not expect to open for the record-breaking group who have topped charts in the UK, spoke of his surprise at the opportunity.
“It’s hard to take it in, it’s really surreal,” he said. “I’m just having a chance now to look at my phone and talk to my Mrs and parents and stuff. It was fast – 20 minutes before going on I met Gary and the guys and we talked about what songs to do.”
He added that although “some people were not happy about Olly” he was able to get “some good singalongs with the crowd etc and it felt like they were really behind me.”
And although he had to abandon his gig at the hotel bar at the Radisson, he added that employees were happy for him.
“I still had 45 minutes to go at the hotel but what can you do with something like this – but they’re really happy for me.”
Fans were supportive as some dubbed Rooney “better than Olly Murs” while others were in awe at his luck: “Imagine playing a gig at the Radisson and the next minute you’re opening for Take That.”
It comes shortly after the band were forced to reschedule concert dates at the Co-op Live Arena after it was beset by a plethora of problems.
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