"I SET the venue on fire in a way I didn’t want to," Russell Watson jokes over his cancelled 2017 show at the SEC Armadillo.  

The singer was forced to scrap his gig after smoke 'billowed' from the back of the venue.  

"We were doing sound check, we were on stage and the whole building starts flagging as the alarms are going off," he explains.  

"Everyone’s like ‘it’s just a tester’ but all of a sudden the doors started locking down and you could smell smoke.  

"We made an exit and the next thing you know the fire brigade are turning up and we were told we wouldn’t be able to do the concert."

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But when he returns to the city on his Magnificent Buildings Concerts Series to perform at Glasgow Cathedral next week he’s hoping to give audiences a "truly special experience". 

The tour was extended after a successful run in 2023. 

"The cathedral venues have been fantastic," he says, "and of course, Glasgow is one of my favourite places and a place we’ve had so much fun over the years.  

"The last visit was with my pal Aled Jones. The Glasgow audiences are always amazing. 

"I feel an affinity with Scotland, I can’t say enough good things about it."

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The show will be Russell’s first time visiting the cathedral as he normally spends his free time in Glasgow "mooching around" the Botanic Gardens.  

The world-renowned tenor will be performing a special show with classic songs old and new together with a selection of his most loved hits from his career.  

He will be accompanied by pianist Mike Moran and will feature special guest Nancy May.  

Russel said: "I’m really looking forward to this show. 

"I’ve been really enjoying the cathedrals, churches and abbeys.  

"Acoustically, because I’m a very noisy person, it just works well for my voice."

He continued: "I think the repertoire that I sing lends itself very well to these big open expanses that, in my opinion, are made for performance and made for voices to be heard whether they be speaking or singing.  

"I think it lends itself to the Sacred Arias in particular, the Bach/ Gounod Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus, O Sole Mio, those types of pieces work really well in these environments. 

"And the places themselves are quite inspiring."

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Russell says at the moment he is "at the top of my game" but alongside his songs, audiences will also hear stories from throughout his career.  

"I genuinely believe I’m singing the best I’ve ever sung," he says.  

"We’ve got a mixture of repertoire and a special guest, a wonderful soprano, called Nancy May.  

"We perform a duet towards the second half of the show so there’s lots of singing and a few stories as well.  

"I like to set up each song with a story about something.  

"More often than not it's something funny because that’s my life, it’s a series of crazy moments.  

"That’s how it’s been right from the start of my career."

Russell Watson will be at Glasgow Cathedral on Thursday, March 14.