This is simply breathtaking.....classic, epic... trancends from our existence into higher realms of conciousness...the human mind can be so beautiful...just listen to this. it makes all our evil works and wars crumble....loves conquers all.
So much sound from only four men. Classic. I heard this around two years ago at the age of 14. It was the first time I had ever seen Big Country play. I would give anything to be there at that time!
@IqbalHamid I could not agree more IqbalHamid. I was 17 when I first saw Big Country here in Los Angeles and they were absolutely brilliant and blew away everyone in the venue! I never missed a chance to see them live again and when Stuart died it really broke my heart. I always hoped I would get to meet him even for 2 minutes just to tell him how much his music and songs meant to me. One of the best live bands ever!
yeah if iremember when you went to the pictures in the 80,s they sometimes showed a short film before the main feature, this particular night in a freezing manny before ghostbusters they showed a big country vid . been hooked ever since .well done stuart rip
I really admire the collaboration between Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson. Finally it dawned on me how they were able to get guitars to occasionally sound like "bagpipes". It's as if two players were sharing one brain and two sets of hands. Such beautiful artistic and clear sounding notes. Far too many bands are content to just drown the listener in a cacaphony of noise but not these guys. Tony Butler's bass is distinctively heard but not overpowering Mark's percussion. I miss this band.
I'm English born-irish/jamaican by heritage and many of my favourite acts are scottish-Big Country,The Skids,Orange Juice,Aztec Camera,Cocteau Twins-I never set out to be a scotophile,it just happens that they make the best music,and have a way with a tune that no one else does! God Bless you Stuart x
I was never as mad about the 'minds' as the others I've listed,but I did like New Gold Dream! However a lot of their other stuff sounds better to me now than it did then! x
awesome, fuckin ace guitars. when this was first out in 83 they used to play it down at my local night club. there would be about 50 or 60 lads havin it large, all playing air guitar.
im 17 i love death metal and all taht stuff that my dad reckons sounds like a dustbin being thrown down some stairs, and i must say... these guys rock, ive loved em since i were little and their music rocks, and will do for a long time to come!
wow....again...what a band! long live the name of big country and especially Stuart Adamson...how fucking lucky were we to have witnessed any of this? The guy was a genius... the rest of the band were/are so very fucking inspirational....may they rule forever!
what a superb comment m8,,could not put that any better myself,,,i remember this gettin played on the pier at blackpool,1985 i think,cant remember the name of the club but you would think the fuckin floor was gonny colapse,,,memories,,,fuckin brilliant
Many thanks for putting this on. Is it just me or is it very clear that Big Country were 100% better than any band around today. Now it could be my age - sure - but I just think that this is more exciting, more sensual and more brilliant than anything Amy W or Artic had come out with. They seem black and white and this is pure sheer colour.
@theoldwelshdragon Too right. Todays music is so shallow, this is pure Scottish heart marching out of those amps. I'm 16 and even hate the modern crap!
@theoldwelshdragon ...could be be the age;) - listen to the drums, "plodding" through out - in fact from this listening, the rhythm section is very un-imaginative - and the trebly "bagpipe" guitars which is their sound - interweave in parts nicely but sound a bit beached - but I wouldn't say they shame today's music at all?
@jackjude Yeah, I'll give you the bad sound comments - but listen to studio or other live versions and you will see (and hear) that BC had a shit-hot ryhtmn section and make no mistake about it.
Someone musta plodded in your ears before you listened to this, The drums are & exciting. They make a military cadence sound like the highland fling gone hip hop . Tony Butler's bass is innovative. I'd rather listen to his bass playing than most of root note sustained for 4 beats to the measure crap I hear on most new tracks these days. It was way different then the pop & slap every Bootsy , Stanley Clark , Larry Graham, & Flea wannabe that was being overkilled at that time.
@retrogradevids1 ok the drums do have some interesting almost heritage passages (intro/outro) ...but for the main, you reckon "clop-a-blop-a-clop" is scots hip-hop?
Its a great song and great vid because its representative of National pride. You don't have to be a Scot to feel it. Just be proud of who you are and where you came from, and you can feel a connection with this song.
scottish,out of tune,who give,s a ++++ this piece of footage is timeless I wasn't there but I did see it live on the night at home in Manchester,enthusiasm,energy and historic gig from the lads, drums,guitar, bass kickin excellent thanks for sticking this on to be seen. It brings back more pleasure than I remember,mankchester9
The star of this video is the lad in the crowd wearing the Ireland football shirt. TK I wont name you in full, but you were a lot thinner in them days!
Saw them 6 times altogether one time at Exeter Uni the lights went out and they were playing the set with torches being shone on the stage so they could see !!The best one was on The Seer Tour at the Hexagon Theatre Reading which was recorded for the Old Grey Whistle Test, after that LP they went and ruined themselves by introducing synths to their music. Have posted a couple items myself, one of them at Sefton Park Liverpool and the other at The Hammersmith Odeon.
p.s. Stu may have been born in Manchester, but is a true Fifer and Scotsman. Previously with the Skids and Tattoo!! Anyone remember them at Crossgates Dancing doing Rebel Rebel etc. Great days
Love Big Country and this song so much, but it's so out of tune. Don't remember it sounding so bad 20 odd years ago on the tube-must have got carried away at the time. RIP Stuart, you are so missed!
I saw them live at this time. The standard must have been awfully high back then, because I don't remember being that impressed back then. Now they look like utter geniuses. Thanks for this. A lot.
If you like what you hear, track down Live at the Barrowlands. It ranks with Under A Blood Red Sky, Live Rust and Social Distortion's Live at the Roxy as best live recording. Fantastic.
Couldn't agree more. Described the concert to someone a while ago as a scottish under a blood red sky. was lucky enough to be there. their hogmanay shows(new years eve for the non scots) were legendary. saw them maybe 15 times in the eighties. amazing band. met stuart a few times in my home town of Dunfermline when i was a teeenager and he always stopped to chat to us. great guy. sorely missed!
Restless Natives was the movie Big Country soundtracked. The Clown and the Wolfman on their little motorbike robbing tourists in the wilds of Scotland then at the end riding through a city tossing banknotes at random while being chased by police cars. I haven't seen that movie in 20 years.
Yes dude , you were born a few years too late to appreciate this kind of music from one of the great scottish band from the 80's.These guys even became the first band to tour the USSR in the mid 80's that's how great they were!!!!
Yes dude , you were born a few years too late to appreciate this kind of music from one of the great scottish band from the 80's.These guys even became the first band to tour the USSR in the mid 80's that's how great they were!!!!
Marvellous. A blast from the past for sure but an amazing performance. And the guitars actually DO sound like bag pipes. Stuart Adamsons death was a tragedy. RIP big man.
brill
NOVAINVICTA7 1 year ago
Good music like this never dies.
falconwings 1 year ago
God bless those guitars. God bless them!!
M83J01P97 1 year ago
next time someone mocks my Dunfermline accent im so gunna throw this song in their faces lol
PrincessKazzi 1 year ago
This is simply breathtaking.....classic, epic... trancends from our existence into higher realms of conciousness...the human mind can be so beautiful...just listen to this. it makes all our evil works and wars crumble....loves conquers all.
sfumato1002 1 year ago
At that time Stuart and Morten from a-ha were the very best looking guys on stage!! But Stu had much more power...
So great- so long ago...what a outstanding voice - best band ever!!!
oldiesforever51 1 year ago
I'll tell you one thing, this stuff get the juices FLOWING!
bradyirishguy 1 year ago
So much sound from only four men. Classic. I heard this around two years ago at the age of 14. It was the first time I had ever seen Big Country play. I would give anything to be there at that time!
bradyirishguy 1 year ago
His eyes remind me of Patrick Swayze, both gorgeous men, rest their souls.
peetief 2 years ago 3
@peetief Except for the fact that Stuart Adamson had talent. Kind of a huge distinction.
Nigelxman 2 years ago
o yea only I wasn't comparing the talent of a singer vs the talent of an actor. I was saying they resemble each other .
peetief 1 year ago
If I died tomorrow, I would die happy and fulfilled, having watched this video.
More than anything else in the world, I wish I could go back in time to enjoy all their early performaces again.
IqbalHamid 2 years ago
@IqbalHamid I could not agree more IqbalHamid. I was 17 when I first saw Big Country here in Los Angeles and they were absolutely brilliant and blew away everyone in the venue! I never missed a chance to see them live again and when Stuart died it really broke my heart. I always hoped I would get to meet him even for 2 minutes just to tell him how much his music and songs meant to me. One of the best live bands ever!
Nigelxman 2 years ago 2
so cool lads
naggs567 2 years ago
seen these suppoting queen at knebworth Brilliant,done about 8 encores
ianeverton 2 years ago
saw them in 1982 supporting U2 at hammersmith palais. like superbius1 had gone to see U2 but was blown away by Big Country they blew the roof off!!
LucyTiltman 2 years ago
ahh the days when men and woman all dressed the same. Hair , makeup the lot.
Amandapwbean 2 years ago
seen these many years ago in the national stadium cardiff. better than the main act david bowie the reason why i went 2 the concert
superbius1 2 years ago
Did the lead singer die.
Thanks Kirk
kirkwanglers32 2 years ago
Yep from suicide in 2001, He had a really ghigh alcohol bood content at the time of death
Look it up on Wikipedia
His Music Will Live On Forever!!!
R.I.P Stuart!!!!!!
gillo69 2 years ago
I will never get sick of listening to Big Country or The Skids. Such distinctive guitar riffs Love it.
Deadeye55 2 years ago
rockin
2bsom1 2 years ago
Big Country, to this day, ROCKS!
mackymaca 2 years ago
Even though heavy metal is my first love music wise, Big Country remain one of the best live bands I've ever seen.
metalbearuk 2 years ago 3
Comment removed
looneechic 3 years ago
hey i used to dress like that britches and all BC ROCKS.... SHHH!!!!!!
kymcey1 3 years ago
come to think of it I still do!!!
kymcey1 2 years ago
i remember seeing them on The Tube aged 14 they were brilliant like thme ever since does anyone know of any live dates for 2009?
beLIEve1916 3 years ago
Dunno, saw them last year though.
Not the same without Stuarts voice but still
Fooliccini 3 years ago
Doubt, it lead singer's dead! Shame though, another great band I'll never get to see! R.I.P
bfmjock 3 years ago
ttt
kirstymtn 3 years ago
yeah if iremember when you went to the pictures in the 80,s they sometimes showed a short film before the main feature, this particular night in a freezing manny before ghostbusters they showed a big country vid . been hooked ever since .well done stuart rip
gazz12345678 3 years ago
great song, stuart is missed big time.
kalinda31 3 years ago
Tight. That is all.
TIGHT.
brixtonbilly 3 years ago
I really admire the collaboration between Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson. Finally it dawned on me how they were able to get guitars to occasionally sound like "bagpipes". It's as if two players were sharing one brain and two sets of hands. Such beautiful artistic and clear sounding notes. Far too many bands are content to just drown the listener in a cacaphony of noise but not these guys. Tony Butler's bass is distinctively heard but not overpowering Mark's percussion. I miss this band.
mwolf49 3 years ago 8
I remember an interview with Bruce. He was saying:"The next guy telling my guitar sounds like a bagpipe has to eat my guitar" =;o)
BC - still amazing after all the long time
One of my first LPs and still my favourite band!
TreuerDeutscher 3 years ago
@mwolf49
they used a device called an Ebow , kind of an electronic Dobro
an yes I really liked the sound also
surprised it works live as well as in studio
delta28648 1 year ago
I'm English born-irish/jamaican by heritage and many of my favourite acts are scottish-Big Country,The Skids,Orange Juice,Aztec Camera,Cocteau Twins-I never set out to be a scotophile,it just happens that they make the best music,and have a way with a tune that no one else does! God Bless you Stuart x
seerauberjohnny 3 years ago 2
No Simple Minds in that list??????
VivianSmythe 3 years ago
I was never as mad about the 'minds' as the others I've listed,but I did like New Gold Dream! However a lot of their other stuff sounds better to me now than it did then! x
seerauberjohnny 3 years ago
awesome, fuckin ace guitars. when this was first out in 83 they used to play it down at my local night club. there would be about 50 or 60 lads havin it large, all playing air guitar.
compaq10111213 3 years ago 3
still unique today. wonderful passionate and so unlike music today.
VivianSmythe 3 years ago
im 17 i love death metal and all taht stuff that my dad reckons sounds like a dustbin being thrown down some stairs, and i must say... these guys rock, ive loved em since i were little and their music rocks, and will do for a long time to come!
TheBadEditors 3 years ago 2
wow....again...what a band! long live the name of big country and especially Stuart Adamson...how fucking lucky were we to have witnessed any of this? The guy was a genius... the rest of the band were/are so very fucking inspirational....may they rule forever!
tyeistops 4 years ago 2
what a superb comment m8,,could not put that any better myself,,,i remember this gettin played on the pier at blackpool,1985 i think,cant remember the name of the club but you would think the fuckin floor was gonny colapse,,,memories,,,fuckin brilliant
marayoungo10 3 years ago 2
your right there brother whats happening with modern music.
mankchester9 4 years ago 2
Many thanks for putting this on. Is it just me or is it very clear that Big Country were 100% better than any band around today. Now it could be my age - sure - but I just think that this is more exciting, more sensual and more brilliant than anything Amy W or Artic had come out with. They seem black and white and this is pure sheer colour.
theoldwelshdragon 4 years ago 13
@theoldwelshdragon Too right. Todays music is so shallow, this is pure Scottish heart marching out of those amps. I'm 16 and even hate the modern crap!
bradyirishguy 1 year ago
@theoldwelshdragon ...could be be the age;) - listen to the drums, "plodding" through out - in fact from this listening, the rhythm section is very un-imaginative - and the trebly "bagpipe" guitars which is their sound - interweave in parts nicely but sound a bit beached - but I wouldn't say they shame today's music at all?
jackjude 1 year ago
@jackjude Yeah, I'll give you the bad sound comments - but listen to studio or other live versions and you will see (and hear) that BC had a shit-hot ryhtmn section and make no mistake about it.
wuckle 1 year ago
Someone musta plodded in your ears before you listened to this, The drums are & exciting. They make a military cadence sound like the highland fling gone hip hop . Tony Butler's bass is innovative. I'd rather listen to his bass playing than most of root note sustained for 4 beats to the measure crap I hear on most new tracks these days. It was way different then the pop & slap every Bootsy , Stanley Clark , Larry Graham, & Flea wannabe that was being overkilled at that time.
retrogradevids1 10 months ago
@retrogradevids1 ok the drums do have some interesting almost heritage passages (intro/outro) ...but for the main, you reckon "clop-a-blop-a-clop" is scots hip-hop?
jackjude 9 months ago
@retrogradevids1 Indeed I do.
retrogradevids1 9 months ago
In this Era of self hating entertainers, it's odd to see such pride in any first world band.
bockybalboa 4 years ago
Brilliant. RIP Big man
lozhardy 4 years ago 3
They were never big here in America. It's been hard being a fan all these years.
brickhead152 4 years ago
makes me wish i was a scot, great song great vid
slatkil177 4 years ago
Its a great song and great vid because its representative of National pride. You don't have to be a Scot to feel it. Just be proud of who you are and where you came from, and you can feel a connection with this song.
A2ZNP1971K 4 years ago 3
WOW! WHAT A FUCKIN TUNE!!! AMAZING!!!
libertinedave 4 years ago
WOW this band is sooooooooooooooo under rated
tankbukkake 4 years ago 2
scottish or english a great track , we are all british
jgrantjo 4 years ago
speak for yourself , theres is no britain in my eyes , im scottish full stop
lizardking1888 4 years ago
Sorry im English not british, just like the the scots not british, great song for the jocks though and us english. RIP Stu.
garydug 4 years ago 4
scottish,out of tune,who give,s a ++++ this piece of footage is timeless I wasn't there but I did see it live on the night at home in Manchester,enthusiasm,energy and historic gig from the lads, drums,guitar, bass kickin excellent thanks for sticking this on to be seen. It brings back more pleasure than I remember,mankchester9
mankchester9 4 years ago
this song is a legend =D
krisfalkirk07 4 years ago
It's funny how not one member of this lot were actually from Scotland. Heheh
15BitchPileUp 4 years ago
stuart was pretty close to scottish... but it is funny.
miraclegro130 4 years ago
Scottish isn't necessarily about where you were born, but where you're ancestors are from. Scotland is a great country, but also a great heritage.
A2ZNP1971K 4 years ago
Sorry, my English is really better than that. I edited my comments from "but where you're from" to what it reads now.
A2ZNP1971K 4 years ago
At 00:25 I think it's Stuart that messes his guitar part up. Still a great performance.
HumGuitar 4 years ago
back again,dont make music like this any more,what a loss stuart is to music.Hope others can learn from him
garybwick 4 years ago
The star of this video is the lad in the crowd wearing the Ireland football shirt. TK I wont name you in full, but you were a lot thinner in them days!
ocmocmocm 4 years ago
Saw them 6 times altogether one time at Exeter Uni the lights went out and they were playing the set with torches being shone on the stage so they could see !!The best one was on The Seer Tour at the Hexagon Theatre Reading which was recorded for the Old Grey Whistle Test, after that LP they went and ruined themselves by introducing synths to their music. Have posted a couple items myself, one of them at Sefton Park Liverpool and the other at The Hammersmith Odeon.
vonklinkeroffen 4 years ago
Brilliant !!!!
p.s. Stu may have been born in Manchester, but is a true Fifer and Scotsman. Previously with the Skids and Tattoo!! Anyone remember them at Crossgates Dancing doing Rebel Rebel etc. Great days
John T
JockyT12 4 years ago
Love Big Country and this song so much, but it's so out of tune. Don't remember it sounding so bad 20 odd years ago on the tube-must have got carried away at the time. RIP Stuart, you are so missed!
Norfolkinidea 4 years ago
one the most under rated british bands ever saw them several times and never dissapointed,music is a sad place without stuart adamson
garybwick 4 years ago
I saw them live at this time. The standard must have been awfully high back then, because I don't remember being that impressed back then. Now they look like utter geniuses. Thanks for this. A lot.
mrblifil 4 years ago
Stuart Adamson, rock singer, songwriter and guitarist Born: 11 April, 1958, in Manchester
guderian54 4 years ago
Were these boys Irish or Scottish? Like it matters really will always love their sound, just curious.
Maxharddrive64 4 years ago
Big country is a Scottish group .
sahajad 4 years ago
If you like what you hear, track down Live at the Barrowlands. It ranks with Under A Blood Red Sky, Live Rust and Social Distortion's Live at the Roxy as best live recording. Fantastic.
brocatob 4 years ago
Couldn't agree more. Described the concert to someone a while ago as a scottish under a blood red sky. was lucky enough to be there. their hogmanay shows(new years eve for the non scots) were legendary. saw them maybe 15 times in the eighties. amazing band. met stuart a few times in my home town of Dunfermline when i was a teeenager and he always stopped to chat to us. great guy. sorely missed!
johnreddington 4 years ago
What was the film that this music was used in, some kids in clown masks robbing the tourist coaches , dont remember the title.
shifteng 4 years ago
Restless Natives was the movie Big Country soundtracked. The Clown and the Wolfman on their little motorbike robbing tourists in the wilds of Scotland then at the end riding through a city tossing banknotes at random while being chased by police cars. I haven't seen that movie in 20 years.
EternalLoyalist 4 years ago
Yes he was in the skids....I love that man!!!
DebsDelight 4 years ago
was he in the skids
dematasxxx 4 years ago
fantastic band. rip stuart adams....scotland rocks !
rosiemoran84 4 years ago
Yes dude , you were born a few years too late to appreciate this kind of music from one of the great scottish band from the 80's.These guys even became the first band to tour the USSR in the mid 80's that's how great they were!!!!
affecionado 5 years ago
Big Country wasn't really Scottish. They just loved Scottish music A LOT.
skipbreakfast 4 years ago
Total rubbish. Stuart Adamson was the songwriter, leader of the band and as Scots as they come.
domprague 4 years ago
Yes dude , you were born a few years too late to appreciate this kind of music from one of the great scottish band from the 80's.These guys even became the first band to tour the USSR in the mid 80's that's how great they were!!!!
affecionado 5 years ago
Love this song and those Yamaha's!
godisatan 5 years ago
Liked em' Lizzyish leads!!
lizzyfan1986 5 years ago
ah, I saw one of their last performances cca 1991 in a Town Pump in Vancouver...they sound like a speeding train
transfobby 5 years ago
Who would have thought after the skids stuart would enrol session musicians and create pure excellence nice one mate! R.I.P
duffsmoses 5 years ago
genial! je ne me lasserai jamais d'ecouter Big Country. Merci pour cette superbe video!
isabellle87 5 years ago
awsome cheers
fgourlay 5 years ago
Remarkable Band!I wish they were still around!I love the total Scottish influence!!Such a great sound!!Thanks for posting this video!!
jimkville 5 years ago
Brilliant, and this version is miles better than the studio version which was great anyway. C'mon the Z-Cars :)
spitfiremcguire 5 years ago
mosh away dager, bc INVENTED moshing. does anyone know if they played any other tracks on this appearance?
eyemoeba 5 years ago
Theres just so much energy here. The drumming is awesome. I feel like Moshing.
dager35 5 years ago
Marvellous. A blast from the past for sure but an amazing performance. And the guitars actually DO sound like bag pipes. Stuart Adamsons death was a tragedy. RIP big man.
EternalLoyalist 5 years ago
This is probably my favorite Big Country on YouTube.
czwstyle662 5 years ago
It is not a lead singer and three other guys.It is a band.A whole and complete band.They are tight and work well together.
hist101 5 years ago
Amazing. I have all their albums i never get bored of them
, and i'm only 16. This was a bit before my time.
9to5 5 years ago
Yeah!!!!
brownseal 5 years ago
Brilliant more of the same please.
borgatano1 5 years ago
Wow - Stuart was one hell of a geetar player. Truly underrated, but not forgotten.
droog69 5 years ago
Fricken awesome....thanks from me too
niyiuh 5 years ago
Absolutely magic! Thanks for posting!
jgml 5 years ago