Review of Big Country/Voodoo Radio at the Old Fire Station in Carlisle

I have lost count of the number of anniversary releases I have bought over the years but you know you are getting old when they hit 40 years and you can remember them the first time around – which was the case last year when I bought the remastered editions by Mötley Crüe.

Having said that, Big Country were determined to mark the occasion by touring for most of this year and on Saturday it was Carlisle’s turn to turn back the clock to the early 1980s with a sold out show together with a second matinee performance on Sunday.

First up were the power duo from Barrow-in-Furness known as Voodoo Radio, which consists of daughter and father partnership, singer/drummer Paige Cook and guitarist Tony Cook, and right from the start you can see that they are clearly influenced by the band Slaves – who are now known by the name Soft Play.

Voodoo Radio at the Old Fire Station, Carlisle (Image: Ian Duncan)

Paige uses the same stripped down drum kit and dad Tony’s guitar theatrics compliment her vocals perfectly. Their setlist’s subject matter varied from ice cream vans to a local Barrow landmark known as the “slagbank” to love triangles and holidays in lockdown which Paige needlessly reminds us that “we could not do”.

It was good to see they were clearly proud of their Cumbrian roots and it was quite funny that Paige kept reminding the audience “he’s me dad, not me boyfriend”. You should really try to catch this band live and they are booked to play next year’s Rebellion punk festival in Blackpool. I reckon they are like Slaves but with less anger and more witty observations on everyday life.

Scottish band Big Country originally broke onto the music scene in the early 1980s, alongside bands such as U2 from Dublin and The Alarm, who were from Rhyl in north Wales, with their own brand of what I like to describe collectively as Celtic indie music.

Tommy Paxton of Big Country (Image: Ian Duncan)

It was quite refreshing to hear each bands’ take with melodic and well crafted songs and, speaking personally, I tended to follow The Alarm out of the three as they were the band I saw live the most during that decade.

Having said that I was reintroduced to Big Country’s music when I watched the film Restless Natives a few years back, when I was working in the Highlands of Scotland, and realised Big Country provided the soundtrack so I was reminded how good their tunes are. For the record I would highly recommend watching the film as it is rather good.

But I finally managed to catch the band live in Inverness when they supported the Scottish trad music band Skippinish and, in my opinion, they were more entertaining than the headliners – I should say, as a caveat, that Skippinish have a large following in The Highlands but at least I could understand what Big Country were singing about, because I do not speak Gaelic.

Jamie and Bruce Watson of Big Country (Image: Ian Duncan)

Since then, Big Country have gone through a few line-up changes including new vocalist and guitarist Tommie Paxton who was announced earlier this year “to be helping the band out”.

Having said that he was a good choice as he bears an uncanny resemblance to original singer, Stuart Adamson, who sadly died in December 2001, but that is hardly surprising as he used to sing with a tribute band called Restless Natives.

Central to the line-up is lead guitarist and original member Bruce Watson who has the honour of being the only person who has been at every Big Country gig since the band first started and he was joined on stage with his son Jamie Watson on rhythm guitar as well as Chris Stones on bass and Reece Dobbin on drums.

Bruce Watson Tommie Paxton and Chris Stones (Image: Ian Duncan)

After all the line-up changes I have to admit that the band seemed revitalised with a renewed energy.

Needless to say they were glad to be back in Carlisle and Bruce tells the audience about recording their “difficult second album” in Stockholm in 1984 after none other than Benny and Bjorn from ABBA offered the use of their Polar Studios.

Jamie and Bruce Watson and Tommie Paxton (Image: Ian Duncan)

The setlist included a trio of crowd pleasers – Look Away, the haunting track Chance which got the crowd singing along and In A Big Country – which the crowd lapped up. It is always good to see a connection between a band and its audience and it is good to see musicians enjoying what they do.

Fields of Fire even included a verse from Whiskey In The Jar, initially made famous by Thin Lizzy, and I am sure everyone who left the gig on Saturday was fully entertained. Here’s to the next 40 years eh?