Take it from me Gary Barlow and Take That are going to be great at The Hydro

The highlight of my trip home will be catching up with Gary Barlow.

I’ve made the long trip from Los Angeles to Glasgow via London to see my family and friends.

And apologies to my sister Elaine and the rest of the family hopefully this doesn’t jeopardise my homecoming fry-up but the person I’m looking forward to seeing the most isn’t any of them.

It’s one of my pals Take That’s songwriting powerhouse, Gary Barlow.

The massive boyband are preparing to kick off their new tour on Monday night at Glasgow’s Hydro.

It’s going to be great the boys are doing five nights at the 13,000-seater arena.

Gary told me he and the boys are especially excited to open their first concert as a three-piece in Glasgow.

Jason Orange may have quit but Gary has promised Scottish fans a very special show over the next few nights.

I personally can’t wait. The boys love their Scottish fans. Gary says the Scots always give them a raucous reception.

I met Gary for a natter last week before the opening of his Finding Neverland musical in New York.

We spoke in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre where we’d just watched the show.

Last week I mentioned how I got to sit beside Gary in a preview of Finding Neverland. The show was wonderful, and stars Kelsey Grammar and Matthew Morrison were great.

Morrison played the Scottish J. M. Barrie superbly in fact the only wailing Scotsman in the theatre was in the stalls.

That’s right the show was so good I resorted to crying and squeezing Gary’s knee.

“I was getting worried there,” laughed Gary.

“I thought, ‘Oh, hello. It took you a while, Ross.’

“It was nice having you there to watch the show with. I couldn’t find anyone else to go with.”

Cheers, mate!

I asked him where he was at his happiest is it on stage?

“I’m at my happiest in a few places. I love sitting in the theatre watching people laugh and cry at this musical.

“It’s great being in the studio making new music. But I’ll be at my happiest on stage in Glasgow. To have a musical on Broadway I’d never have dreamed of it. But I hope to always be on the stage, with the band, singing songs.”

Like I say I can’t wait. Speaking of legends, next week join me as I catch up with one of the most famous and coolest musicians of all time the one and only, Ringo Starr!