Big Country

Formed in Dunfermline, Scotland by the former-Skids guitarist Stuart Adamson and childhood friend Bruce Watson, Celtic-inspired Big Country quickly broke worldwide with their ringing, bagpipe-like guitars and anthemic songs helping their Grammy-nominated 1983 debut album, "The Crossing", sell over 2 million copies and launch a career which saw them score a UK no.1 album, fourteen UK Top 40 singles - including "Look Away", "Wonderland", "Chance", "Fields of Fire (400 Miles)", "In a Big Country" - and famously record the soundtrack for the cult-film "Restless Natives".

Manchester-born Adamson's depression and alcohol problems contributed to his brief disappearance in November 1999 and he announced his intentions to retire from touring in the spring of 2000. He went missing once more from his Nashville home in 2001 and was eventually found dead, several week later, in a hotel room in Hawaii.

The band reformed in 2007, with bassist Tony Butler taking over vocal duties, followed by Mike Peters of The Alarm (2010-13). The band then continued with original guitarist Bruce Watson and drummer Mark Brzezicki joined by new vocalist Simon Hough joining in 2013.

Brzezicki departed the line-up in October 2024 to form From Big Country, leaving Watson as the only original member.