Singer has plenty to crow about with her Sheryl support slot

WHEN budding musician Adriana Spina heard her idol Sheryl Crow would be playing Scotland, she was desperate to get her hands on a ticket.

The 29-year-old was even considering borrowing money to ensure she secured her place in the crowd at Glasgow's Carling Academy on Friday.

But the up-and-coming singer need not have worried – she has landed a spot on the bill to play the biggest gig of her life.

When she takes to the stage to support the American superstar in front of 2500 fans, it will be a world away from her day job as an insurance sales adviser. She also works part-time as a waitress to fund her fledgling music career.

Ms Spina, of Livingston, told today how her big break came about following a chance meeting with Geoff Ellis, chief executive of concert promoters DF Concerts, when he heard her play.

After inviting her to get in touch if she ever needed a hand, Ms Spina decided to take him up on the offer.

She said: "I noticed that DF were promoting the Sheryl Crow concert, and my partner suggested I should see if there was any chance of getting on the bill.

"So I sent off an e-mail, never really expecting anything, and the next thing I knew he said it was all sorted.

"I'm just so excited to get the chance to play at this show. Opportunities like this don't come along too often, and this could be the biggest one of my career so far. I've been a fan of Sheryl Crow since I was a teenager and she's one of the best female artists around.

"I had to borrow some money when the tickets went on sale, as my finances are geared towards studio time right now."

Mr Ellis said: "We have always been committed to supporting emerging talent.

"It's great to give Adriana the opportunity to play with such a high profile artist as Cheryl Crow."

Ms Spina has been working on taking her music career full-time since early 2005, when she started performing live gigs on her own.

She has been writing songs since her teenage years and says she was always obsessed by music, particularly as a pupil at West Calder High School.

She has already gained a following and has had positive reviews for her EP release, A Thousand Lives. Her album is being recorded under her own record label, Adesso Records, and the singer is hoping a major record label will agree to distribute it. Meanwhile, she will be playing several concerts at the Fringe.