Here is the Glasgow Official Road Reporter review from Josh's Straight To You Tour by aishlingiacademy ! Want to enter to win for a chance to be Josh's Official Road Reporter? Get all the contest details HERE!

I must admit,right from the start, that the reason I joined the fan club was to get the pre-sale tickets as it was a gift for my best friends birthday. This is not to suggest that I’m not a huge fan,I am, just not a fan club kinda girl. I’m so glad that I did.

Due to rushing out my door with too many bags on a wet day I was left on crutches and when the theatre manager told me to run as I was going to miss my meet & greet I had just about enough time to give a withering look & a sarcastic remark before I hobbled off with a lovely man who I believe was part of JG staff. I must also reveal that it was on the walk to the backstage area that I turned to my friend and said “by the way,you’re about to meet Josh Groban”. Her eyes filled with tears,but she held it together extremely well.

So with the very lively man who was full of chat rushing me on I was told by a very big man not to be hugging or kissing. I said, “sure we’ve only met & you’re no fun”. I think it was lucky that my strong Irish accent meant he smiled and walked away. So here I am with the lively man saying “I’m flipping sweating will ya gimme a hand to take this jacket off”, all the time not realising that Mr Grobans about 8 ft from me & can see and hear me. So I talked very fast, my friend didn’t speak much, but I did ask Josh to sign her as I’d forgotten to bring paper. He laughed, but didn’t seem to object. He thought I was mental,I’d say.

So 2 brandys later,(to calm my nerves after making an idiot of myself in front of a man that I respect & admire so much) I was in my seat,right in the middle of the 8th row. Having been at the only other Irish show at the point depot in 2007 I can honestly say that this was a different performer & different concert. Yes his voice was the same as when I first heard it in 1998, but even his walk onto the stage was one of a man who was comfortable with where he was.

He sat at the grand piano & it looked like the instrument was an extension of him. When I initially seen that the band was alot smaller than last time I must admit a little apprehension thinking that the orchestral backing he would require for many of his hits would be lacking gusto. I was wrong & glad to be proven so. He has surrounded himself with absolutely phenomenal musicians & why shouldn’t he? They had no air of pretention or distance that alot of musicians can have, they loved the music & it was obvious.

I had fully intended on writing notes during the concert but I was having too much fun & forgot. It really was fun! So forgive me if this isn’t chronological.

During my meet & greet I did teach Josh some Gaelic & was very impressed at how quick he picked it up, but he obviously forgot it as he asked the crowd to teach him some. He asks a man in the front row to teach him to say I love you. The reply.....I’m Canadian. His face was priceless. Every now & then he would comment at how close the audience was. They really were!

Between most songs he would tell a story about the song or something related to it. I was amazed to find out that he wrote “The Wandering Kind” when he was only 12! And I imagined a shy,little bit geeky boy getting lost in his own world of music & hoping for a measure of the success that he has now achieved. The Irish mother buried deep in me wanted to go hug him after to tell him he’d done great, but declined as I didn’t want a criminal record.

So the question & answer portion of the night came....

What habits have you kept from childhood?

He didn’t really have one, but he joked about several things including bedwetting I think.

Who do I have to sleep with around here to get to sing with you? The people at the side of the stage seemed to be laughing their hearts out & pointing to one woman. Josh was standing with his hand on his head saying “do you ever wish you’d read something in your head first?” We were howling. So up stands the bold Caroline from Cork & he tells her to come up on stage if she can “bring it”. She brought it. She sang the prayer with him & what was lovely was you could hear the Cork accent coming through. We were all delighted for her & cheered wildly. The crowd was loud, boisterous & as we say here, up for the craic!

The smaller theatre setting was perfect & he played to his setting wonderfully. The house lights came up regularly for what essentially was audience participation segments, which prompted the mad European ladies at the front to fix their hair and sit up straight. Don’t deny it girls! It was an incredibly clever move on his behalf as you really did feel part of the night. Like you were sitting at a friends party but he just happens to have a magnificient baritone voice & a band sitting around. You half expected to have him come out to the pub after with you. I must also tip my hat to the lighting designer & the people operating the follow spots. He didn’t make it easy for you & you never missed a cue.

So,don’t worry,I’m reaching the end soon! The end... There were 3 of them & there were standing ovations before that which were richly reserved. We sang our hearts with him for “You Raise Me Up”. My friend had tears in her eyes again, but then that was probably my fault as I’d made her emotional earlier. I scanned around & seen she wasn’t alone. All I could think of was “thank God he was unable to perform at the Proms in the Park because Westlife were there”. I was never a fan, but they just done a karaoke version of Josh’s. Then the band left the stage, so we weren’t expecting him out again, but hoped.

The lights went down to a blue wash across the back of the stage & his recognisable silhouette came out. He sang “Smile”. Being a fan of Chaplin its a song that has always been special to me. Its so sad but hopeful. I must admit, it got to me. It was the most simple song of the night, only 2 musicians to accompany him with the piano prominent. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

I go to alot of concerts,I have varied tastes. I can honestly say that this ranks as one of the best ever & will forever remain an ardent admirer of Josh Groban as a person as well as his work as an artist. He was a delight.