CELTIC folk-rock legends Runrig celebrate over 30 years in the business at Southampton's Guildhall on Tuesday. What's On's Noel Davies chatted to the band's percussionist, Calum McDonald, ahead of the gig...

THE shelf life of most bands nowadays is a year at best. You get your 12 months of celebrity stardom, then falter by the wayside like a crumpled, empty can.

Runrig aren't most bands. In fact the Gaelic rockers have broken just about every rule in the book. They've never had a major record deal, they've never been the flavour of the month with Radio 1 or NME, and they've rarely dented the Top 40 with their Gaelic folk-rock strums. Yet somehow they've sold thousands of albums and been in the music business for over three decades.

"We've been about a long time, but it doesn't feel remarkable," modestly admits Runrig sticks man Calum McDonald. "We just do a job, and as long as we keep enjoying what we're doing, we'll keep on doing it."

Calum, from Lochmaddy, Scotland, formed the band in 1973, with his brother Rory on guitar. They quickly recruited singer Donnie Munro and recorded their first album, Play Gaelic, in 1978. A year before their 25th anniversary, and after huge success both in the UK and abroad, Donnie left the band. Callum admits the rest of the group did question whether they could carry on without him

"When Donnie left, that was a major crossroads for the band. It was a case of do we carry on, or call it a day? We decided we still had more to give.

"We knew it would be difficult and there would be a lot of soul searching. There were times when things were frustrating and we did question ourselves. The answer was always yes though and that is why we have carried on," he added.

After months of auditions the band finally found a replacement good enough to fill Donnie's shoes, Canadian born singer, Bruce Guthro. Eight years on and the band are now looking to the future with optimism, as Calum explains.

"There are always new things we want to achieve, but we really just enjoy each day as it comes. All of us want to do a solo album, some of us have. If I do eventually do one, I think the essence of the songs would be different to the band. Maybe the sound would be more raw.

"I would hope we are recording some good music that makes a contribution and that makes us happy. That is the ultimate goal for a musician, to feel you have done something of worth."

Runrig. Southampton Guildhall, February 8. Box office: 023 8063 2601.