Big Country Redux

Guitarist Bruce Watson was one of the founding members of the legendary Scottish rock band Big Country, alongside guitarist, singer and songwriter Stuart Adamson. Together with bass player Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki, their classic debut album ‘The Crossing’ (1983) sold over 2 million copies and earned them 3 Grammy nominations in the USA. Second album ‘Steeltown’ (1984) went straight to Number 1. In total, Big Country had 17 top 30 UK singles and made gold and platinum status albums. Hit singles like ‘In A Big Country’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Chance’, ‘East of Eden’ and ‘Look Away’ made them Top Of The Pops regulars, and they toured with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, David Bowie, and the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger called them “one of the best opening bands we ever had”. Tragically, on the 16 th of December 2021, Stuart Adamson took his own life. Watson reunited with Butler and Brzezicki in 2007 to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. For their 30th, The Alarm’s Mike Peters joined on vocals to pay tribute to the music of Stuart Adamson (whose usual space at the centre of the stage was left symbolically vacant).