Big Country, anyone?

[Cat]

Not sure if there have been threads here before about Big Country (search function wouldn't recognise anything past the first word, so wouldn't bring up any previous threads.)

Just wondering if anyone else is a fan of Big Country's music? I've been a fan of them for a long time and finally found (and purchased) their "Final Fling" DVD, which has a show from Berlin 1988 and at their final show at The Barrowlands Glasgow 2000.

I must say, it's completely brilliant (especially the 2000 concert!) Stuart Adamson wrote such great lyrics, and the whole band was very tight and played about as perfectly as a band could play! Not only that, but they're all wearing kilts (I recognise a Black Watch and a Buccleuch, but the stage lighting makes it difficult to figure out the colors of the other two.)

Big Country's music is very rock and roll, but with a very Scottish influence. They're sort of my go-to band when I'm feeling down and need to listen to something a bit uplifting (I just wish Stuart could've taken his own advice.) It was only about a year after that final concert that Stuart decided that he "needed to go", and I think the music industry lost a truly unique and talented songwriter. But at least he left some great music, and the remaining three members play occasional shows in remembrance to him.

Anyway, for anyone that likes Big Country and Celtic-influenced rock, I highly recommend their DVD, "Big Country: The Final Fling". I found it on Amazon (through a third-party dealer), but I paid the extra four dollars and had it four days after I ordered it. I've been watching it non-stop for the past three days, and it never gets old. The versions of "Spirit To Me", "In A Big Country" and "Fields of Fire" are brilliant.

[bjproc]

me, well, i was in the 80's, still like to hear their music, but i don't really play any of their records anymore.

you may want to try and get hold of a dvd called the Restless Natives , big country did the sound track for it.

[Darkislander]

As much as I like music, I have never been into them. However, at the Glasgow Celtic Connections recently, the fabulous Darrell Scott happened to know Stuart Adamson having met him in Nashville, and sang one of his more recent songs before his death.

[thatcelticband]

Got final fling too. BC rules!

[Beertigger]

Over the holidays, they played a 25th anniversary tour of Scotland - caught the show in Inverness, which was amazing.

Maybe 1500 people in the audience at the Ironworks, but every one of 'em (mostly) knew every word of every line, pogoed along throughout the show, and even sang along w/ the guitar riffs.

"Chance" and "Look Away" were both brilliant. The whole set was, really.

Stuart is sadly missed, but finally seeing Mark Brzezicki swing his sticks about, after having been a fan for a quarter of a century, was great!

[Cat]

Darkislander: a few years before his death, Stuart had moved to Nashville and had worked with a bunch of country musicians. I'm not much of a country music fan, but the stuff I've heard that Stuart wrote or played on was really good.

Beertigger: Yeah, I had heard that the surviving members were playing a small tour for their 25th anniversary. Tony's not quite the singer that Stuart was, but I'm glad they decided to just stay a three-piece instead of replacing Stuart with some random person. I wish I could've seen them, and if they ever come through the US again, you can bet that I'll be there! And Mark is definitely a very underrated drummer!

Thatcelticband: I'd been looking for the DVD for a while, but nobody locally had it (I don't like ordering things if I don't have to.) Finally found a retailer on Amazon that had it, and I'm so glad I ordered it. It's one of my favorite concert DVD's, and I have a lot of them! I don't know if it was ever released on DVD, but the BBC did a documentary on them back in '83. I'd love to find that!

[Beertigger]

Tony's not quite the singer that Stuart was, but I'm glad they decided to just stay a three-piece instead of replacing Stuart with some random person.

When the entire crowd's singing along, it doesn't matter that Tony doesn't quite reach Stuart's standards. Not that he's bad, but... ;)

[MacHummel]

I love BIg Country i am learnig to play In a Big country on my pipes

[Darkislander]

Cat. I'm the opposite. I love all the new country stuff, more or less. When looking on Amazon.com there are just 100's of country albums. It's unfortunate that a lot of the big stars don't venture over to these parts. It's said that the costs are high to put on a show. So, how come the likes of Neil Diamond is playing the UK again this year, Barbra Streisand last year. Mind you she needn't have bothered. Not good.

[Cat]

Darkislander: I don't know why that is...there are a few bands from the UK that I'd love to see (Queen Adreena being a big one) that just don't play over here. I'm sure it boils down to economics and profit. I have been in several bands, and I did a tour once...we played about a dozen dates, and after all the money we had to pay back (rental fees, promotion, fuel, lodging, advances, etc), I think we made maybe $150 in profit. Unless the band is absolutely huge and known worldwide (Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand being good examples that you gave), it's not always financially reasonable to tour outside of your home country or whatever. It's unfortunate for the fans, but honestly I can understand the monetary situation that a band is typically in (the record labels tend to take about 75% of a bands' profit. When you see a band on TV that seems to be rich and have it all, most of that stuff is bought with "advance money" from the record label, which is usually supposed to go towards studio time and recording the next album. That's why, when a famous musician falls off the charts, they often lose almost everything they have...it was all bought with loan money from their record label.) That's also the same reason you'll see a lot of well-known musicians working as "studio musicians", basically hired guns...when they do that, the money they make is theirs and doesn't belong to a record label. And residuals from previously-released albums or songs really isn't that much.

MacHummel: That's awesome! Once you get it down, you should post an mp3 or YouTube video or something, because I'd really like to see that!