RUNRIG fans are in for a treat with the big-screen premiere of their 100-minute musical documentary There Must Be A Place, in Glasgow later this month.
The film, which charts the band’s emotional ups and downs and offers exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, will be shown at Everyman Glasgow on February 23, and will be followed by a live question and answer session with director Jack Cocker and Steven Little, its producer.
Brothers Calum and Rory MacDonald, and their friend Blair Douglas, started the band on Skye in 1973 with the purpose of getting the islanders dancing.
From their humble beginnings in village and community halls they went on to become one of Scotland’s best-loved bands, regularly performing sell-out gigs from the dance halls of the Highlands and Islands all the way to New York’s Times Square.
With their lead singer Donnie Munro, they signed a deal with Chrysalis Records, and in 1991 played one of their most memorable gigs in front of 50,000 fans at Loch Lomond.
The band could have crumbled when Munro left to pursue a career in politics, but they mounted an exhaustive search for a new lead singer and found him in Bruce Guthro, who helped extend the band's life by 20 years, leading them to chart success and tours across Europe.
Runrig’s journey ended in 2018 with two emotional farewell concerts against the backdrop of Stirling Castle, where 50,000 fans sang, cried and danced out their memories.
Cocker said he was delighted the movie was coming to the big screen at the “perfect” venue of Glasgow Everyman.
“It’s been a huge pleasure working with Runrig to capture their musical journey – a story full of tears and joy,” he said.
“The band have so many great songs and we managed to fit more than 50 of them into the documentary, including iconic numbers like Loch Lomond and Hearts of Olden Glory.
“It’s also packed with historic moments from their long career, like the epic gig at Loch Lomond, and of course the emotionally charged farewell concert at Stirling Castle.
“I can’t wait to see it on the big screen, and with a huge speaker system that will do justice to their immense live sound. Runrig have the best fans in the world, and I hope they love it.”
Little, from Blazing Griffin, said it had been a privilege to work with the band to document their story, and added: “Current and former band members have been so generous with their time and we have uncovered some great tales from the past as well as some incredible archive from their personal collections.
“The fans can join the band in celebrating the end of an era and have a definitive account of Runrig’s success – Scotland’s most iconic band.”
Tickets go on sale on Friday morning from the Everyman Glasgow box office and online at https://www.everymancinema.com/glasgow/theatre-info
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