When the band came out, Tom moved right up to the front of the stage but I found a little space off to the side where I didn't feel too closed-in by tall bodies and could still have a great view of the stage. The band was really fantastic. They played an even mix of old and new songs and had so much energy and enthusiam. It was really awesome.
At one point, Tom came over to me and whispered in my ear to tell me what the front man, Mike Peters, had written on his guitar: "Dissidents Rock" and "Where The Rose Is Sown." The Dissidents was Tom's band in college and they often performed Big Country and Alarm songs (The Alarm is Mike Peters' other band). "Where The Rose Is Sown" is the first Big Country song Tom ever heard and the one that got him interested in the band. Both of these factoids were contained in the newspaper article written about Tom, which the band saw on the internet. We were both so shocked-- how cool was that??
But then things got substantially cooler as Mike called Tom up on the stage, handed him the "Dissidents Rock" guitar and had him sing and play with them as they did a classic Big Country favorite, "Chance." The look on Tom's face was just priceless when he heard Mike calling him up there. I'm so glad he knew the song. He just joined right in like he belonged there. Turns out he and Mike were wearing very similar plaid shirts, too, so he really did look like a regular member of the band.
Here's the video clip that I shot:
and here's the one that our friend John shot, with a head-on view of the stage:
The next day, I found a blogpost that Mike Peters had written that night about the show:
" Mike Peters- Big Country Travelogue from the US of A.
It's been a crazy few days running in and out of the rain or "under the sky" to quote from 'After The Flood'. The band has played rain soaked cities and sweltering towns as tropical st...orm 'Andrea' has hit the eastern sea board with the rain just about coming on top against the sun. The shows have been so well received by the audiences over here in the US with many having waited years to see Big Country perform again. There has been a poignancy about many of the moments on stage triggered by a trip through '1000 Stars' or a look backwards via 'Inwards'. Stuart Adamson's presence will always be with us but there is a freedom about the band that is thriving in the atmosphere surrounding the tour. Bruce and Mark are treated with a certain reverence that is befitting of the standing they have with the fans who have waited / prayed for the band to return. Big Country is alive.
It's been interesting travelling and listening to the sounds of America. The rock radio is a lot more 'pop' than it was few years ago. I've heard Fall Out Boy on the 'Rock' radio and the new Pearl Jam song 'The Fixer' which sounds great (We all met Eddie Vedder at Isle of Wight Festival last year and he gave Big Country a shout out during his set with PJ on the Main Stage). The Lumineers, Fun and Passion Pit have been on the tour bus radio and it seems like Mumford and Sons have forced a change in the direction in the way music is played over here which is cool. It makes me feel optimistic for the future and that anything is possible if you have the right endeavour and commitment to the music you create.
I was in Washington this morning (meeting with some high powered lobbyists about a future LHS event), and so enjoyed listening to the radio on the way in, that I put on the 'Steeltown album' for the drive back to Leesburg, VA. It sounded contemporary to me or at least the songs did and I was again reminded of the power of Stuart Adamson and the lyrics he wrote. As fate would have it and unbeknownst to me, Tom Kercheval (who was the opening act), played some of those very same songs on his acoustic guitar 'Flame Of The West' (which sounded like something Neil Young would write today), and 'The Great Divide' (which is such a good song when stripped to the bone). It was insightful listening to him after hearing the album afresh in the afternoon.
With food for thinking and inspiration from all that is happening around us, we absolutely rocked in Leesburg tonight. I saw T.K. down the front and couldn't resist pulling him up to play on 'Chance'. It was a dream come true for Tom and a recognition of sorts for the dedication displayed by the likes of him and many others who have kept the BC flame burning for so long. Big Country will always be eternally grateful.
I'm writing this in the dressing room after the show and reflecting on the road ahead which is 'forever calling'. Tonight we leave the East coast bound across land for Indianapolis and then Topeka, Kansas. We will arrive in Denver on Friday.
The journey continues…. Mike Peters"
It's been a crazy few days running in and out of the rain or "under the sky" to quote from 'After The Flood'. The band has played rain soaked cities and sweltering towns as tropical st...orm 'Andrea' has hit the eastern sea board with the rain just about coming on top against the sun. The shows have been so well received by the audiences over here in the US with many having waited years to see Big Country perform again. There has been a poignancy about many of the moments on stage triggered by a trip through '1000 Stars' or a look backwards via 'Inwards'. Stuart Adamson's presence will always be with us but there is a freedom about the band that is thriving in the atmosphere surrounding the tour. Bruce and Mark are treated with a certain reverence that is befitting of the standing they have with the fans who have waited / prayed for the band to return. Big Country is alive.
It's been interesting travelling and listening to the sounds of America. The rock radio is a lot more 'pop' than it was few years ago. I've heard Fall Out Boy on the 'Rock' radio and the new Pearl Jam song 'The Fixer' which sounds great (We all met Eddie Vedder at Isle of Wight Festival last year and he gave Big Country a shout out during his set with PJ on the Main Stage). The Lumineers, Fun and Passion Pit have been on the tour bus radio and it seems like Mumford and Sons have forced a change in the direction in the way music is played over here which is cool. It makes me feel optimistic for the future and that anything is possible if you have the right endeavour and commitment to the music you create.
I was in Washington this morning (meeting with some high powered lobbyists about a future LHS event), and so enjoyed listening to the radio on the way in, that I put on the 'Steeltown album' for the drive back to Leesburg, VA. It sounded contemporary to me or at least the songs did and I was again reminded of the power of Stuart Adamson and the lyrics he wrote. As fate would have it and unbeknownst to me, Tom Kercheval (who was the opening act), played some of those very same songs on his acoustic guitar 'Flame Of The West' (which sounded like something Neil Young would write today), and 'The Great Divide' (which is such a good song when stripped to the bone). It was insightful listening to him after hearing the album afresh in the afternoon.
With food for thinking and inspiration from all that is happening around us, we absolutely rocked in Leesburg tonight. I saw T.K. down the front and couldn't resist pulling him up to play on 'Chance'. It was a dream come true for Tom and a recognition of sorts for the dedication displayed by the likes of him and many others who have kept the BC flame burning for so long. Big Country will always be eternally grateful.
I'm writing this in the dressing room after the show and reflecting on the road ahead which is 'forever calling'. Tonight we leave the East coast bound across land for Indianapolis and then Topeka, Kansas. We will arrive in Denver on Friday.
The journey continues…. Mike Peters"
So WOW, what a day! So many incredible happenings over the course of a few hours. It's not one that Tom or I will ever forget!
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