German Tour Postponement


The band regret to announce at short notice the postponement of the forthcoming tour of Germany, due to start on March 3rd.

Malcolm , who in 2009 was fitted with a medical implant to prevent a recurrence of the problem which kept him out of action for several months, has been told on the eve of the tour that due to a malfunction, the device must be replaced immediately. The procedure will entail a short operation and recuperation period.

Malcolm’s health is good, the problem being purely a technical one, so it is with great frustration and regret that the decision has been taken not to proceed with the tour as planned.

The band is working with the promoter to reschedule as many of the German concerts as possible at the earliest opportunity and will notify everyone as soon as there is any further information.

The band apologises to all those who will be inconvenienced by this news.

All other concerts planned for 2010 will go ahead.

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Haiti Appeal


As a result of our long association with Glasgow the Caring City Charity, Runrig are pleased to support their appeal for Haiti.

As you may be aware, Glasgow the Caring City is heavily involved in the relief effort for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.
Speed is of the essence when it comes to saving the lives of the thousands of children trapped, scared and hungry.

Today, we are launching our TEXT to GIVE system, allowing donors to offer support directly from their mobile phones.
Text: HELP to 88008 will donate £1.50 directly to the Glasgow4Haiti Fund which supports the relief of suffering for the children on Haiti. T&C's are advertised clearly at www.glasgowthecaringcity.com for those requiring more information.

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Bruce On Radio Borders


After the launch of Bruce’s latest solo album No Final Destination, Bruce will be co-presenting The Sunday Getherin’ with Karin Ingram on November 15th.

Playing tracks from his new album and more music from Cape Breton, Bruce will be taking questions from the fans and there will be a few special giveaways too. So tune in and enjoy!

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Scone


Now that the last piece of scaffolding has been dismantled and the last burger box put in the black plastic bags, all parties involved are lauding the Scone Palace show as being an outstanding success.

From the promoters, to the police, to the fans and to the band themselves, there was unanimous note of positivity. For many it could be the Homecoming event of the year. Our thanks to all of you that were there, and that made the occasion so special and memorable for everyone involved.

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Tonder Festival


Due to the ongoing uncertainty and the ever changing circumstances of the last few months, we now find ourselves in the unenviable position of not being to be as far on with our Summer plans as we would have liked.

The practicalities of performing at both the Tonder Festival and Scone Palace are now unfortunately proving insurmountable.

The result of this is that we feel that the band’s performance at Tonder would most certainly be compromised. This event is so dear to the heart of the band, we feel that we cannot take this chance and therefore have had to take the difficult and frustrating decision to cancel.

Due to the close association the band have enjoyed with this unique festival over many years we are pleased to announce that Bruce will be performing as part of a revised evening concert. Rest assured we are planning a return to Tonder in the near future.

We sincerely apologise to all our long suffering, loyal fans for the undoubted inconvenience and disappointment.

We are pleased to reaffirm that all arrangements are fully in place for Scone and we look forward to sharing a great and memorable day with you all as we celebrate Homecoming.

Ticket holders for Tonder Festival show should visit www.tf.dk for further information

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Malcolm leaves hospital after successful operation


We are delighted to let you know that Malcolm has now left hospital following successful heart by-pass surgery.

Malcolm underwent routine preventative surgery last week after suffering heart problems earlier this year. His surgery forced the band to cancel our May Danish tour, which has been rescheduled, with additional dates, for December of this year.

Malcolm will now spend July recuperating and resting at home before rejoining us in early August for rehearsals for appearances at the 35th anniversary Tonder Festival in Denmark and Scone Palace, Perth on Saturday, 29 August.

Everyone is delighted to see Malcolm out of hospital and we are all looking forward to him rejoining us to put on a show to remember at Scone Palace.

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Denmark Update


Following yesterdays shock announcement we felt it important, now that the urgent and unavoidable business practicalities are being dealt with, to explain the circumstances surrounding the decision.

Malcolm attended his specialist for a routine review on Tuesday of this week. There was concern over some results of tests and he attended again on Wednesday at which time, despite his own protestations, he was strongly urged not to go ahead with the Danish shows and to be admitted for immediate surgery on Monday of this coming week.

With this medical opinion we had absolutely no choice but to accept and act upon these crucial decisions: a massive disappointment, as the Danish open-air shows were eagerly anticipated by us all, not least by Malcolm. We are totally aware of the difficulties and sense of frustration that many will feel and we can assure you that it is a sense shared throughout the Runrig camp – we hate the thought of letting people down, particularly our loyal fans with all the varied plans, arrangements and financial outlay that surround attending these types of events. But we realise, of course, that you all understand.

We will work very hard now to look at what alternative opportunities might be available to play later in the year. However, it is too early to give any indications as to what may be achievable. For now our thoughts are with Malcolm but we will be back soon and will repay your loyalty with live shows at the earliest possible opportunity.

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Malcolm To Go Back To Hospital


We are sorry to bring you this latest news. Malcolm will enter hospital early next week to undergo heart by-pass surgery.

As most Runrig fans will know, Malcolm underwent minor surgery earlier this year, after suffering a heart related problem. The by-pass surgery has been recommended as a standard preventative procedure to ensure he experiences no further recurring heart problems.

Unfortunately, the timing of the surgery has forced the band to cancel the three upcoming Danish concerts scheduled for the end of this month.

We apologise for any disappointment caused by the cancellation of the Danish concerts, ones that the band was eagerly looking forward to, but Malcolm’s health must be our main priority. His doctors assure us that he will make a full and speedy recovery and will be back with us for the remainder of our Summer shows, including the Tonder Festival in Denmark and of course the big one at Scone Palace at the end of August.

We wish Malcolm every good thought for his forthcoming operation and for a successful and a speedy recovery.

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Message from Malcolm


After my recent unfortunate bout of ill-health, I am happy to report that I’m very much on the mend, feeling the better for having subjected myself to an uncharacteristic regime of ‘not doing very much’ which I would highly recommend to everyone.

I’d like to thank all the fans who sent messages of good wishes, whether online or hand- written – I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

I’m looking forward to resuming normal touring duties starting this May in Denmark and of course to our ‘Year of Homecoming’ concert at Scone Palace, Perth on 29th August.

Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to speak to some of you ‘on the road’ in the coming months.

Malcolm

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Johnnie Walker Radio 2 Session


As part of the growing media interest in the band’s activities this year and in particularly the Homecoming gig at Scone Palace, the band are delighted to announce that they have been invited to perform a short live session on the BBC Radio 2 Johnnie Walker Show.

The set which will be recorded next week will be an acoustic set up due to the studio constraints with Bruce and Brian, but is something which they are really looking forward to.

The show will be broadcast on Sunday 29th March and is aired between 16.30 and 18.30. To visit Radio 2's website, click here

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Cancellation Information - Germany, Austria, Switzerland


We regret to announce that guitarist Malcolm Jones has been taken ill and as a result we have been forced to cancel the forthcoming tour of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

We are deeply sorry for the short notice and obvious inconvenience that this will cause. Ticket holders should contact their vendor for refunds. We will give you more information as soon as possible however, in the meantime, are sure you will join us in wishing Malcolm a speedy recovery.

The Road Home charity CD


Iain Campbell from Sligachan on the Isle of Skye is a long time friend of the band and it was an inspiration when Calum met up with him again, albeit in traumatic circumstances. Iain is a cancer patient who is currently receiving care and treatment at the Highland Hospice in Inverness. After contracting the illness, and after being so impressed with the medical attention he was receiving, Iain embarked on a remarkable journey of fundraising for the Hospice which requires a sum of £42,000 a week in order to survive.

Having been the co-owner of The Sligachan Hotel on the Isle of Skye for most of his adult life, Iain is a ‘well kent’ face with many friends and acquaintances. The Slig is a ‘must stop’ watering hole and feeding station for the weary traveller – lorry driver – tractor driver – tourist – camper – climber – dance band – the list goes on … and when Iain started fundraising they all came a running.

His first event was a Fundraising Ceilidh at the hotel, which has now acquired legendary status. Iain’s Ceilidh will now become an annual event, with 100 tickets already sold for next year’s bash. The Ceilidh, including a top grade raffle and a pledge from the local whisky distillery at Talisker to double what ever sum had been raised, finally accrued the magnificent total of £24,688. But for Iain this was only the beginning. The next step was to get many of the artists that took part in the Ceilidh to contribute a track to a compilation CD. Most of the contributors are Skye based musicians and the list includes the Peatbog Faeries, Donnie (Munro), Blair Douglas, Arthur Cormack and Dochas. Runrig close the album with And the Accordions Played.

The Road Home CD was launched in Inverness in November. It is available in the Inverness branch of HMV, as well as through the Highland Hospice online shop You can also purchase by calling them directly on Tel: 01463 227913.

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Hall of Fame


Runrig were honoured at this year’s Traditional Music Awards in Glasgow by being adopted into the Hall Of Fame. They were unable to attend the ceremony because of their gig at Barrowlands, but the award was presented to them live on stage and the film relayed along the road to the Fruitmarket Gallery where the event took place.

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Cash for Kids


After the bands performance at this year’s Radio Clyde Cash For Kids lunch, we are delighted to report that a bottle of our special Beat The Dram malt whisky sold for the excellent sum of £800 at the auction that followed.


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Top Scottish Song


The result of the much publicised poll for the 'Best Scottish Song Of All Time' has now been published, and it's been a case of much popping of the corks at Runrig HQ. Loch Lomond has indeed finished in the top spot and the band were presented with the award by Lulu last friday at their gig in London.

It's a big honour for the band, so many thanks to all who voted, and a very special thank you to the unknown soldier in the mid 18th century for writing such a classic. The poll was organised by the charity Scotscare.

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Cash for Kids


Runrig have just added a very important date on to their upcoming Autumn / Winter Tour. On Friday 5th December, the day they play their first Barrowlands show, they will be part of the annual Radio Clyde charity extravaganza – Cash For Kids. The sell-out charity lunch takes place at the Hilton Hotel at 1 o’ clock.

Radio Clyde’s Marketing Director, Richard Muir, said, “We’re delighted to have the boys on board for the Radio Clyde Cash for Kids Lunch on the 5th of December. Runrig are famous throughout the world and Scottish legends and we’re so pleased they are coming to play and support Cash for Kids. We can’t wait to see them on the 5th.”


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Runrig hit Radio Clyde with Tom Ferrie


Radio Clyde will be broadcasting segments of an interview with Calum and Iain and the live session all next week on the Tom Ferrie show on Clyde 2 from 6pm weeknights. This programme is available on line from the Clyde 2 website www.clyde2.com or 1152AM.
They will also be doing a special Runrig programme as part of their St Andrews Night celebrations details of which will be posted nearer the time.


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BBC ALBA Launch Night


BBC Alba launches on satellite tonight and to mark the occasion, BBC 2 are also covering the launch with an evening of programmes to introduce it to the world.
Runrig fans will be particularly interested in the launch song — a specially recorded, extended version of ALBA by Paul Mounsey featuring a cast of Gaelic singers including Karen Matheson and Arthur Cormack.
The song opens up the new channel at 9.00pm BBC2.

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Runrig live at Scone


To celebrate 2009, The Year of Homecoming, Runrig are now delighted to be in a position to announce their major Scottish event of the year. Continuing their well travelled quest for live concerts in scenic and iconic outdoor locations, we can now confirm that they will stage their Year of Homecoming concert in the historic grounds of Scone Palace, Perthshire, on Saturday 29th August, 2009.

Tickets on sale from Saturday 26th July, 2008: Price £35
Call now on 0844 8472269
www.ticketmaster.co.uk plus usual outlets

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Pre Edinburgh Castle fan get together


A pre show get together has been organised on the afternoon of the 26th of July in the Bongo Club in Edinburgh's Royal Mile. There will be Karaoke competition and more fun and games

The event is free, although any donations towards costs would be appreciated, and any additional monies raised shall be donated to a charity!

The Bongo Club is part of a charity group called Out of the Blue, who help and encourage young musicians and artists in Edinburgh and often help promote them through concerts, club nights as well as providing them with learners classes and practice rooms. You can visit the Bongo Club website and read more by clicking here.

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Special Castle concert malt on sale


Continuing the venture initiated for Beat The Drum, Duncan Taylor of Huntly, The whisky bottlers, have created a special commemorative malt, marking the Edinburgh Castle concert in July. This time it is a 12 year old Strathspey, Open Edition.

The whisky can be purchased direct from Duncan Taylors website. The whisky will not be available on the castle grounds on the day of the show.

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Year of the Charts


We are all popping the single malt corks at the Runrig Office as we have just heard the great news that Year of the Flood is this week's No 1 in the Official UK DVD Music Charts beating even 'older timers' like Neil Diamond, Led Zeppelin and Madonna. This comes on the back of a Danish No 1 run and a mid-week position of No 2 in Germany in the first week of release.

You can view the official chart by clicking here. Year of the Flood can be purchased from our online shop together with an exclusive audio CD. Also check out our new range of summer tour T-Shirts too.

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DVD release information


Unfortunately, and with great regret, we have just found out that we will have to delay the date of the DVD release. This is particularly frustrating for all concerned, as the PR, distribution and retail teams were all waiting on the starting line ready to go. The problem is a technical one within the manufacturing process, and we have no option but to delay the release.

Fortunately the impact will not be too bad as the manufacturing plant will ship out on Tuesday 29th April. We will ensure that shipments to fans and to retail outlets will be as quick as possible from receipt at the office and distribution outlets.

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Special Castle guest announced


We are delighted to announce that top Gaelic diva, Julie Fowlis has agreed to join Runrig on the bill for Edinburgh Castle. She will perform a short set prior to Runrig taking the stage, and it is the perfect act to compliment the band in this historic setting. There will also be some special guests joining Runrig on stage during their set.

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Year of the Flood available for pre-order


We are delighted to announce the release of Year of The Flood, the long awaited DVD of the Beat the Drum event. Filmed at Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness on 18 August 2007, Year Of The Flood will bring back many memories of that unforgettable day when 17,500 people gathered to celebrate the band’s flagship event of Highland Year of Culture 2007, on what was to prove to be the wettest day for the area in living memory. A day of music and celebration – a day of relentless deluge - an event that had the unique distinction of becoming legendary the second it was over and a day that none present would ever forget!

The film attempts to capture it all, just as it was – the mud, the rain, the music, the Highlands and ultimately the ‘never say die’ spirit of a remarkable audience that saw it through to the end, as only a Runrig audience could.

The DVD will be officially released in the UK and Denmark on 28 April, followed by Germany on 4 May. Also, alongside the DVD, a CD release, with selected tracks from the event, will be available exclusively from our online shop and the Aberdeen office.

Both the DVD and CD are available to pre-order from our online shop. A special combination offer is availble for customers who wish to purchase the DVD and audio CD.

Customers who purchased the Souvenir Disc can fill out the discount slips and send it to the Aberdeen office where the DVD will cost £13.99 inc p&p, or the DVD combo pack £18.99 inc p&p.

For all mail, and telephone orders please contact;
Runrig Office
1 York Street
Aberdeen
AB11 5DL
01224 573 100

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Coming Home exhibition moves to Skye


The Runrig Exhibition Coming Home has moved from Lochmaddy, Isle of North Uist, to Aros in Skye. It opens on the 17th of March and is running to the end of the year.

The exhibition covers three distinct areas of band history; the early years (1973-1986) playing round the islands of Skye and the Outer Isles, the Donnie / Chrysalis era (1986 –1997) when the scale of operation reached a higher level with crossover popular appeal and when the international dimension became part of the picture and finally the remarkable regeneration of the band as it moved into the Bruce era, 1997 till the present day.

For more information on viewing the exhibition, visit the Aros centre website by clicking here.

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Runrig return to the Castle


Runrig are delighted to announce their Scottish summer show on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle on Saturday the 26th July. After 2007 being such an exciting year for the band, the show at Edinburgh Castle is a significant event for the band in 2008.

Calum said ‘This is a show we’re really excited about. It’s been too long since we last played on the esplanade – they were always great occasions for the fans – music in the heart of the capital city on a summers evening - you just couldn’t get a better atmosphere.’

Tickets – seated and standing – go on general sale on Friday 15th February from 9am, priced £35.00 (plus booking fee). Tickets will be available from ticketmaster. Gates open at 7pm.


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The Megantic Outlaw Live at Celtic Connections


A new show devised by Lewis musician and teacher Calum Martin, best known for his Gaelic psalm recordings with the Back Free Church congregation, The Megantic Outlaw takes its name from that popularly bestowed on Donald Morrison (1858-1894), a once-celebrated figure in the frontier folklore of Quebec, where his parents settled after being cleared from Lewis.

After shooting a bounty-hunter over a disputed family debt, Morrison spent ten months on the run, frequently sheltered by other Scottish settlers in the region. Martin’s Gaelic folk-rock song cycle, recently released on CD, begins with the family’s voyage from Lewis, following the story through to Morrison’s capture, imprisonment, and eventual death following a hunger-strike.

Helping Calum perform The Megantic Outlaw album live will be an all star Trans-Atlantic band, consisting of Runrig members Malcolm Jones (guitarist/piper/multi -instrumentalist) and Blair Douglas (accordion/keyboard) as well as Fraser Fifield (saxophone/pipes/whistles) a hugely individual and multi-talented musician who transcends various musical genres and one of the youngest ever traditional Mod Gold Medallists Isobel Ann Martin (backing vocals).

From Nashville comes Arvel Bird, the most popular Native American recording artist on tour today who secured top honors as Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards in 2007.

Venue : The Classic Grand
Date : 31st January
Time : 7:30pm
Tickets : £12.50

Click here to purchase tickets from the Celtic Connections website. The Megantic Outlaw is available to purchase from the Ridge Records section in our online shop.

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