Shetland Arts is delighted to present a string of excellent gigs in Mareel in the first half of 2013, including DJ Tam Coyle at the first ever Up Helly Aa Hop in Mareel, former Runrig frontman Donnie Munro in March, ska-band The Beat in April, Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble in May, Catriona MacDonald’s new group Vamm also in May, and “hypno-folkadelic” group Shooglenifty in June.

Tam Coyle kept local crowds dancing into the small hours at the Tall Ships in Lerwick last year, and returns to DJ at the first ever Up Helly Aa Hop in Mareel on Wednesday 20 January. With the assistance of one of the noisiest and liveliest crowds he’s ever encountered, he aims to keep the party going with a set to be enjoyed by everyone from 18 to 81. This is an 18+ event and tickets cost £20.

Former Runrig frontman Donnie Munro has enjoyed considerable success as a solo artist and writer, recently embarking on a series of acoustic shows where he has taken the opportunity to revisit a wide range of material spanning his career with Runrig and with his own band. Shetland Arts is delighted to welcome such a talented musician to Mareel for a no-doubt memorable performance on Friday 29 March. Tickets cost £18 and all are welcome to attend.

One of the biggest bands of the 2-Tone movement, The Beat play with the sole aim of connecting with and entertaining their appreciative audience with their relentless energy and world class musicianship. Ska is very popular in Shetland and The Beat are sure to entertain a very large and very happy audience in Mareel on Saturday 6 April. Tickets cost £18 and all are welcome to attend.

Familiar to thousands of music fans as the front man of the Scottish rock band Idlewild, Roddy Woomble is also a celebrated solo songwriter and performer, and played a sold out gig with Idlewild at the North Star in Shetland in 2002. Roddy is returning to Shetland on Monday 13 May for a performance featuring songs from his new album, both his previous solo albums, and several Idlewild numbers. Tickets cost £16 and all are welcome to attend.

Newly formed in 2012, Vamm is made up of Shetland born Catriona MacDonald (of Blazin’ Fiddles), Perthshire’s Patsy Reid (founding member of Breabach) and Norwegian Marit Falt. The group seamlessly creates a dynamic yet intimate sound that will take your breath away. This must-see concert in Mareel is open to all and tickets cost £16.

Shooglenifty is one of Scotland’s most unique musical exports, playing an infectious blend of Celtic traditional music and dance grooves that band members describe as “hypno-folkadelic ambient trad.” They are sure to provide a night in Mareel to remember on Saturday 1 June – so get your dancing shoes on and come along! Tickets cost £16 and the gig is open to all.

Shetland Arts’ Marketing Officer, Lisa Ward, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce such a fantastic line-up of gigs in Mareel in the first half of 2013. We’re still busy filling up our calendar for the year and will be announcing even more great events in the new year, but being able to confirm these acts now is an excellent Christmas present for everyone! We’d also like to say thank you to Davie Gardner for his hard work in securing these world-class acts for performances which are sure-to-be unforgettable.”

Tickets for all these events will go on sale on Friday 21 December via Shetland Box Office in Mareel and Islesburgh, over the phone on 01595 745 555, or online at www.mareel.org or www.shetlandboxoffice.org

Source: Shetland Arts