New College LanarkshireA Scottish music student has spoken of her disbelief after being invited to support Lewis Capaldi at his sold-out Glasgow arena show.
Singer Broghan Showell, 20, will perform in front of 12,000 people at the OVO Hydro along with classmates from New College Lanarkshire.
Capaldi, who studied at the college before rising to global stardom, met the students during a visit last year.
Broghan, from Hamilton, said she initially thought it was all a joke.
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The singer, who performs under the stage name Broghan, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme that her lecturer broke the news to her last week.
He asked if she was free on 24 January. “I just thought it was going to be about, I don’t know, anything college-wise or whatever,” the student said.
“I said yeah, and he was like that’s great, can you do the Hydro to support Lewis Capaldi?
“Obviously I just freaked out from there, I was in a bit of a happy state.”
Broghan will be joined on stage by bandmates and fellow music performance students Ryan Fyffe, Lauren Kelly, Connor Frame and Rhys Walker.
“It’s absolutely surreal, I’m totally buzzing,” she said.
“We’re really chuffed that we’re getting to do it together.”
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Award-winning artist Capaldi, who has topped the charts in the UK and the USA, invited the students to join his show following a trip back to his former college in September.
He described the visit as the “most rewarding thing I’ve done”.
Broghan said the students joked about getting tickets to his Hyrdo gig, or even supporting him on stage.
“He took it quite literally,” she told Drivetime.
‘What am I going to wear?’
The 20-year-old, who has been signing and dancing since she was three, said the prospect of an arena show was exciting but daunting.
She told BBC Scotland: “The first thing I thought was oh my god, what am I going to wear?”
“It’s so much to think about, we’ve just been rehearsing non-stop and thinking about all these things.”
Having seen one of her singles featured on BBC Introducing last month, she’s hoping for a full-time career in music.
“I know it’s going to be quite a hard road to go down but I enjoy it so much and there’s not really much option for me,” she said.
“I just love it,” she said.
Broghan’s lecturer Scott Cowie said his students were “totally inspired” by Capaldi’s surprise visit in September.
He added: “I am thrilled that he stills wants to contribute to a place that means so much to him and has provided this incredible opportunity for our students.”
