One of the greatest bands ever. So underappreciated. Tony Butler, fantastic bassist. Mark's drumming ... so good it has to be magic. And Stuart. Sigh. Poor Stuart. Great songwriter, musician, humanitarian, man. What passion!
The 2 minute intro build up should have been climaxed by Mark's dramatic fill. Unfortunately the camera man missed it. When Stuart first sings the line "a sacrifice prepared" it gives me chills. The song is a premonition of his own tragic death.
All 4 were quality musicians , stuart was a fantastic song writer , add to that their unique sound & unbelievable guitar work & we had a band that got nowhere near the credit they deserved .
What an amazing piece of music - and I've never even heard of it before! (Down here at the 'arse end of the world' our exposure to Big Country was their eponymous single, and little else.) This song has SO many clever, beautiful things happening. Bold gripping arrangement. Bullshit brilliant musicianship. Wonderful composition with edgy, contemporary rock sounds, that irrepressible military rhythm - yet almost a precursor to the dance-flavoured indie pop of Madchester. I don't have a handle on all the lyrics yet, but what a wonderful strident voice Stuart had, not to mention the compelling persona on stage, he had at this stage of his/their career. Truly remarkable stuff !!
The title and lyrics refer to a short story by H G Wells, called Pollock and the Porroh Man. ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/w/wells/hg/plattner_story/chapter31.html
Such a shame Stuart had those demons in his head,that's what they called mental illness back then, saw them in Glasgow,still get tingling down the spine, amazing albums
I totally love The Crossing and this is my favourite. When I first heard those guitars it blew me away! And still does. Simply phenomenal! Love them. Hope you found peace beautiful man.❤
Mesmeric, still today....watched it live on TV at the time and no idea then that we were living in extraordinary times when it came to live performance. Special band, special times.
Fantastic performance that's typical of this great band! Stuart Adamson's tragic early death will always be a huge loss to both Skids & Big Country fans. I still frequently listen to both bands as I did as a youth many years ago. Their music easily stands the test of time. Stuart's lyrics with Big Country ooze sheer poetry. Their poignancy, scale of depth & symbolic imagery seems timeless! Both Stuart Adamson & Ian Curtis (latter vocalist with Joy Division), are right up there with the very best singer/songwriters of all time!
I swear when this first started I thought, "Oh, it's just a lipsynch!" it sounded so perfect. After 30 seconds, I noticed it is different from the recorded version. SOOO Good!
If time travel is possible, Robert Burns would be writing songs and poetry for Stuart Adamson's catalogue. This band is a Scottish dragon with all the empathy and majesty of U2, and then some. My favorite '80s band to this very day.
The last s sections of them paying live entire crowd continued dancing through it entire show. That's a concert having a blast in the moments love watching dancing this is my favorite all their songs but that last I shared with public are fabulous clips love live life to your fullest stay true to yourself trust you first you've gotta understand those whom know me knows the meaning behind things solidarity can't get it if your not willing to grow and learn experiences and some things catch you off guard but in wonderful matters later in in your life span seriously enjoy it but be alert life can change in 2.2 seconds trust and believe me take time to smell the roses or mountains your view smiles to you all. ❤
cool,thanks for posting, i remember watching it live on tv that day and liked it so much i went out and bought "the crossing",blue cover on vinyl, still one of the best debut albums by any band,saw them live loads of times over the years ,brilliant frontman,songwriter and outstanding guitarist,sad he's gone,Conor ,Dublin, Ireland
At now 28, I never had the honour of seeing the original BC live but these performances forever captured are precious. Absolutely incredible music. Like properly incredible lyrics, riffs, hooks, rhythm, bass and drums. 'Stay Alive' RIP Stu
i bought the crossing when it came out and to this day it’s the best album i’ve ever owned. obviously it blows todays music away entirely. but it kinda did that on its release too, was so powerful track after track
I well remember seeing Big Country at Reading 1983. The audience were all hard rock,( as was I), and punk fans. Big Country were pretty nervous at the beginning. They needn’t have worried, they went down a Storm,( no pun intended). They couldn’t have got a better reception and everyone was dancing around. Great band then great band now. This is one of their best songs.
Just this song is like 10 times better than all songs made in this century.Its like they are singing 'Fuck today's music!'Luckily i have good taste thats why we are here folks.
Saw this on The Tube; the most agonising 12 hour wait for Martins to open the next morning so I could spend all of my paper round money on The Crossing. Great, great days.
God what a brilliant band they are...rip Stuart always missed...this is note for note perfect compared to the album version. absolutely brilliant performance of this amazing song...God bless you Stuart...
Far to good for the mainstream, this is epic. I was lucky enough to see them when I was 7 in Shepton mallet, I'd give anything to see Stuart live now I'm older. R.I.P such a shame
I remember watching The Tube every Friday night and being so jealous of the people in the audience, being able to watch great live performances such as this one. (I was at school at the time and there was no way I could ever travel to Newcastle from the Midlands to be part of the studio audience)
There was always a feast for the eyes as Bruce Stewart and tortured their guitars. Countless times I've seen the band live. I will never forget these concerts in my life. Stewart, I miss you very much. Best regards and all the best for the future JoeNapf
I learned by listening to John Deacon , Neil Murray and Geezer Butler, but Tony's backing vocals are integral to the Big Country sound, and he has a magic all his own.
He is totally underrated. I think he has the power of Bonham , the passion of Powell and inventiveness of Paice, with some jazz and Proddy marching band thrown in. My favourite. Full stop. Octopus Rules.
+Jane Baldwin Agreed! Plus Tony just looks so damn fly bouncing around the stage, grimacing with that bandana on the periphery of that awesome natural!
Im 47 , but had the Crossing on release . The first real live band I ever saw from a bus trip fae Elgin. Rest in Peace Stuart you really were special....
2:39 few realize that Big Country's unique Celtic guitar sound comes from their own invention: the "E-Bow" which Stuart Adamson demonstrates here with the sound we all know.
They didn't invent the e-bow and they weren't the first to use it. The Ebow was developed in the US by Heet Co. and first appeared at the NAMM trade show in 1976.
I remember getting our first VHS recorder and recording this and watching it over and over. Watching this back nearly 30 years later and it hasn't dated a bit. Amazing!
In 1983/84 this was the hottest rock band in the world. Fantastic debut album "The Crossing". Great song after great song. Even the album outtakes like "Angle park" completely kicked ass. Totally outstanding rhythm section. Brzezicki & Butler were the Flea and Chad of that time for sure. Consistently brilliant guitar interplay from Stuart and Bruce. A very original style. Saw this band live 4 times in that period and was stunned by their mix of musicianship, energy and passion.
What I love most of this band (among millions of things) is that you can hear all four of them in the music. Each brings something to the table. In many other bands one or two members dominate. Its rare to hear the bass that clearly, for example.
this crowd has no idea what kind of legend they are witnessing
Spot on
This is just epic even in 2023
Tony Butler bass playing his class. 🎸
One of the greatest bands ever. So underappreciated. Tony Butler, fantastic bassist. Mark's drumming ... so good it has to be magic. And Stuart. Sigh. Poor Stuart. Great songwriter, musician, humanitarian, man. What passion!
Brian O'N
Agree, so great
And don't forget Bruce
Big Country was appreciated in Europe and in eastern Europe, concert in Moscow in year 1988.
An absolute masterpiece. One of the greatest songs they ever wrote...and that’s saying something considering their legendary collection. Pure class 👌
That little kiddies is how you do a LIVE television performance.
Truly one of the best bands EVER. RIP Stuart. You are still missed.
And the tune that convinced me to buy The Crossing. It was a long night waiting for Martins (record shop) to open !
Jeremy W
What a great Album-full lineup of top quality tracks!
Love Big Country and Porrohman is one of my faves from The Crossing. This song builds to epic proportions before Stuart even sings the first note.
The 2 minute intro build up should have been climaxed by Mark's dramatic fill. Unfortunately the camera man missed it. When Stuart first sings the line "a sacrifice prepared" it gives me chills. The song is a premonition of his own tragic death.
Stuart, the finest guitarist Scotland has ever given the world.
I rushed home with my copy of the crossing after buying it and simply couldn't believe what I was hearing with this belter.
All 4 were quality musicians , stuart was a fantastic song writer , add to that their unique sound & unbelievable guitar work & we had a band that got nowhere near the credit they deserved .
steve precious
They continue to grow through Time
i second that
EPIC is the only word that comes close to describing this. RIP Stu, never forgotten.
One of the best live performances on RUclips of anything
Yes it is. And I think it's my all-time favorite live version of this song!
Absolutely
Agree... absolutely amazing !
Such a wonderful live! IF there was a justice in the world, this video should have scored atleast 1,000,000 views.
What an amazing piece of music - and I've never even heard of it before! (Down here at the 'arse end of the world' our exposure to Big Country was their eponymous single, and little else.)
This song has SO many clever, beautiful things happening. Bold gripping arrangement. Bullshit brilliant musicianship. Wonderful composition with edgy, contemporary rock sounds, that irrepressible military rhythm - yet almost a precursor to the dance-flavoured indie pop of Madchester.
I don't have a handle on all the lyrics yet, but what a wonderful strident voice Stuart had, not to mention the compelling persona on stage, he had at this stage of his/their career. Truly remarkable stuff !!
The title and lyrics refer to a short story by H G Wells, called Pollock and the Porroh Man.
ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/w/wells/hg/plattner_story/chapter31.html
+Asinine Comment i agree
+gotlag love that info
the whole album is really great. So are the other albums
Such a shame Stuart had those demons in his head,that's what they called mental illness back then, saw them in Glasgow,still get tingling down the spine, amazing albums
I totally love The Crossing and this is my favourite. When I first heard those guitars it blew me away! And still does. Simply phenomenal! Love them. Hope you found peace beautiful man.❤
Mesmeric, still today....watched it live on TV at the time and no idea then that we were living in extraordinary times when it came to live performance. Special band, special times.
one of the best, most skilful bands to ever grace a stage.
What was the great idea to change the producer after "Steeltown"? their downfall began after that.
Record company wanting a "new" sound probably.
that's about it. forced to americanize. worst decision ever.
Stuart Adamson was a great songwriter
truly, a poet.....
Pure class !! and how to captivate an audience , the best music decade by far !!
Stuart = Genius = Legend. I should've learnt to play the guitar as a teenager.
he inspired me to do so and I've been forever thankful
Look at the audience throughout this. even they are utterly mesmerised.
this IS the sound of BIG COUNTRY
Fantastic performance that's typical of this great band! Stuart Adamson's tragic early death will always be a huge loss to both Skids & Big Country fans. I still frequently listen to both bands as I did as a youth many years ago. Their music easily stands the test of time. Stuart's lyrics with Big Country ooze sheer poetry. Their poignancy, scale of depth & symbolic imagery seems timeless! Both Stuart Adamson & Ian Curtis (latter vocalist with Joy Division), are right up there with the very best singer/songwriters of all time!
Imagine fighting an army that keeps appreaing from the mist.
I swear when this first started I thought, "Oh, it's just a lipsynch!" it sounded so perfect. After 30 seconds, I noticed it is different from the recorded version. SOOO Good!
If time travel is possible, Robert Burns would be writing songs and poetry for Stuart Adamson's catalogue. This band is a Scottish dragon with all the empathy and majesty of U2, and then some. My favorite '80s band to this very day.
Genius on that guitar
The last s sections of them paying live entire crowd continued dancing through it entire show. That's a concert having a blast in the moments love watching dancing this is my favorite all their songs but that last I shared with public are fabulous clips love live life to your fullest stay true to yourself trust you first you've gotta understand those whom know me knows the meaning behind things solidarity can't get it if your not willing to grow and learn experiences and some things catch you off guard but in wonderful matters later in in your life span seriously enjoy it but be alert life can change in 2.2 seconds trust and believe me take time to smell the roses or mountains your view smiles to you all. ❤
Pure energy.
Timeless class. 14 years on since the great man passed away still missed.
What an album The Crossing is. A must have for any serious record collection.
That e - bow sound is magic. And Marks drumming! World class!
The drummer is fantastic on this one
Mark is one of the best drummers of all time. Just my opinion.
+Adamson11x Can you tell me something or where can I read about Mark technique?
Just type his name on Google or go this way:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Brzezicki
I read that article before but it didnt say anything about his techniques
My GOD, sounds no different that the studio version. THIS is a seriously talented set of artisan musicians. Just, WOW 😲😏😎🤗💞💞💞💞
this music is pure positive energy, i just wish people could be more in tune with things that are truly good for their souls
cool,thanks for posting, i remember watching it live on tv that day and liked it so much i went out and bought "the crossing",blue cover on vinyl, still one of the best debut albums by any band,saw them live loads of times over the years ,brilliant frontman,songwriter and outstanding guitarist,sad he's gone,Conor ,Dublin, Ireland
Tony and Geddy Lee two of my favourite bassists with a surprising amount of overlap between them 😎
As pointed out below.....so young, poor old Bruce looks a bit worse for time passing nowadays :-) The sound, the feeling, the joy of it all
gives me goosebumps listening to this......awesome
Seen them live 5 times and had the pleasure of talking to him at a gig in Belfast such a loss RIP Stuart your music lives on
Right On!,Bro!
10 years departed but will never be forgotten. R.I.P. Stuart such a tragic waste.
Classic BIG COUNTRY need a time machine to get back to the 80s.
(No Stress then🌞)
Nothing ever sounded like The Crossing nothing will
Best band ever Mr Adamson I miss you so much xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is sooooo good. Beyond words. Everyone/everything is perfect. ❤️❤️ I must have watched it so many times I have forgotten.
stuart you were the best rip mate
At now 28, I never had the honour of seeing the original BC live but these performances forever captured are precious. Absolutely incredible music. Like properly incredible lyrics, riffs, hooks, rhythm, bass and drums. 'Stay Alive' RIP Stu
i bought the crossing when it came out and to this day it’s the best album i’ve ever owned. obviously it blows todays music away entirely. but it kinda did that on its release too, was so powerful track after track
Heart breaking he's gone , can still remember the day I heard the news 😢
i love how his notes hit the mind!! so melodic! i wish he never died!! RIP Stuart!!!
I well remember seeing Big Country at Reading 1983. The audience were all hard rock,( as was I), and punk fans. Big Country were pretty nervous at the beginning. They needn’t have worried, they went down a Storm,( no pun intended). They couldn’t have got a better reception and everyone was dancing around. Great band then great band now. This is one of their best songs.
Just this song is like 10 times better than all songs made in this century.Its like they are singing 'Fuck today's music!'Luckily i have good taste thats why we are here folks.
Grandiosa banda
Big Country forever ☝️♥️
Unbelievable! Such a musical gem, and what a hottie Stuart is!
Big Big Country fan and this track is the very best they ever made in my opinion. Simply amazing
My favorite Big Country song ever.
This is Big Country at their very best. RIP big chap.
Saw this on The Tube; the most agonising 12 hour wait for Martins to open the next morning so I could spend all of my paper round money on The Crossing.
Great, great days.
Loved The Tube, pure raw music but this performance was one of if not the best to grace its stages.
coolest great bass player in Tony, genius guitarist in Bruce, majestic drummer in Mark, genius songwriter/ guitarist in Stuart, what a band!!!!
Such a great and unique sounding band. Songs that I grew up to and will never forget.
A melhor banda do planeta a melhor da galaxia a melhor do universo
it doesn't get much better than this. RIP x
Sheer pleasure listening to this masterpiece
God what a brilliant band they are...rip Stuart always missed...this is note for note perfect compared to the album version. absolutely brilliant performance of this amazing song...God bless you Stuart...
Far to good for the mainstream, this is epic. I was lucky enough to see them when I was 7 in Shepton mallet, I'd give anything to see Stuart live now I'm older. R.I.P such a shame
Amazing just amazing staurt is a God of songwriting that people should aspire to be they all just are so happy in the moment playing their hearts out
One of THE great live performances ever. Nuf said.
This , ladies and gents is why BIG COUNTRY were 1 of the greatest bands live. Musicianship at the optimum level. R I P Stuart. Legend.
Best group ever ever ever ever ever ever
I remember watching The Tube every Friday night and being so jealous of the people in the audience, being able to watch great live performances such as this one. (I was at school at the time and there was no way I could ever travel to Newcastle from the Midlands to be part of the studio audience)
Incredible.
All 4 so tight together.
Brilliant unfairly underrated genius.
One of the very best bands I've ever seen.
excellent. brilliant sounds and musicianship from all . God bless Stuart Adamson
There was always a feast for the eyes as Bruce Stewart and tortured their guitars.
Countless times I've seen the band live. I will never forget these concerts in my life. Stewart, I miss you very much.
Best regards and all the best for the future
JoeNapf
Night hangs on the city like the blanket on a cage........ best line ever
Magic performance , saw these boys in there pomp in 83 & 84 !
I was lucky enough to have seen them perform live...Unforgettable experience. RIP Stuart.
The clown and the wolf man. Fantastic tune.The Skids and Big Country played massive part in my guitar learning many years ago
My Friend Padman has one of Tony Butlers old T3 Aria Bases. Only wish he could play it like Tony. One of my fave bands.
One more time to Strathalt.
ISLWYN2007 The Clown and The Wolfman.
No weak link in Big Country....superb......missing Stu
Awesome song, by the best band. Incredible musicians, out of this world drumming. Thanks for posting.
God bless Big Country, , Sempr Fi!
whip tighter than you can even imagine a band ever being so in sync
blistering after the memory of the years
Crowd in the presence of greatness and don't know it
Tony Butler is one of the greatest bassists ever.
+Brett Owen Yes, but Mark is one of the best drummers.
They were, and are, ALL fabulous musicians.
I learned by listening to John Deacon , Neil Murray and Geezer Butler, but Tony's backing vocals are integral to the Big Country sound, and he has a magic all his own.
He is totally underrated. I think he has the power of Bonham , the passion of Powell and inventiveness of Paice, with some jazz and Proddy marching band thrown in. My favourite. Full stop. Octopus Rules.
+Jane Baldwin Agreed! Plus Tony just looks so damn fly bouncing around the stage, grimacing with that bandana on the periphery of that awesome natural!
Fukin brilliant
Simply awesome
Im 47 , but had the Crossing on release . The first real live band I ever saw from a bus trip fae Elgin. Rest in Peace Stuart you really were special....
Brilliant........sadly missed Stu, your music will live on, never forgotten.
Fabulous
2:39 few realize that Big Country's unique Celtic guitar sound comes from their own invention: the "E-Bow" which Stuart Adamson demonstrates here with the sound we all know.
They didn't invent the e-bow and they weren't the first to use it. The Ebow was developed in the US by Heet Co. and first appeared at the NAMM trade show in 1976.
363 likes and 0 dislikes says it all really.
+L Goodall don't push their luck ;)
The audience haven't a clue, apart from 1 bloke at the front. They were the best band live. Great memories.
Excellent.nothing less
this is as always BIG COUNTRY xx
I remember getting our first VHS recorder and recording this and watching it over and over. Watching this back nearly 30 years later and it hasn't dated a bit. Amazing!
Brilliance personified.
Simply fooking brilliant !
In 1983/84 this was the hottest rock band in the world.
Fantastic debut album "The Crossing". Great song after great song.
Even the album outtakes like "Angle park" completely kicked ass.
Totally outstanding rhythm section. Brzezicki & Butler were the Flea and Chad of that time for sure.
Consistently brilliant guitar interplay from Stuart and Bruce. A very original style.
Saw this band live 4 times in that period and was stunned by their mix of musicianship, energy and passion.
What I love most of this band (among millions of things) is that you can hear all four of them in the music. Each brings something to the table.
In many other bands one or two members dominate. Its rare to hear the bass that clearly, for example.