West Lothian band Mark Sharp & The Bicycle Thieves perform last-minute World Cup Final gig in Boston
Local band receive warm welcome after Tartan Army invasion
A West Lothian band swapped the Isle of Iona for Boston after receiving a surprise invitation to perform in the USA for the FIFA World Cup Final, with less than 24 hours' notice.
Mark Sharp & The Bicycle Thieves, whose debut album “Unmask the Circus” reached number one in the Scottish Album Chart in 2023, were invited to perform at The Anchor, the venue that became the home of Scotland House during the Tartan Army's unforgettable takeover of Boston.
The invitation came after football fans across the city embraced Scotland's travelling support throughout the tournament, with venue organisers keen to bring a taste of Scotland's music scene to the World Cup Final celebrations.
The band's whirlwind trip followed worldwide attention surrounding Scots Andrew Dobbie and Danny Campbell, whose now-famous ‘Boston Cone’ has become an iconic symbol of the Massachusetts city over the past week.
Mark Sharp said: "We had actually been playing a festival out in Iona and James, our drummer, got woken up by a call from Andrew (Dobbie) in the tent at 5am asking if we fancied playing Boston for the World Cup Final.
“I thought he was winding me up at first. But we spent the next few hours looking at how to get the band and all our equipment from Iona to Boston, and it soon became a reality.
“Ironically, it took less time to get from Iona back home, than from Edinburgh to Boston.
“We've been so well received by the Boston crowd and it's been an incredible city. Thanks so much to Andrew, Danny and Chris from The Anchor for inviting us over"
The band's appearance proved such a hit that they were invited as VIP guests to Fenway Park for a Boston Red Sox match, and added an additional farewell show at The Anchor on Wednesday, July 22, before catching their return flight to Scotland.