BIG COUNTRY REDUX

Guitarist Bruce Watson was one of the founding members of the legendary Scottish rock band Big Country, alongside guitarist, singer and songwriter Stuart Adamson.

Together with bass player Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki, their classic debut album ‘The Crossing’ (1983) sold over 2 million copies and earned them 3 Grammy nominations in the USA. Second album ‘Steeltown’ (1984) went straight to Number 1. In total, Big Country had 17 top 30 UK singles and made gold and platinum status albums.

Hit singles like ‘In A Big Country’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Chance’, ‘East of Eden’ and ‘Look Away’ made them Top Of The Pops regulars, and they toured with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, David Bowie, and the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger called them “one of the best opening bands we ever had”.

Tragically, on the 16th of December 2021, Stuart Adamson took his own life.

Watson reunited with Butler and Brzezicki in 2007 to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. For their 30th, The Alarm’s Mike Peters joined on vocals to pay tribute to the music of Stuart Adamson (whose usual space at the centre of the stage was left symbolically vacant).

Big Country members have come and gone over the years (Tony Butler left in 2012, Mike Peters in 2013, Brzezicki left in 2025) but Bruce Watson will continue to pay tribute to his friend and the music they made together in 2026 and beyond as Big Country Redux.

EVEN PETERS PRESENTS THE ALARM

Following on from Big Country’s guest appearance at The Alarm’s Gathering weekend earlier this year at Cardiff Great Hall, Evan Peters is announced as Support on the forthcoming Big Country Tour (April & June 2026)

Evan Peters aged 19 is the youngest son of Mike Peters, lead singer of The Alarm.

Mike sadly passed away on April 29th last year, after receiving a shock diagnosis of Richters Syndrome, (a rare and aggressive lymphoma), on the eve of a two month American Alarm Tour.

Mike Peters became the lead singer of Big Country between 2011 and 2013, after Stuart Adamson’s untimely passing and so Evan grew up travelling to Big Country shows across the UK and USA.

Evan first toured with Big Country in the USA in 2013, aged six, travelling on the tour bus and choosing ’Stay Alive’ as his Big Country anthem.

Upon the tragic passing of Evan’s own dad almost one year ago, Evan immersed himself in The Alarm songbook and his favourite Big Country songs.

In December 2025 Evan joined Big Country on stage at Manchester Academy to perform ‘Chance’ with the band and a couple of months later, Big Country joined Evan on stage at The Alarm’s "The Gathering' in Cardiff, Wales to perform ‘Chance' and 'In a Big Country’.

Last year, Mike met with Bruce Watson at The Red, Dyserth, the village pub owned by The Peters Family.

Sat outside The Red, Bruce and Mike made a pact to tour together as The Alarm and Big County, once Mike had got through to the other side, after pioneering Car-T Therapy at the Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Sadly, Mike passed away on April 29th last year in 2025 after a valiant and well lived life, living with blood cancer for 31 years.

It is a fitting testament to the relationship between Big Country and The Alarm that Evan now carries the torch and flies the flag to honour and celebrate the special legacy between Big Country and The Alarm.

Description supplied by the event organiser.