LIFE IN A BIG COUNTRY
I remember seeing the Skids play at the Hammersmith Palais and noticing shy Stuart Adamson's contribution. I remember co-managing the Skids, and undertaking a tour of the school playgrounds the length and breadth of the country. I remember Virgin Records holding on to Richard Jobson and letting Stuart Adamson go when the Skids fell apart. My partner Ian Grant pinpointed Chris Briggs and Phonogram as the right record company for Big Country and just kept on and on at them until the deal was done.
Live, Big Country played at the Dingwalls club circuit and supported Alice Cooper at Brighton Conference Centre, the latter backfired when the obnoxious Vietnam vet tour manager took a dislike to the band and kicked them off the tour. This did the group a favour, and hot rhythm section bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki who were working with Pete Townsend were enlisted. Big Country never looked back. Moody magnificent guitarist Stuart Adamson, rhythm guitarist and comedian Bruce Watson, friendly rock solid bassist Tony Butler and quirky Mark Brzezicki with the massive drum sound.
Soon sweaty venues like Nottingham Rock City were heavy with the pure excitement of a real live rock band cutting a swathe throughout the new romantic and posey pop scene. America beckoned, and a combination of guitar rock and tartan imagery struck a chord. "In A Big Country" stormed up the singles chat with the album in hot pursuit Stateside, it seemed a far cry from their U.S. debut supporting The Members at The Peppermint Lounge in New York. It all happened very quickly in America, guitar rock was a well established tradition.
Pressure dropped on Big Country big time, endless touring - Stuart not really wanting to be part of the rock and roll trip - a hastily mixed second album, a cancelled tour with Hall and Oates the band need a break.
Manchester United fan Stuart was football mad, backstage players pooped up like they were in the penalty box - Steve Archibald, Charlie Nicholas, Tony Woodcock, Paul Mariner, Kenny Dalglish to name but a few. When Stuart wasn't gigging he was watching Dunfermline's athletics good times.
The audience too felt like they were too off the terraces, and the empathy that was felt between the band and crowd rivalled that of the Liverpool players and the packed Kop. The music was anthemic and so was the sing along response and support from the masses down the front.
Back in the USA again, standout show at Sinatra's old N/Y stomping ground the Roseland Ballroom, sellouts at the palladium in L.A., crazy party at the Sunset Marquis, broken down bus on the road to San Diego, snowbound spectrum in Montreal and good fun at Saturday Night Live with then world champ larry Homes. back in Scotland for Hogmany or was it Christmas Eve at Edingburgh Playhouse, followed by a cranky propeller driven small plane ride back to London.
June 1994 still got it live at Clapham Grand, always worth the price of admission Big Country continue the great rock tradition.
Alan Edwards
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