Black Grape to headline Mareel next month

A headline show by 90s indie favourites Black Grape, which was due to take place last month only to fall foul of the weather hours before doors opening, will now go ahead later this year.

Black Grape will regroup once more to play at Mareel on Saturday 24th October to make up for being unable to play the venue on 4th July when flights into Sumburgh Airport were cancelled, leaving the band stranded in Aberdeen and hundreds of local music fans disappointed.

Joe Robertson from local promoters Klub Revolution, who are staging the show in Lerwick, said they were delighted that the band was keen to complete their UK tour by coming to Shetland in October for what will now be a one-off gig for Black Grape and the last that the band are scheduled to play.

Robertson said: “We along with all the hundreds of people that had bought tickets for the show in July were absolutely gutted when the weather put paid to the original show. But we have to give the band, the band’s management and Loganair great credit in helping us to reschedule this hugely anticipated show so quickly.

“This was always going to be complicated due to the fact that lead singer Shaun Ryder was due to rejoin the Happy Mondays for shows later in the year. So we are grateful to Shaun and the management for putting the work in and finding a date that could work for everyone.”

Klub Revolution also promoted the Aberdeen show at the city’s Beach Ballroom venue the evening after the original Shetland show had to be cancelled and Robertson added that all the band, especially Ryder, had been extremely disappointed not to make it to Shetland as it was the show on the UK tour that they were all “really looking forward to”.

This will now be the third attempt to bring cultural icon Ryder to Shetland. As well as last month’s misfortune, his other band the Happy Mondays had to cancel a show at Mareel in 2012 due to illness.

Black Grape reformed for a one-off UK tour earlier this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band’s number one album, It’s Great When You’re Straight … Yeah.

The album also featured three top singles, Reverend Black Grape, In The Name Of The Father and Kelly’s Heroes.

Robertson enthused that anyone attending the gig in October was in for a treat after seeing the band wowed the audience in Aberdeen, sounding even better than they did 20 years ago.

Tickets are now back on sale from Shetland Box Office and anyone with a ticket for the original show that wishes to attend the new date will have to swap over at the point of purchase.

Refunds are also available for ticket holders who were unable to make it on the revised date.