BIG COUNTRY + SPEAR OF DESTINY – DE LA WARR PAVILION, BEXHILL-ON-SEA 21.4.23
Big Country were back in action in Sussex this evening, with their venue of choice being the rather excellent De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea. This year the band are on a 42-date tour in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their debut album, ‘The Crossing’, which was originally released on 29th July 1983.
Big Country last performed a headline gig in Brighton on 4th March 2022 when they rocked on up to the Concorde 2 (Review HERE) and prior to chat, they appeared at the same venue on 18th October 2019 (Review HERE). Their last visit to our city was as support to From The Jam at the Brighton Centre on 3rd December 2022 (Review HERE), but for Big Country’s current 2023 tour, there was no Brighton date, thus we headed out of town to the nearest concert, thus Bexhill beckoned us.
Big Country’s ‘The Crossing’ album reached No.3 in the official UK charts and it hit No.4 in Canada on the RPM national Top Albums Chart, as well as reaching No.18 in the USA on the Billboard 200 in 1983. The record went on to be certified platinum in the UK and Canada. It contains the song ‘In A Big Country’ which was their only U.S. Top 40 hit single. The album’s classic singles ‘Fields Of Fire’, ‘Chance’ and signature song ‘In A Big Country’, went on to become massive worldwide hits, selling over 2 million copies and driving ‘The Crossing’ to 3 prestigious Grammy nominations in the USA.
They outfit were originally formed in 1981 by guitar playing founder members Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson, both native of the band’s hometown Dunfermline in Scotland. Initially driven by a shared vision of widescreen guitar melody, harmony and lyric, the classic Big Country sound was further enhanced later that summer by the arrival of drummer Mark Brzezicki and bass player Tony Butler. This is the Big Country that (with producer Steve Lillywhite), recorded the classic debut album ‘The Crossing’ in 1983.
The band’s “classic” lineup between 1981 and 2000, consisted of Stuart Adamson (vocals, guitar) Bruce Watson (guitar) Tony Butler (bass guitar) and Mark Brzezicki (drums). Following Adamson’s death in 2001, the band reformed in 2007, with the surviving members. Between 2010 and 2013, the band reformed with Mike Peters of The Alarm on lead vocals. Since then the band has continued with two of the original members (Watson and Brzezicki) and Simon Hough on vocals. This evening, the band consists of Bruce Watson (guitar and vocals), Mark Brzezicki (drums), Jamie Watson (guitars), Simon Hough (vocals and guitar) and Gil Allan (bass).
The house lights went down and the intro tape played ‘The Storm’ as the lads took to the stage and Big Country set to work by performing all ten tunes from ‘The Crossing’ as well as other fan favourites. The album wasn’t played in its running order, but interspersed throughout their 94 minute set which ran from 9:10pm to 10:44pm.
The quintet opened up with ‘1000 Stars’, after which they were warmly greeted by their eager fans via a loud applause. The balcony above appeared to be at full capacity, but the standing area could have fitted in a hundred or so souls in order for it to be at full capacity.
From our left to right, Big Country were lined up as Jamie Watson on Fender guitar and backing vocals, next to him was his father (and founding member) Bruce Watson, who was the spokesperson for the outfit, he also plays a couple of guitars and offers some backing vocals. To his left (our right) was Simon Hough, who has been taking care of lead vocals for the past decade as well as playing acoustic guitar. At the far end of the stage is new boy Gil Allan on unusually styled headless bass who arrived a couple of years ago. To the centre rear of the stage and hidden behind his drumkit is the long-term member Mark Brzezicki, who came on board in 1982.
Astonishingly, Bruce announces that this is their first time in Bexhill, and they launch into ‘Look Away’ (from 1986 ‘The Seer’ album) with its catchy “So look away, look away” chorus. After some father and son banter between the Watson’s, we were away with track three, ‘Close Action’ which featured “I will carry you home with the gods in my eyes; I will carry you home while the westerlies sigh”. ‘Lost Patrol’ was up next with its repeated “Yeah yeah yeah aye ohh” and “We save no souls; We break no promises” It was back with ‘The Storm’ again, but the full live version, which commences “I came from the hills with a tear in my eye”.
Bruce took the opportunity to switch guitars and to explain that for their second album ‘Steeltown’, the band flew to Stockholm to record it in ABBA’s recording studio, and now they were going to play a couple of numbers from it, which turned out to be ‘Just A Shadow’ and title track ‘Steeltown’, which Bruce informed us “OK boys and girls it’s disco night” and the guys got down and funky. With the deviation from their rock mode, they were still a tight unit.
After this number, Bruce asks for the house lights to be put up so that he can see “all those faces”. The lighting engineer obliged, and Bruce jokingly swiftly requested that he immediately put them down again. The band then adopted the slow style American ballad for the ‘the newest’ tune of the night 1991’s ‘Ships’, from their ‘No Place Like Home’ album. This was a big indication of the band playing what the punters want to hear, as opposed to performing the less successful later albums: ‘The Buffalo Skinners’ (1993), ‘Why the Long Face’ (1995), ‘Driving To Damascus (John Wayne’s Dream)’ (1999) and ‘The Journey’ (2013). They are therefore a heritage band as there hasn’t really been anything new for a decade now.
It’s time for Bruce to switch back guitars and sneak a vape puff (yes we saw you each time!) and they let loose with their distinctive fake bagpipe sound which is made by the guitars. This was performed on two numbers from ‘The Crossing’ that ran into each other, ‘Porrohman’ (with the memorable line “We are waiting in the forest deep and dark behind the wall”) and ‘Harvest Home’ with its rather decent drumming from Mark.
It was audience participation time next, when Simon led us off by singing “Oh Lord where did the feeling go” and many punters around us at the front continued with “All the rain came down; On a cold new town” for the tune ‘Chance’.
The guys had now arrived in big hitter territory and the punters knew it! They began this final section with arguably their Celtic theme tune ‘In A Big Country’, which saw Bruce running his guitar left to right against his mic stand. Suffice to say the outcome at the end was the biggest cheer of the night thus far!
This was followed by their standalone 1984 hit single ‘Wonderland’ which Bruce announced “It’s time to get punky!” Ahem! I don’t think so sunshine, that’s not punk. Anyway, move on…and they did by segueing straight into ‘Fields Of Fire’ which the crowd eagerly clapped their way through. Simon even added in a few lines from Thin Lizzy’s ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ midway through ‘Fields Of Fire’ which seemed to work quite well.
The band then briefly vacated the stage only for Mark to return for a drum solo moment, which the punters enjoyed, but the other four swiftly accompanied him and the tune became the final number from ‘The Crossing’, namely ‘Inwards’, with its relatively catchy “I wouldn’t want to go home on a night like this”. Now if you had to say Big Country had a punk number, then this would be the leading contender based on this performance, although having said that, Simon’s vocals did stray into Meat Loaf territory!
And that was it…well except for drummer Mark coming to the front of the stage and again introducing his bandmates – they had previously been individually introduced at separate times throughout the set. He added that he loved this place, let’s face it, who wouldn’t like this iconic structure. He signed the band off with “God bless Mr Stuart Adamson” and they all vacated the stage at 10:44pm.
Band members:
Bruce Watson – guitar and vocals
Mark Brzezicki – drums
Jamie Watson – guitars
Simon Hough – vocals and guitar
Gil Allan – bass
Big Country setlist:
(Intro tape) ‘The Storm’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘1000 Stars’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘Look Away’ (from 1986 ‘The Seer’ album)
‘Close Action’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘Lost Patrol’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘The Storm’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘Just A Shadow’ (from 1984 ‘Steeltown’ album)
‘Steeltown’ (from 1984 ‘Steeltown’ album)
‘Ships’ (from 1991 ‘No Place Like Home’ album)
‘Porrohman’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘Harvest Home’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘Chance’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘In A Big Country’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
‘Wonderland’ (a 1984 single & from 1990 ‘Through A Big Country: Greatest Hits’ album)
‘Fields Of Fire’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
(encore)
‘Inwards’ (from 1983 ‘The Crossing’ album)
As luck would have it, the other band on the bill this evening were Spear Of Destiny who are playing no less than 20 support slots with Big Country as part of their 42 date tour. In between these dates, they have been and will be playing their own headline gigs, one of these being a mere handful of days ago in Brighton at The Prince Albert. That review was penned by Guy Ramone who is also in attendance this evening. You can read his account HERE.
This evening Spear Of Destiny was allotted a whole hour in which to win the punters over. This is quite some time for special guests and so frontman Kirk Brandon and his chums (Adrian Portas, Knut Knutson, Robin Goodridge and Clive Osborne) who are all dressed in black, got at it for 56 minutes from 7:49pm to 8:45pm with a 13 number set.
They are lined up from our left to stage right as bassist Knut Knutson; then Kirk Brandon on lead vocals and switching between two guitars; then Adrian Portas on lead guitar; and on the right, saxophonist Clive Osborne two had a choice of two to entertain us with; and behind them was drummer Robin Goodridge.
Spear Of Destiny had planned to play the same live set as they did in Brighton five days ago minus the encore tunes, and if there was time, they would sneak their tune ‘Mickey’ on to the end. Sadly there wasn’t time.
They opened with the first of three numbers from 1984’s ‘One Eyed Jacks’ album, in the form of ‘Rainmaker’ which is a solid track to start with and immediately after the song had finished, it was obvious that Kirk and gang already had the punters onside judging by the loud applause. ‘Young Men’ from the same platter followed, and highlighted what a unique and powerful voice Kirk has.
Song three ‘Strangers In Our Town’ (from 1987 ‘Outland’ album) offered up a decent cowboy western sounding bass and guitar. After this Kirk swapped his instrument for the first of two songs from last years ‘Ghost Population’ album, that being ‘Pilgrim’ with its pleasant saxophone break from Clive. The next number ‘Mile In My Shoes’ (from 1997 ‘Religion’ album), began with Kirk on solo guitar, until the lads joined in. After this, Kirk swapped back to his original guitar and they were off with 1983’s ‘The Wheel’, which can be found on their ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ platter. I particularly enjoyed the rumbly guitar intro on this tune.
The final number tonight from 1984’s ‘One Eyed Jacks’ album was given an airing next, that being ‘Liberator’, which for me is as close as Spear Of Destiny came to sounding like Kirk’s previous outfit, Theatre Of Hate. Not surprisingly it was my choice track of their set as it had a decent chugging beat with sax atop and a catchy chorus, its a gritty number.
The lead tune from 1983’s ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ was up next and Kirk gave his guitar a real old seeing to during this track and Clive’s sax reminded me of early Roxy Music, which is a good thing!
Prior to playing ‘Shine’, Kirk, who has barely engaged the audience thus far, preferring to let his compositions talk for themselves, briefly addressed the crowd stating that ‘Shine’ is from their ‘Ghost Population’ album and it wasn’t compulsory to purchase it. I knew what he meant, as in “We’re gonna play it for you and hope you like it!”.
The first of a trio of tunes from 1985’s ‘World Service’ album had reached its turn, thus the pseudo reggaefied beat of ‘Come Back’ was given an outing. It, like every song before, was met with crowd approval.
Another of their set highlights followed in the form of ‘Never Take Me Alive’, which was even more eagerly greeted by those folk situated around me at the front. After this the sound of a piano was coming from somewhere, Kirk spoke to a punter at the front (off mic) and pointed to one of his foot-pedals, so it might have emanated from there? This was the intro for ‘World Service’, which as it turned out was to be the penultimate number. After the initial piano section, the whole band came crashing in and Kirk seriously got in the zone for the lyrics “But I oh oh oh hear music like you hear music”, and some fans sang them back at him. This was the most powerful number thus far. Incidentally I have found out that fans of this number can actually purchase a copy of the lyrics as a framed print – more information HERE.
Tonight’s set closed with ‘I Can See’ where Kirk opened up for the first time with his signature dance as he had discarded his guitar in favour of holding the mic. This number sounded like The Mission on steroids. It was now a quarter to nine and the crowd whooped loudly at the conclusion, so much so, that you would believe that Spear Of Destiny were the headliners!
Spear Of Destiny:
Kirk Brandon – vocals, guitar
Adrian Portas – lead guitar
Knut Knutson – bass
Robin Goodridge – drums
Clive Osborne – saxophone
Spear Of Destiny setlist:
‘Rainmaker’ (from 1984 ‘One Eyed Jacks’ album)
‘Young Men’ (from 1984 ‘One Eyed Jacks’ album)
‘Strangers In Our Town’ (from 1987 ‘Outland’ album)
‘Pilgrim’ (from 2022 ‘Ghost Population’ album)
‘Mile In My Shoes’ (from 1997 ‘Religion’ album)
‘The Wheel’ (from 1983 ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ album)
‘Liberator’ (from 1984 ‘One Eyed Jacks’ album)
‘Grapes Of Wrath’ (from 1983 ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ album)
‘Shine’ (from 2022 ‘Ghost Population’ album)
‘Come Back’ (from 1985 ‘World Service’ album)
‘Never Take Me Alive’ (from 1987 ‘Outland’ album)
‘World Service’ (from 1985 ‘World Service’ album)
‘I Can See’ (from 1985 ‘World Service’ album)
For more information visit: www.kirkbrandon.com
