Terry McDermott isn’t your average pop star with a plastic personality.
Once you start talking to him, fascinating nuggets emerge as if you’ve struck gold in the Klondike. He’s the Pitmedden loon who now lives in The Big Easy, New Orleans.
He’s the Scot who was asked if he wanted to appear on The Voice US reality show in 2012, initially rebuffed the offer, and subsequently reached the final, parading his formidable vocal prowess to no less than 125 million people.
From McHobbitts to haunted houses
He built a substantial fan base, many of whom were nicknamed “McHobbits”, and has shared concert platforms with everybody from The Charlatans to Don Felder of The Eagles… and, when he’s not singing, is a professional writer for a ghost tour company.
A Las Vegas residency had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and Terry has since been involved in various projects which have taken him to some exotic places.
But now, he’s about to begin a European concert tour which will culminate in him returning to Aberdeen for the first time in six years.
He speaks with hints of his Doric past and a fluency which brought him a degree in corporate communications from RGU – “My parents said I could get involved in pop music as long as I had a qualification and I’m glad they let me get on with it.”
But what a journey this man has embarked on, whether with bands such as Lotus Crush, Driveblind – who were signed by Geffen Records – or his latest incarnation, Green Lady, who have a gig lined up at the Blue Lamp in Aberdeen on November 10.
It’s another rollocking ride
He explained: “I’ve played in a load of different places, from Vietnam to Alaska, Kuala Lumpur to Belize, all over the United States and in various European cities.
“And I think a lot of it has been a happy accident. Or serendipity if you like that word.
“In April, I was asked to perform in Egypt and it was all very last-minute. So I ended up flying to Cairo and taking an eight-hour taxi journey through the desert.
“But then, when I returned to London, I was told by the authorities: ‘There’s a problem with your green card’. So I had to hang around while it was resolved and eventually spent three weeks in Guildford, staying at the house of guitarist, Johnny Martin, who I’d met when I was in Egypt.
“We wrote a few songs together and I made contact with another friend, Innes Cardno, the former Fridge Magnets guitarist who I thought was living in Paris.
“But no, guess what, he was in Guildford as well. What were the odds?
“I could hardly believe it, but the three of us met up and we even played a gig while I was waiting to go back to the States and we decided to arrange a tour in the autumn.
“And here we are. Finally, after Covid and all the cancellations and closures of venues, I’m coming home to Aberdeen, determined to prove there’s life in the old dog yet!”
Looking back, it’s easy to forget the phenomenal impression which Terry made on The Voice, pouring his heart and soul into such classic songs as Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, Paul McCartney’s Maybe I’m Amazed and The Who’s Baba O’Riley.
Audiences were as captivated as the judges and adulation soon followed, but this was a time when he and his Driveblind colleagues had already made waves across the pond.
And not all the attention they received was of the welcome variety.
It was a crazy period in my life
He said: “It was what I would call an accidental success, because none of it was planned, not at all. I had a gap in my schedule and was asked about The Voice, but it didn’t really appeal to me at first.
“But then, the producers came back and said: ‘Here’s the money’. Well, I had a family to look after and nothing to lose – I just imagined I’d be knocked out in the first round.
“At that stage, I was raw and it was all new to me. We played The Late Late Show [hosted by Craig Ferguson] and two million viewers heard our performance.
“But that was dwarfed by The Voice and, as the competition went on, there were crazy levels of fame and I mean that quite literally.
“The scary part was that one or two nutballs actually stalked me and the FBI had to get involved, which is obviously a situation for which nobody is prepared.
I’m still glad I took part
“But, on the other hand, there were all the really brilliant fans, the McHobbits and, more than a decade later, they still turn up wherever I am playing.
“It can be in New Orleans or Seattle or Los Angeles and there they’ll be, as loyal as loyal can be. I take it as a massive compliment that they still want to be there.
“That was one of the worst things about Covid. No live shows, no theatres open, and a lot of the mid-sized venues have closed for ever in the last couple of years. It’s sad.”
Terry’s life is a giddy whirl. One day, he will be writing about haunted houses – “which is really big business in America” – the next, he’ll be working as a session musician, flying to LA for studio bookings with members of Duran Duran or other well-known groups.
He is clearly frustrated that he hasn’t had the opportunity to visit Pittodrie “in ages” – where he was given a rousing reception when he strode onto the pitch after The Voice – but the prospect of returning to his roots has stirred something in his breast.
I’m proud of Pitmedden and Pittodrie
He added: “I had a European tour arranged in 2020, but we all know what happened then. And there have been occasions where I’ve thought that I’d love to jump on a plane and come over to an Aberdeen game. But I have a family – I can’t just act on impulse.
“That’s why I’m so excited by this Blue Lamp gig. When I was a youngster, I would go there and watch all kinds of bands, but I’ve never actually played the venue myself.
“When I was working with Johnny and Innes this year, it was thrilling and it injected a serious dose of adrenaline in my veins.
“But it has been too long since I was last in Aberdeen and the arts scene has suffered a lot of blows. Thank heavens we have audiences back, because there is nothing like going out on stage and hearing the buzz in the crowd as you start playing.
I’ll get back for a pint
“It’s annoying that I won’t manage to see the Dons this time, but I’ve been following them from afar and Jimmy [Thelin] has done a terrific job since he arrived at the club.
“So I’m upbeat about coming home and and seeing a few old faces. It doesn’t matter where you stay in the world, you never forget where you came from.”
Terry’s a charitable soul, somebody who has collaborated with Hollywood stars such as C Thomas Howell and Jeff Daniels to muster funds for deserving causes. And he has also raised money to tackle MND, the illness which claimed his mother, Jean, in 2002.
Grab life by the scruff of the neck
He has – almost – seen everything during his life and said, in matter-of-fact fashion: “Nothing surprises me. I wouldn’t have believed that I would be doing stuff for a New Orleans satirical newspaper or delving into haunted establishments, but here we are.
“You have to give it your all.”
That’s not a cliche from this fellow. That’s a promise.
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