Big Country bring a big sound to The Hexagon
MARTIN VENNARD • Published 2 Feb 2012 09:30
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It will be something of a homecoming when Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki finds himself on stage at The Hexagon on February 12, during the band's 30th anniversary tour.
"I was born in Berkshire and have lived here all my life," says Mark, who grew up and still lives in Slough. "Any time I play in Slough or Reading it's a home gig.
"We've played at The Hexagon many times over the years and one of the first big shows we played with Big Country was at the Reading Festival in the early '80s. It was chaotic. Bottles containing strange-coloured liquids were being thrown up on stage."
The rock band will be playing the whole of their 1983 debut album, The Crossing, which sold more than 2 million copies, along with the B-sides of the singles it spawned and the 7-minute-long title track, which never made it onto the original album.
The original lead singer, Stuart Adamson, was found dead in a Hawaii hotel room in 2001 and, apart from a tour in 2007, the band only properly reformed in late 2010. "We had to sort a lot of things out," Mark says. "But I'd noticed on the internet how people regretted not being able to see us. We thought it was now a good idea to dust the memory down and give the fans a treat.
"It's a great thing to be able to play the tracks again. Stuart's left the planet so it's as near as you'll ever get to hearing the original."
Mike Peters, of The Alarm, has taken up the microphone. "Mike was a big fan and a friend of Stuart. He brings that authentic big sound. He does it in his own way but also celebrates Stuart," Mark adds.
It may be surprising that a band that is so strongly associated with Scotland actually has two Berkshire connections - bassist Tony Butler lived in Sandhurst for a while.
Despite their Celtic-rock sound none of the band was actually born in Scotland, although last year they received a Pride Of Scotland award. "That was incredible. We'd never had an award before. I felt we were a forgotten band," says Mark. He's surely hoping the anniversary tour will confirm that's not true.
Tickets cost £22.50. Call 0118 960 6060 to book.
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 02 Feb 12
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