Big Country play Birmingham O2 Academy

Don't expect Big Country to be well rehearsed when they rock up at Birmingham's O2 Academy tonight (February 17).

"We're really not big on rehearsing," says bassist and founder member Tony Butler. "We like getting out there on stage in front of a live audience – that's what it's all about for us.

"We'll have done our homework, but rehearsing is a poor substitute for playing live in front of our fans."

Big Country are on the road to promote the re-release of their game-changing CD The Crossing, which sold more than a million copies and put the Scottish quartet into rock's big league, alongside U2 et al.

The band enjoyed a heady decade, being successful on both sides of the Atlantic, before eventually splitting. Later, their lead singer, Stuart Adamson, took his own life.

Butler says: "When Stuart died, we thought that would be it and we had no plans to come back together.

"We did reform, really, as a tribute to Stuart. I sang on that tour. But now we've got Mike Peters with us, who used to be the lead singer in The Alarm, and it works really well."

In recent times, Butler has taught music to aspiring students who want to follow in Big County's footsteps. But he can't wait to put his day job on ice and hit the road.

"I love it just as much as I did back in the day. It's been my life so it's nothing new," he added.

New songs and a new album are in the offing, although the best part of touring is the unstinting support of fans.

"It is always great fun and never ceases to shock me. We get a tremendous response in terms of ticket sales and I never really realised how popular the band were.

"It's quite a shock. We're grateful, it's a fantastic feeling that something we made had such a profound effect on people."

* Tickets for tonight's show are available at www.o2academybirmingham.co.uk

Andy Richardson