THEY were emotionally-charged gigs that brought followers from around the world to Stirling, and tonight Runrig fans will be able to relive their farewell performances on-screen when The Last Dance movie is given its world premiere in Glasgow.
Production company Blazing Griffin filmed the two gigs against the backdrop of Stirling Castle a year ago and are now unveiling the three-hour musical documentary.
There were plenty of tears as the curtain came down on the Celtic rock legends’ 45-year career, and the company say they are delighted with the result.
Runrig drummer Iain Bayne told The National it was an emotional night – and he’s set for more of the same: “I’ve only seen about half an hour of it at Blazing Griffin’s place in Glasgow … it was bizarre because you never want to see yourself on film and I thought it really had some impact.
“They’ve done a great job and get the essence of it ... The sound quality is superb, the quality and the filming brings it to life. It has real depth.
“It’s going to be quite emotional watching it for the first time reliving the whole night. It’ll be a bit of a struggle I think, because for the first month or so I couldn’t look at anything online after the final show. I couldn’t listen to anything because it was too raw, too emotional.”
READ MORE: Runrig are gone but Munro journeys on
Bayne said once the final gigs had passed countless emails and letters flooded into the Runrig offices, some reading like obituaries.
“It was only then we suddenly realised how much the band meant to so many people in so many ways for so many different reasons, and it was the soundtrack to many people’s lives in ways that you wouldn’t imagine.
“It went beyond just enjoying music, there was a real connection, and that was very humbling.”
Bayne reflected on the 50,000 people who had turned up at Stirling and mused: “Not bad for a band at the end of its career.
“Did we do the right thing? I think so. Everything’s got to come to an end at some point, and we thought we’d go out at the top of our game. I didn’t want to do a Usain Bolt and pull a hamstring in the final race.
“As far as the band were concerned, the [last] show on the Saturday night was one of the best we’d ever played. Everything just came together – serendipity, I suppose. The band played its socks off, everything just gelled, lighting, the crew, everything.”
He said the setting sent shivers down their backs, giving him the feeling that they were part of something much bigger than them: “It was an iconic location historically for the band, historically for Scotland. It was a statement of so many things that come together when you look behind the surface.
“It’s not just the band there’s something that runs through the veins of what Runrig did and was that connects with the people, the land and the culture and it’s very much a capillary, if not an artery, that runs through Scottish culture ... Scotland is what continues to be the heart that pumped through the veins of Runrig.”
Blazing Griffin’s Steven Little, who produced the film, said they were privileged to make it but had approached the project – their first outside broadcast – with some trepidation.
“You realise then the weight of expectation that’s on your shoulders, not only because the band has been going for so long – nearly half a century – but the fans as well,” he said. The team had 30 cameras over the two nights focussing on the stage and amongst the fans, which had paid off.
“We’ve captured some very special moments, including a proposal by one of the fans. We discovered quite early on with Runrig – the connection between the band and the fans is so important to them that the pressure to deliver for the fans is the real expectation.”
Little said he was delighted with the end result, as were the film’s distributors: “Sony Music who are distributing it, said it’s not only the best thing they’ve seen for Runrig, but the best music film they’ve seen in a long time.”
The last word comes from Bayne, who says Runrig may be a thing of the past, but their musicians play on: “Malcolm and I have had an almost telepathic musical relationship over the years.
"He’s one of the most stunning guitarists these islands have ever produced. I miss playing with him so much. I think it’s essential for my wellbeing that we continue to do something together.
“It would be a nonsense not to do other things with the guys.”
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