Caledonia writer Dougie MacLean is celebrating his 100th online gig since lockdown and says he's only sang his hit Caledonia three times.
The Scots hitmaker loved doing his own virtual gigs so much over the last year that he says he doesn't need to tour America again now that he can go global from his home.
Dougie, who has been performing from his old school house in Butterstone, Perthshire, said he has so many songs in his back catalogue that he only performed Caledonia two or three times over lockdown for his audience online.
He explained: "I didn’t sing Caledonia much over the 100 hundred shows because the audience I'm playing to are interested in other songs.
"I maybe performed it two or three times for special broadcasts like the one we did for the NHS workers. And I'll probably perform it for the hundredth show we are doing."
Dougie, who is hosting his 100th online gig on Saturday 21st August, took to the virtual world like a duck to water.
He said: "With expert technical guidance from my son Jamie MacLean, a stage was built in the beautiful old building, with theatre lights, sound, four automated cameras and six rows of empty seats.
"We put on a concert every second day, then twice a week and since summer 2020 it’s been a weekly concert for a growing, international audience."
The response has been overwhelming with over 2 million people from over 50 countries tuning in for the music from my 'Global Streaming Theatre’!
Dougie is brimming with excitement as he tells the Daily Record how going online to perform his gigs has changed his outlook on touring and music.
He said: "It’s quite incredible. I learned a lot about the communication with my audience.
"I spent nearly fifty years playing in Europe and Australia and then all of a sudden I began communication with people from the old school my dad and I went to. I set it up as a theatre."
"My dad went to the school in the 1930s and learned to write on slate with chalk there.
"I love it when people are singing my songs from California, Melbourne, and Berlin at same time."
He added: "Covid has been a disaster for musicians but during the process I wanted to invent another model for a musician like me. It's a different kind of thing.
"I probably won’t go back to America now and won't do as much touring in Europe. The only way people will get to see me is if they hook into my live shows from here.
"I think I’m getting older now at 66 and I’m not really that desperate to be hurling my wee body across the Atlantic and waiting in airports and hotels. I don’t envisage me hurtling out the door to go to gigs."
Dougie shoots with four cameras and everything is automated, thanks to his son.
He said: "I wanted people to feel like they were at a gig and this is done totally ourselves without having to rely on funding. The model works. I’m also able to turn it into an income stream with three free gigs and one ticketed a month."
Dougie has also started making videos to accompany his concerts.
He said: 'I do video documentaries, three minute long little documentaries and during ticketed shows fly them in and people love it. It gives a glimpse of something much bigger than me doing a couple of songs. I love doing them."
One of Dougie's highlights was in June 2020 when he was approached by NHS Scotland to give a special thank you concert for NHS staff that was streamed in staff rooms for them to watch during their break. He also performed for Nordoff Robbins.
His Special Anniversary Concert "Live 100" on Saturday 21st August is a Ticketed Concert, a full hour of songs, stories, fiddle tunes and Dougie's special wee films.
Tickets are available from https://www.dougiemacleanlive.com
