EXPERIENCE LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH MÀNRAN BBC ALBA – Thursday 25 December 10.00 – 11.30pm Wryly dubbed by certain media as ‘Scotland’s Gaelic boy band’, Mànran have created a stir on both the Scottish and international music scene since they formed in 2010. With their second album The Test released last year to critical acclaim, BBC ALBA joined the award winning six piece band to witness the thrills and spills of life on the road. During an hour long documentary, produced by Demus-HG Productions, we follow them across a year both at home and abroad and following this programme, there is a chance to see them live in concert recorded earlier this year. 2013 brought their biggest gig yet, supporting their musical heroes Runrig to 40,000 people outside Inverness. After the high of the Runrig gig, the band set off for the first Mànran tour of America starting at the Milwaukee IrishFest, the biggest Irish music festival in the USA. But life on the road is never simple, especially when their piper and fiddle player is double booked! The American tour sees them debut to an appreciative audience, jam with fellow Scots - The Red Hot Chilli Pipers - and help out some Irish friends who are down a member! As the US tour goes on, and tiredness sets in with the long drives, small things niggle and patience is tested but on stage they pull together for all important performances. We meet the individual Mànran members and discover that their other musical pursuits add to Mànran’s individual sound, with associations with the legendary Battlefield Band; funk and soul band, Federation of the Disco Pimp and Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire. A trip to Germany offers more new opportunities but also tests the band’s mettle as they struggle with the festival organisers to make sure their set sounds the way it should. It looks like the gig could be a disaster but in true Mànran tradition, the six friends unite and pull off a cracking set winning over a whole new set of German fans - with their merchandise stall subsequently mobbed! A pre-Christmas tour of Uist and Lewis is affected by terrible weather and sees the band stranded on Uist - missing other gigs as a result - but resourceful as ever, they put their time to good use as they wait for the weather to improve, arranging an impromptu cèilidh in the local hall to the delight to their island fans! The documentary provides an illuminating insight into one of Gaelic’s leading bands, colourful characters and music that proves that their reputation is well deserved. Following this programme a special half-hour concert will be screened, produced by Bees Nees Media and recorded at the Fèis na Mara festival in Mallaig in September 2014. In front of a lively crowd, the six-piece demonstrate why they are amongst Scotlands most popular and successful touring and recording musical acts.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:13:13 +0000
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