45 years?I didn’ t think we’ d last 2
FOR 45 years, they have bridged a gap between Scottish traditional music and the pop charts, entertained millions and closed countless weddings.
When Skye brothers Rory and Calum Macdonald started Runrig in 1973, they had no idea they’d be going from playing tiny function suites and village halls to arenas and be still going well into the 21st century.
The Celtic rock band are calling time on their illustrious career with two record-breaking, sell-out shows next to Stirling Castle tonight and tomorrow.
The farewell weekend, which they have called The Last Dance, will be watched by 47,000 fans.
Rory revealed the Hebridean stars made their original bow in Glasgow’s west end.
He added: “The very first Runrig gig wasn’t actually in Skye at all, it was in a wee function suite at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall. There was a magic there, without a doubt.
“Never in a million years did I think we would last 45 years, or even two years.
“At the time, I was working in Glasgow as a graphic designer and gave up work because I really wanted to play music. A few weeks after that show, we moved back to Skye, and spent the summer there and in the Western Isles playing the wee village halls.”
Rory and Calum’s band grew in popularity and developed their trademark sound.
They enjoyed chart success in the 90s, with Donnie Munro as lead singer, appearing on Top of the Pops with hit singles such as Wonderful and An Ubhal as Airde (The Highest Apple).
Their classic, Loch Lomond, has become an international anthem. It is played at Scotland football and rugby games and was later re-recorded with the Tartan Army on backing vocals. It has also been the rousing close to generations of Scottish weddings.
In 1997, Donnie left to go into politics and was replaced by Canadian singer Bruce Guthro. Keyboard player Pete Wishart also departed to the world of politics and is an SNP MP for Perth.
The late 90s was a tumultuous time for the band as they had a new line-up and image, and Bruce said there have been tough times.
He said: “When we first started –
20 years ago for me, and Brian (Hurren, keyboard player) two years after me – it was a battle to come back.
“We were playing to half-filled halls with a scaled-down production. To go from that to this is more than a chapter, and we’re very proud of that.”
The current line-up features Rory, 69, and Calum, 65, on bass and percussion respectively, Iain Bayne, 58, on drums, guitarist Malcolm Jones, 59, Brian, 37, and Bruce, 56.
This weekend’s shows sold out in minutes but Calum crushed fans’ hopes of a comeback, saying: “This is the last tim e that Runrig, the band as it is, the entity, will perform.
“We have spoken about when it would end and we took the creative decision that The Story (the 2016 album) would be the final studio album. It was written with swansong in mind.
“After that, we had one of our most successful tours ever, reaching more people than ever. This felt like the right time to do it. Everything was on a high and positive and this would be a good way to do it. Something new may or may not evolve. I couldn’t stop writing songs, it’s what I do.” For Bruce, the farewell will mean an end to his regular commute from Nova Scotia, and he is looking forward to new challenges. He said: “We didn’t want to be a leaky ship floating into the harbour with no one watching, we wanted to finish strongly. “I love the guys, I love the music, I love the stage, but I don’t love the travel. “We’ve had 20 solid years of a band that some questioned would be dead in the water back then, so to rise from the ashes and finish in glorious fashion like this, who could ask for more?” Deputy First Minister John Swinney met the band yesterday and gave messages of support and thanks from the Scottish Government. He said: “For appreciation of Scottish traditional music, for enhancing the role of the Gaelic language in Scotland and ensuring that Scotland is more at ease
with herself and more able to promote herself more widely around the world, I’d like to say the warmest of thanks to Runrig for 45 years of extraordinary contribution to the life, the well-being and the heart of our country.”
Calum said: “It’s really humbling but all we’ve thought about throughout the journey is the music. It’s for others to make these observations, and it’s very humbling to hear John’s sincere words.”
Donnie will perform this weekend as a guest, along with Gaelic songstress Julie Fowlis.
Donnie is expected to join his old pals on stage for a send-off but the band have remained tight-lipped on the set list and format for his appearance.
After the show, the band will work on a DVD of the final shows and are being filmed for a documentary. They will all find their own musical projects but the only certainty for the weekend is that emotions will be running high.
Rory said: “You really don’t know how you’ll feel after something like this. It’s absolutely the right decision and we are at peace with it but it wouldn’t be natural if we didn’t feel incredibly sad.”
So, will there be tears at the final bow? Rory joked: “Us Highlanders aren’t allowed tears.”