Almost 20 years ago, they couldn’t walk the street without being mobbed.
Back then, with the X Factor at its peak, brothers Craig and Brian MacDonald lived the dream by hitting our Saturday night screens.
The duo shot to fame with a semi final run in the contest won by eventual superstar Leona Lewis.
Two decades on, the Macs remain a flourishing brand.
Busier than ever with gigs around the world, they have just embarked on an 18-date nationwide tour celebrating the best of their roots.
The ‘Pride of Scotland’ show will stop by Rutherglen Town Hall today (Thursday, February 6) to play to a packed venue.
The lads insist they still take nothing for granted after a career which burst on to the small screen in front of millions back in 2006.
Brian, 38, told the Reformer: “In many ways we were musicians first and vocalists second…which probably helped us coming out of the X Factor.
“Myself and Craig have been performing together since the age of five – it’s all we’ve ever known.
“We loved the X Factor and the platform that it gave us. It was an experience that we’ll never forget.
“But there was definitely a perception that people took from that show and we still have to fight it to this day.
“Back then we were just kids and you do see clips from the time and realise it was different people on stage.
“We’ve developed so much as an act and we’re not ashamed to say that.”
Recent years have seen the boys team up with fellow local talent show stars Jai McDowall, Jeremy Levif and Blair Gilmour as part of the Ayrshire Lads brand.
That has spawned the latest show for the Macs to go it alone with a tour of Scottish dates, featuring special guests.
Craig, 39, added: “We enjoy travelling overseas and have had a lot of success with the cruise ships.
“But we’ve spent a lot of time away from home and family and there comes a point for that to change.
“We loved doing the run of ‘Ayrshire Lads’ shows at the Gaiety over the last few years and it showed us the possibilities that were there to get back out touring closer to home.”
Central to the boys’ longevity, they say, is an ability to get on as both brothers and performers while living in each others’ suitcases.
Craig laughed: “We probably have one big argument each year – but it’s healthy to have that type of blow-out.
“The biggest thing is space, and we each have our own family lives, but we even socialise together in terms of going for a few drams with the same group of pals.
“It’s just the way it’s always been and I think that’s what makes it work so well.”
The pair’s latest incarnation is being driven by the production mind of EHP Theatre’s Edd Holloway.
The Englishman, who jokes he is the “third adopted MacDonald brother,” has been working with the duo on shows like the Ayrshire Lads.
He said: “They’re just immensely talented and I don’t think they get the credit for it.
“People who followed them the time of the X Factor obviously remember who they are, but that was a totally different time and place.
“Seeing the reaction they got during the Ayrshire Lads shows told me everything I needed to know.
“They’re a fabulous act within their own right and we’re seeing a whole new generation of fan come out for them now.
“Nowhere on our marketing do we push the X Factor either.
“The lads are more than good enough to stand on their own two feet and the show will speak for itself.”
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