British rockers Big Country will tour Australia to play their classic debut ‘The Crossing’, the 1983 chart-topping album that cemented them as one of the most popular cult bands of the ‘80s.
While Celtic rock was slow to develop, Big Country hit the ground rolling with the fusion of aggressive rock with traditional Scottish melodies.
“Without being cynical, our strength lies in our back catalogue. It’s a bit like if we were a classic car. We’re not going to make a new car when fans love the classic.”
And now, almost 35 years later, the band are touring Australia, which drummer Mark Brzezicki says is unfinished business. “Instead of playing in places that really haven’t spoken to us, we’re looking at playing for a new audience or even more important a place that either saw us earlier on or never got the chance to.
“It’s kind of a rare gig, and for that reason it’s really special. We were supposed to go [to Australia] in 1984, and I remember doing the trailer for it, but there was always something that would cause a problem. But we’re happy to come to a country that we love.
“We have a fan base out there from back in the day who never got the proper chance to see us and now the whole generation has grown up. So it’s a great place to go. It’s a long way to go and that’s very special as well.”
Big Country have one of the most unique styles in rock, instantly recognisable as their own. With their guitars engineered to sound like traditional bagpipes, the exceptional sound is a testament to what makes the band so enduring.
While former lead vocalist and guitarist Stuart Adamson passed away in 2001, the group are still going strong. “The bagpipe guitar sound is what gave us our identity, combined with the drums,” Mark says.
“We weren’t conspiring to make it anything, we were just very honest. It’s really the four members from the original line-up, which made it sound the way it did. Everyone brought their value to the music and the music came from our chemistry. It was as simple as that. It’s very profound, it’s very passionate.
"We didn’t do it for a while because of Stuart’s passing, but the show goes on and people want to hear the songs.”
Big Country released ten albums between 1983 and 2013, though it’s their debut that resonates with the band, and with Mark. “The idea [for the show] is to play songs from ‘The Crossing’ and then a few other songs to create a good set.
“We’ve been around for a long time now and it’s popular in many countries, and it’s got the cult status. We don’t have anything new to play because we don’t do any writing now, but that’s not to say there won’t be anything in the future. We have such a rich catalogue – in a way we’re a heritage band.
“So, without being cynical, our strength lies in our back catalogue. It’s a bit like if we were a classic car. We’re not going to make a new car when fans love the classic.”
Mark says returning to Big Country feels like home, though he’s never really been away from the band. “I’ve enjoyed working with lots of people – and the list is very long – and I’ve continued to work professionally for around 36 years. However, Big Country is what I do regularly.
“Come March we’ll have a busy schedule. We can’t wait to get to Australia and New Zealand, and we hope we’ll have a good audience like last time, ‘cause they were very passionate about our music and when we know that, it gives us a lot of passion back as well.”
Big Country Tour Dates
Fri 9 Mar – Newport Hotel (Perth)Sat 10 Mar – Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
Sun 11 Mar – The Gov (Adelaide)
Wed 14 Mar – New Globe Theatre (Brisbane)
Thu 15 Mar – The Basement (Sydney)
Fri 16 Mar – Factory Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 17 Mar – The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
