The Story of Glitz

Glitz was founded and formed by our band leader, Mairi Gillanders-Newberry, her son Jack, who took care of the lighting and sound, and Mairi’s husband, Simon, who was the producer for the band, making Glitz a true family business.

Today, Glitz continues to be run by Mairi and her husband, Simon, who is our technical manager.

The band was heavily influenced by Beyonce’s drummer, Kimberley Thompson, whom Mairi studied under and, consequently, was officially endorsed by a major drum band, Pork Pie Percussion.

Prior to this, Mairi played within the North-East of Scotland function band circuit from the tender age of 12, gaining vast experience in how to successfully lead a function band whilst also touring the UK and Europe as a session drummer.

Mairi made the decision to start Aberdeen’s first ever all-female function band, and since 2012, Glitz has continued to go from strength to strength, becoming one of Aberdeen and surrounding areas favourite function bands.

The Glitz lineup of old has evolved into our current lineup, which consists of some of Scotland’s finest musicians.

Each member of the band has a strong musical pedigree: as session musicians, international performers, high-profile theatre performers, and music teachers.

To add sparkle to our wonderful singing and musical abilities, if we do say so ourselves, we also provide top-quality sound with our top-of-the-range PA system, a full light show, and an experienced sound and lighting engineer who ensures the sound is perfect for your venue. This guarantees our show runs smoothly from start to finish, enabling our band to concentrate solely on our performance and provide maximum enjoyment for you and your guests.