Yahoo News Funk and soul band will put a "positive spin" on Cancer Research event in Ayrshire
Glasgow-based funk and soul band, The McCommitments, are to headline at the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Relay for Life event in Kilmarnock this summer.
The McCommitments will play on August 31 at Ayrshire Athletics Arena, along with other bands and singers, to entertain participants while they complete a 24-hour walking challenge. The band was inspired by the iconic movie 'The Commitments' and will play hits like 'Mustang Sally', 'Chain of Fools' and 'Try a Little Tenderness'.
With a Scottish twist, they authentically capture the film's soul-stirring energy, mirroring the movie band's line-up and bringing the multi-million-selling album to life.
The McCommitments lead singer Stevie Douglas told Ayrshire Live: "The movie is about a bunch of working-class folk from Dublin who form a band and play soul music. The soundtrack of the movie became iconic and it sold over 23 million copies over the world. It features songs from guys like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.
"I've always been a fan of that music and I've played in bands for years.
"Two years ago, me and some mates decided to put a band together to do a charity gig to raise some funds for the food bank. We didn't have a plan after that but then folks were asking where they could see us next, we decided to just keep it going and the band is now growing exponentially. There are now 10 of us in the band.
"The whole story of the movie is about people with nothing who try to better themselves through music and we like this idea."
The moment Stevie, 52, saw a social media post that Relay for Life organisers were looking for artists to play at the event, he knew the band needed to take part as it "hits home". Stevie is a cancer survivor and was diagnosed with germ cell sarcoma back in 2013. It took seven months to diagnose Stevie due to the cancer's rarity, then another 18 months of intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Stevie said: "Everyone's lives are touched by cancer, be it friends or family. You will know someone who is affected by it. I've lost my mother to cancer, she had cancer twice. I've lost a lot of family members through it and I know plenty of other folks that have or had cancer.
"Cancer also took away over two years of my life. Everything ground to a halt. I will never get that time back. Because of the research by CRUK and the care by Beatson. I can still strut my stuff with the fantastic band I play in."
He added: "There were quite a lot of medical complications that came with my diagnosis and during that, I ended up with a lot of lifelong things out of it but that's the price I had to pay. I am fine right now, I know where my limitations are but I am still able to go on stage with a band and do what I love.
"Music definitely helped me to go through this journey, playing music in any form, even listening to music, just does things to you, it starts up the good emotions and that's what we aim to do at the event on August 31.
"We want to put some smiles on people's faces because it is going to be quite an emotional day. We are going to remember people who are not with us anymore and celebrate the people who survived and what better way to do it than to sing along to some songs?
"We want to come to Relay for Life and put a positive spin on it, to say that there is hope here guys. If we can contribute to that in some form and people leave Ayrshire Athletics Arena with big smiles on their faces, feeling they've done something good, in my eyes this is a success."
Since forming the band, The McCommitments have already performed at various gigs, including charity events. This year, the band is booked in for a few concerts and will play at Aberdeen in May, Scottish Borders in June, Blackpool in August as well as other locations.
The band members are looking forward to playing famous songs and hearing people singing along in Ayrshire.
Stevie said: "Everyone knows every song we will do and it is not just me doing all of the singing, the audience is singing along, they sing as hard as I do! I just point out the microphone and away they go as they know all of the songs.
"Even though the music is old, people of all ages come to see us and they know them all. But we are also playing them well, which helps!"
Stevie described the Relay for Life event as an "emotional day" for him and everyone involved. He hopes the band can take people's minds off from troubles for two hours.
He added: "We are a fun band, we don't take ourselves too seriously, we go on and have a good time off stage as we are all good friends and this comes across to the audience. We try to give the audience the warmth that we have for each other."
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