Big Country

Big Country
Big Country, 1983
Background information
Origin	Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Genres	Alternative rock, new wave, folk rock, Celtic rock, post-punk
Years active	1981–2000, 2007, 2010–present
Labels	Phonogram, Track-BCR, Transatlantic, Giant/Reprise/Warner Bros.
Members	Bruce Watson Mark Brzezicki Jamie Watson Simon Hough Scott Whitley
Past members	Stuart Adamson Pete Wishart Alan Wishart Clive Parker Tony Butler Pat Ahern Mike Peters Derek Forbes

Big Country is a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981.

The height of the band's popularity was in the early 1980s, although it retained a cult following for many years after. The band's music was most recognisable for the sounds it infused with Scottish folk and martial music styles, as well as for playing and engineering their guitar driven sound to evoke the inspirational spirit of bagpipes, fiddles and other traditional folk instruments.

Big Country comprised Stuart Adamson (formerly of Skids, vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar/mandolin/sitar/vocals), Tony Butler (bass guitar/vocals) and Mark Brzezicki (drums/percussion/vocals). Before the recruitment of Butler and Brzezicki an early incarnation of Big Country was a five-piece band, featuring Peter Wishart (later of Runrig and now an SNP MP) on keyboards, his brother Alan on bass, and Clive Parker, drummer from Spizz Energi/Athletico Spizz '80. Parker had approached Adamson to join his new band after the demise of Skids.

Adamson auditioned Parker (1980) at The Members' rehearsal room in Ladbroke Grove, London and the next day was called on to play drums on demos for CBS Records at their Whitfield Street studios. The demos were produced by Adam Sieff and just featured Adamson, Parker and Watson. Adamson had asked bassist Dave Allen from Gang of Four to join the band but he declined. Adamson asked Parker to join the band, which led to eight months of rehearsal in Dunfermline in a disused furniture warehouse.