Beat the Drum – Runrig Experience

Bruce Guthro had many fans here in Germany. The much too early death of the likeable Canadian in September 2023 moved us to tears. He was with us several times: at the blacksheep festival and at a wonderful solo concert in the Kursaal of Bad Wimpfen. For

20 years, Bruce Guthro was the singer and frontman of Runrig. But this group no longer exists since 2018. The band said goodbye to their fans after 45 years with an emotional concert.

We were therefore specifically looking for an act that was reminiscent of Bruce Guthro – and at the same time celebrated Runrig, one of the most successful Scottish bands. Beat the Drum with Runrig Experience is the best thing currently on the market as a tribute to the great artists from Northern Europe.

Runrig Experience plays on Saturday, 22th June 2024, at the 9th blacksheep festival

Runrig’s music is often described as a mix of folk and rock music, with the band’s lyrics often revolving around places, history, politics and people that are or were unique to Scotland. This traditional reference in the music, but also in the lyrics, some of which also have Gaelic lyrics, is what makes the band special and creates the fascination of their music.

“It’s time to Dance Again and relive countless Runrig Anthems including Loch Lomond, Rocket To The Moon, Every River, Greatest Flame, Hearts of Olden Glory and more as part of the brand new Runrig Experience.”

TICKETS

Runrig managed to create this identity between country and music. In 2016, the band announced that they would be retiring from the studio following the release of their 14th studio album “The Story” and announced their final tour “The Final Mile” for 2017. In August 2018, Runrig played the final show of her farewell tour entitled “The Last Dance” at Stirling City Park, attended by an estimated 52,000 fans. If Runrig still existed, the band would have celebrated its 50th birthday in 2023

We celebrate the music of Runrig and Bruce Guthro

Richie Muir, singer and guitarist from Edinburgh, is a huge, lifelong Runrig fan. He had the idea to keep this fantastic music alive and founded Runrig Experience, a band that celebrates Runrig’s music and with it this anniversary – and that fills a gap.

“From the start, we didn’t want to be a ‘look-a-like’ type tribute band. We wanted the show to be a celebration of the band’s music. Yes we wanted it to sound authentic and to represent what the band was about but this isn’t about replacing the void left by them. It’s about celebrating their music and their incredible contribution to the music industry, Scotland as a whole and the tiny, significant moments in the lives of their fans. We wanted to create a show where people could come along, enjoy themselves, sing, dance, celebrate and remember and I think we’ve really done that”, says Ben Marshall, the band’s manager.

We blacksheep are very pleased that we can welcome such outstanding artists to the 9th blacksheep Festival. And we also want to celebrate Runrig’s music – and remember the great Bruce Guthro. Immerse yourself with us in the fascination of Scotland, the uniqueness of the Highlands with Runrig Experience – a must for every Scotland fan and for Runrig fans the songs are finally brought back to life and preserved.

You can listen to the story behind Runrig Experience here:

The Band

• Richie Muir – Vocals, Guitar
• Jason Laing – Guitar
• Duncan MacDonald –Bass
• Scott MacDonald – Drums
• N.N.