Big Country was originally formed in 1981 by guitar playing founder
members Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson both native of the band’s
hometown Dunfermline in Scotland.

Initially driven by a shared vision of widescreen guitar melody, harmony
and lyric, the classic Big Country sound was further enhanced later that
summer by the arrival of drummer Mark Brzezicki and bass player Tony
Butler. This is the Big Country that (with producer Steve Lillywhite),
recorded the classic debut album ‘The Crossing’ in 1983.

The band broke massively worldwide with the release of the album’s
classic singles ‘Fields Of Fire’, ‘Chance’ and signature song ‘In A Big
Country’, which went on to become massive worldwide hits, selling over 2
million copies and driving ‘The Crossing’ to 3 prestigious Grammy
nominations in the USA.

 

The run of success continued throughout the 1980′s with the release of the
anthemic single ‘Wonderland’ and the second album ‘Steeltown’ (1984),
which debuted at Number 1 in the UK and contained the hit singles ‘East Of
Eden, ‘Just a Shadow’ and ‘Where The Rose Is Sown’ . In 1985, Big
Country appeared at Live Aid in London followed by further successful
album releases ‘The Seer’ (1986, which included the bands biggest UK hit
‘Look Away’, which also reached Number 1 in the Irish Singles chart) and
‘Peace In Our Time’ (1988), which saw the band playing the first ever
privately promoted gig in Russia at the Moscow Sports Stadium.

At the start of the 90’s ‘Through A Big Country’, featuring all the bands
classic hits was released, followed by the fifth studio album ‘No Place Like
Home’ (1991) taking the band’s total record sales to well over five million
copies.

Further studio albums Buffalo Skinners (1993) and ‘Why The Long Face
(1995) followed, which saw Big Country landing the special guest slot on
the Rolling Stones ‘Voodoo Lounge’ European tour and several shows in

the UK and Ireland with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in
1995.

In August 1998 they were once again invited to open for the Rolling Stones
on their ‘Bridges To Babylon” tour of Europe prompting Mick Jagger to say
that Big Country were “one of the best opening bands we ever had”.

Two songs written at that time (‘Somebody Else’ and ‘Devil In The Eye’)
were co-written with Ray Davies of The Kinks who invited the band to back
him on the main stage at Glastonbury to perform a storming set in the rain.

By now singer Stuart Adamson had relocated to Nashville, Tennessee and
so his fellow bandmates decamped to America to join him in writing and
recording the album ‘Driving To Damascus’. It would be the last album they
recorded together. With Stuart at the helm, Big Country, scored 17 top 30
UK singles achieving 5 gold and platinum status albums along the way.
Stuart and Big Country would tour Europe one final time in 2000 and on the
closing night at their beloved Barrowlands in Glasgow the band were
fatefully joined on stage for one last song by Alarm singer Mike Peters and
Bruce Watson’s son Jamie on guitar.

On December 16th 2001, Stuart Adamson took his own life in Honolulu,
USA. He is survived by his children Callum and Kirsten. A celebration of
Stuart’s life was held at Glasgow Barrowlands in May 2002 featuring the
remaining members of Big Country with special guest vocalists including
Mike Peters who would also sing with the band at a fan club convention in
Zaandam, Holland.

The remaining three members had no real thoughts of performing as Big
Country again. But, Tony Butler, Mark Brzezicki and Bruce Watson
re-united in 2007 to celebrate the band’s Twenty-fifth anniversary. “It wasn’t
a come-back... it was just the three of us having fun, as friends and as a
band, and hoping to give the fans some enjoyment by playing our songs
live, to celebrate 25 years” – Bruce Watson

In the summer of 2010, Bruce Watson finally picked up the phone and
asked Mike Peters to do what he had previously been reluctant to do and

sing with Big Country officially. In order to celebrate 30 years since the
band was formed, Mike (a longstanding friend of Stuart’s who credits the
words of ‘In A Big Country’ as literally inspiring him to ‘Stay Alive’ through
two very public cancer battles), instinctively agreed and dates were
booked. The first was fittingly in Glasgow, Scotland on New Years Eve
2010 and the second in the band’s hometown of Dunfermline. There was
instant chemistry with the band also being joined by Bruce Watson’s son
Jamie on guitar as Big Country again sought solace in the music and the
freedom to express their love and admiration for their departed friend Stuart
Adamson (who’s usual space at the centre of the stage was left
symbolically vacant).

“When we are playing it is as if we never stopped, but I know we have, I
know we suffered a great loss. But you heal . . . slowly. I can assure you
that Stuart will be there with us every night, in our thoughts, in our words,
and in our hearts. And now we find ourselves maybe not fully healed, but
whole enough to hear the calling to continue this story. And time has made
me realise that this story has always been about our fans, the love we have
for our fans, and the love they have selflessly given us back.” – Bruce
Watson

“When Bruce Watson called and asked me to sing for Big Country it was
something I didn’t need to think twice about. It’s been an incredible honour
getting to know the music of Big Country intimately and a pleasure to be
around such great musicians and fans alike. I find singing the lyrics of
Stuart Adamson very life affirming” – Mike Peters

Two years of intense and emotional shows followed with the ‘new’ Big
Country fuelled by a renewed energy and once again revelling in the
dreams and visions that had brought them together in the first place, finding
instant and respectful acceptance by fans and critics alike. Since then, the
band have performed at many of the UK and Europe’s most famous
festivals, including Isle Of Wight (Twice), V Festival, T In The Park,
Oxegen, Pink Pop and Cropredy creating a new generation of fans and
renewing the passion for diehards with the introduction of new original
songs such as ‘Another Country’ and ‘The Journey’ which encapsulate not
only the sound but the heart and soul of Big Country past, present and
future.

With the promise of a new era dawning for the band and the realisation that
Big Country now have the platform to once again record and tour on a
world wide scale, bassist Tony Butler has decided that his time in Big
Country has come to a close and so he has retired gracefully from the
stage. The band now welcomes Scott Whitley on bass.

In April 2013, Big Country released The Journey and toured across the
globe in support of this highly acclaimed album throughout the year.

Coming into 2014, new challenges arose for Big Country. With Mike Peters
dedicating his efforts full-time towards the support of the 30th Anniversary
of The Alarm’s Declaration, Big Country have been joined by Simon Hough
to perform vocal duties. He has fit in perfectly as the band continued its
touring throughout the year that Big Country celebrated the 30th
Anniversary of the release of the album, ‘Steeltown’. 2015 saw massive
Best Of (and more) tour of the UK and Europe, during which, Scott Whitley
joined the band on bass, following Derek’s departure after 3 years. With
2016 came the 30th Anniversary of ‘The Seer’ with the album being
performed in its entirety on tour.

In 2021, the incomparable Gil Allan, a native of Dunfermline, joined the
band, replacing the departing Scott Whitley on bass. As Big Country has
ventured through the 2020s, they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of ‘The
Crossing’ throughout 2023 and will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of
‘Steeltown’ throughout 2024. They continue to entertain fans around the
world the way only Big Country music can.