Bruce Watson (Big Country) interview: 'Touring the world in the 80s was amazing – but you had to be on all the time'

There’s, rightly, been a lot of attention on Stuart Adamson in recent months with the publication of another biography on the Skids and Big Country legend and news of a forthcoming documentary that will hopefully bury for ever the image of the band as merely “bagpipe guitars and checked shirts”.For now, though, it’s time to hear Bruce Watson’s side of the story – and it’s not always an easy listen.Success, failure, alcoholism, suicide, redemption and resurrection all feature in a 45-year career that spawned three classic albums, including, arguably, the best album and single of the 80s (East of Eden and Steeltown, if you’re asking).As a teenager – and fan of Stuart’s punk band the Skids – Bruce had a major part to play in the development of Big Country, who sold more than 2 million copies of their debut album, The Crossing, and influenced a new generation of songwriters such as the Manic Street Preachers, Blur, Oasis, Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon.In a brutally frank two-part interview, he talks about dealing with Stuart’s alcoholism and the disintegration of the band. But first, we go back to the beginning: Dunfermline, 1977, and a band called The Delinquents. You can sign up here for the new Scotpop newsletter on ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠ - featuring extended shownotes, behind the scenes info, Scottish music news stories and the best new bands.For the latest news on the podcast and music updates, make sure to follow Scotpop on:⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠Have any feedback, guest suggestions, general comments or queries about sponsorship opportunities? Great; you can email me at [email protected]. Cheers.