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

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 [scotpop.substack.com] - 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: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/allanjglen/?hl=e] ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-glen-1228496b/] ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615843776347565] ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ [ https://x.com/allanglen1] Have any feedback, guest suggestions, general comments or queries about sponsorship opportunities? Great; you can email me at scotpoppodcast@gmail.com. Cheers.

Is there a crisis in Scottish music? - Scotpop investigates

The Beta Band. Big Country. The Skids. Friends Again. The Rezillos. The Bluebells. The list of recently reformed Scottish bands goes on and on. As fans, we’re excited to have these bands back, of course, but having worked on music business magazines for 15 years, one thing I learned was promoters and venues like safe bets. Increasingly, with record sales collapsing, the music business is the live music industry. Yet as more and more bands who had their heyday in the 70, 80s and 90s reform to play live where does that leave Scottish music industry today? It’s a question I put to Sir Ian Rankin in the second part of our interview (the full interview will be coming shortly). It’s also a subject I discussed with James Grant (Friends Again/Love and Money) and Douglas MacIntyre, boss of the Creeping Bent record label. All three guests offer great insight and analysis into what is going on in Scottish music today. The importance of the live music industry on new music acts is also a subject I discuss this week with Erin Reidy, guitarist with Brontës, one of the most talked-about emerging bands in Scotland. This episode also features an introduction to four new bands you’re going to be hearing a lot of in the next year (and, yes, the Brontës are one of them). It would be great to hear what you think of the current state of music in Scotland; those who susbcribe to the Substack newsletter will be able to read about reports this week of the “deepening crisis” in the Scottish festival scene, with six promoters postponing or pausing their events this year. Add in the cultural evisceration with music programming at BBC Radio Scotland - Nicola Meighan is just the latest presenter to be axed – and suddenly the idea of a “crisis” in Scotttish music doesn’t seem so wide of the mark. Let me know what you think. You can sign up here for the new Scotpop newsletter on ⁠Substack⁠ [scotpop.substack.com] - 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: ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/allanjglen/?hl=e] ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-glen-1228496b/] ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615843776347565] ⁠X⁠ [ https://x.com/allanglen1] Have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? Great - I’d love to hear from you at the links above, or you can email me at scotpoppodcast@gmail.com. Cheers.

Mike Scott (The Waterboys) interview – 'Simple Minds and U2 copped stuff from The Waterboys - especially U2'

Thrilled that Mike joins me on Scotpop this week. After finding new fans with the soundtrack of the latest hit Netflix show Something Very Bad is Going To Happen, Mike and co are finally getting the attention they deserve so there’s lots to talk about. He joins me just days before the band tour Australia to discuss everything from humping gear up three flights of stairs at Terry Pilley’s infamous Barclay Towers studio in Edinburgh in the late 70s to what it feels like to blow up on TikTok today. He also talks about growing up in Ayr and Edinburgh, moving to London, Findhorn and Dublin, playing shows all around the world – and the inspiration behind the The Whole of the Moon. If you have any opinion/interest on the ongoing Waterboys v U2/Simple Minds debate that’s raging online you’re in for a treat. It’s a fascinating insight into one of Scotland’s best songwriters and the longest episode of Scotpop to date. You can sign up here for the new Scotpop newsletter on Substack [scotpop.substack.com] - 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: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/allanjglen/?hl=e] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-glen-1228496b/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615843776347565] X [ https://x.com/allanglen1] Have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? Great - I’d love to hear from you at the links above, or you can email me at scotpoppodcast@gmail.com. Cheers. Pic credits this episode: Paul MacManus

John Niven interview – 'I turned down Coldplay and Muse – and signed The Mike Flowers Pops'

Before he was a successful author with books such as bestsellers Straight White Male and Oh Brother, Irvine-born writer John Niven, the special guest on Scotpop this week, ran with the London A&R pack in the 90s. He joins us to talk about turning down Coldplay and Muse because he “didn’t think we needed a couple of more Radioheads” and how he used his time in the music industry to write Kill Your Friends and The Battle, the recent stage production that captured the rivalry between Blur and Oasis as they fought it out for the coveted No 1 spot at the height of Britpop. As well as being a successful author and writer, John is also a former musician and a huge advocate for Scottish music. He is also one of the best storytellers I’ve ever heard. For the latest news on the podcast and music updates, make sure to follow Scotpop on: Substack [https://scotpop.substack.com/] - subscribe for a free Scotpop newsletter featuring extended shownotes, behind the scenes info, Scottish music news, new music tips, track of the week, scurillous gossip ... and so much more. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/allanjglen/?hl=en] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-glen-1228496b/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615843776347565] X [https://x.com/allanglen1] Stuart Adamson – In a Big Country [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stuart-Adamson-Country-Allan-Glen/dp/1846971918] Have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? You can contact me at the links above. For sponsorship opportunities, you can email me on scotpoppodcast@gmail.com. Cheers John Niven’s latest book, The Fathers, is out now on Canongate.

James Grant interview – ‘Our label spent millions on us - when we left we were £7 million in debt'

In the mid-80s, the London-based music industry was, says Love and Money’s James Grant, this week’s special guest, “awash with cash”. As bands such as Orange Juice, Simple Minds and Altered Images racked up Top 10 hits, much of it flowed north to Glasgow. One of the “jangletastic” acts perfectly placed to capitalise on the A&R stampede to the city were James’ first band Friends Again, fronted by Chris Thomson, now of The Bathers. This week’s episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of the most underrated songwriters in the UK today, and a man who - by his own admission - has never had a “proper job”. He also has the inside story to one of Scotland’s greatest indie-pop tales and in this episode we find out what really happened when he walked out of Friends Again to form Love and Money. “When you’re 20 you don’t really care about hurting people”, gives you a flavour of what you’re about to hear. In this episode James also opens up about: - The “buzz” of being a teenager in a Glasgow band in the mid-80s as London’s A&R mob decamped to the city. - The two sides of working with legendary A&R boss at Phonogram Dave Bates – “the enemy and the facilitator”. - How the label's demand for hits affected Love and Money – and the the label's effect on Stuart Adamson of Big Country. - Recording with acclaimed producer Gary Katz – and Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor. - The growing struggles in Love and Money in the late 80s as the record label started to demand “hits”. - The solo years and the joy of working with Donald Shaw and Karen Matheson from Capercaillie. - The “excitement and nerves” that kicked in just before Friends Again’s reunion concert at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow earlier this year – and what comes next for the band. - How touring and recording with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake and ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler allows him to “take a break” from himself. - And so much more … You can sign up here for the new Scotpop newsletter on ⁠Substack⁠ [scotpop.substack.com] - featuring extended shownotes, behind the scenes info, Scottish music news stories and the hottest new bands. For the latest news on the podcast and music updates, make sure to follow Scotpop on: ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/allanjglen/?hl=e] ⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-glen-1228496b/] ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615843776347565] ⁠X⁠ [ https://x.com/allanglen1] Have any feedback, guest suggestions or general comments? You can contact me at the links above. For sponsorship opportunities, you can email me on scotpoppodcast@gmail.com. Cheers