An Angus teenager has told how he played guitar on stage for the first time with rock legends Marillion in front of 5,000 fans.
Ross Holder, who had never before played a live gig, won a Swap the Band competition to get up on stage and play with his rock heroes at CenterParcs Port Zelande in the Netherlands.
The 17-year-old Arbroath High School pupil has played the guitar since the age of eight and said it was a dream come true to play with the 1980s legends.
Ross grew up listening to the band as his dad Gordon is a huge fan and he could not believe it when he was picked to get up on stage and play with the band.
The teenager attended the Marillion Weekend at CenterParcs with dad, mum Evonne and sisters Caitlin, 18, and 14-year-old Keigan.Ross told The Courier: “It was my first ever live performance so I suppose you could say I was thrown in at the deep end.
“I grew up listening to Marillion and they were actually the first band I ever heard.
“To go full circle and end up playing live with the band was just a dream come true. Having my family in the crowd watching me made it even more special.
“My dad taught me my first chords and my parents paid for guitar lessons from a young age and they were both proud as punch.”
Ross regularly goes to watch his heroes with his dad when they perform in the UK.
He decided to enter the Swap the Band competition this time around, sending in a video of himself playing a mix of Marillion tracks and could not believe it when he got an email back to say he had been chosen.
“I was really nervous but the band were all really helpful, taking me through what to do during rehearsal,” Ross said.
“I played the song Splintering Heart with the band and it’s an experience that I’ll never forget.”
His dad Gordon added: “I have to take the blame for getting Ross into Marillion but he’s become a big fan.
“I don’t think he realised just how many fans he’d be playing to but he took it all in his stride and was brilliant.”