If my calculations are correct it’s ten years ago since I first MC’d the C2C festival in Glasgow. My memory of that time is a little blurred but I do know that the even happened in the adjacent Armadillo rather than the 12,000 capacity Hydro back then.

A few years later demand was so great that C2C became a Hydro fixture and, with the increasing popularity of country music in the UK, I really can’t see it ever moving to a smaller venue. In those years I can recall some great performances which I still count myself lucky enough to have seen at close quarters. Brad Paisley, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Marty Stuart, Little Big Town and my favourite night ever…when Eric Church came to town.

Of course there have also been so many great surprises along the way with many of the acts we now enjoy regularly on the AC first appearing on the spotlight stage or early on the bill . Step forward  Priscilla Block, Ashley McBryde, Andrew Combs and Carly Pearce.

On this week’s AC we will celebrate many of these encounters from the last ten years by bringing you great songs and snippets of conversations with the artist we’ve hosted either in the foyer or studios or in our backstage hideout at The Hydro. You will hear some of the artist I’ve mentioned as well as an introduction to many of the great acts we shall enjoy over the next weekend. Listen out for Tyler Braden, Drake Milligan and Elizabeth Nichols.

I understand there may be lots of new names on the lineup with which you are not yet familiar but let me reassure you that every night of every year of C2C I’ve come away with a new discovery which has made me go deeper into their back catalogue. I don’t expect this year to be any different. There’s gold in them there hills and we shall be pointing you in the right direction from 8 this Tuesday evening on BBC Sounds or BBC Radio Scotland. Do join me if you can.