Strum’s winning acts keep it in the family

Feb 12 2009 by Richard Mooney, Hamilton Advertiser

TWO Blantyre cousins were in the winning line-up at the Strum music competition in Uddingston.

Jane Henderson (24), in a double act with Chris Sherry (23), took first place in the regional music competition.

And Jane’s cousin Joe Gallagher (24) also impressed the judges, finishing in second place.

Gary Bennet, also from Blantyre, finished third in the popular competition held at Angels.

Chris and Jane impressed the judges with their unique acoustic take on the Michael Jackson classic “Billie Jean”.

Former St Joseph's Primary pupil Jane said she was "absolutely surprised" that she had won and is now looking forward to working with industry professionals as part of her prize.

She said: "Chris and I were surprised that we had won because the level of competition was so high this year.

"Next we're going to be working away with the professionals to try to write and produce something original for ourselves.

"All our hard work and efforts finally paid off so we're really pleased and we'd like to say thanks to all our friends and family for their support."

There were only a few points separating the top acts in the final, which took place on Thursday, January 29.

Chris and Jane scooped first prize which was £800 cash, a gig on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a day with a professional song writer and a day at the Old Mill Recording Studios in Strathaven.

Blantyre man Joe Gallacher picked up £500 cash and a day in the recording studio, while Gary Bennet picked up £250.

The competition ran for 10 weeks before taking a break for the Christmas period.

Five judges were on hand in the final, including the Lanarkshire born West End star Brenda Cochrane.

Siobhan Edwards, marketing director for the Lisini pub company, said: "To have the kind of prizes we had in the current economic climate was fantastic and it brought out some of the best talent we've ever seen at Strum.

"There's nowhere else in Lanarkshire that offers such a venue for open mic nights.

"It has been going strong since September 2007 and for us it showcases all the best musical talent Lanarkshire has to offer.

"After our two-month break, we're going to be starting all over again with the indie-themed re-launch on Easter Thursday."

To register for the Strum 2009 competition, visit www.lisini.co.uk or drop into Angels.