Isle of Wight by Scoop Edwards

The Country Club reporter Scoop Edwards has been updating the Big Country website with the inside view of the Isle of Wight show.

Big Country – Isle Of Wight Main Stage

Big Country produced a stirring set at the 2012 Isle of Wight Festival, bringing the sunshine and lifting the spirits of a vast crowd soaked by two previous days of torrential rain. As the band stormed into their second song ‘Another Country’ it was clear that everyone was ready to get right into the true spirit of the festival. The band were joined on stage by Downton Abbey actress Elizabeth McGovern for ‘Chance’ before a closing four sing finale of Look Away. Restless Natives, Fields Of Fire and In A Big Country lit up the event which was being filmed for Sky Arts TV and broadcast live on Absolute Radio. Post show, Mark Brzezicki and Mike Peters could be seen chatting to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (who went on to namecheck the band during PJ’s headline set), following Mark’s additional appearance on drums and vocals with Thunderclap Newman at the Garden Stage. Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson and Mike Peters took the Big Country mainstage vibe out into the muddy fields of the festival and carried on with an impromptu acoustic set that drew a huge crowd to the Love Hope Strength Foundation cancer charity tent encouraging people to participate with them on the forthcoming Ben Nevis Rocks charity event ‘The Highest Gig In Britain’ on August 25th. The three ‘Wellington booted’ members of the band were mobbed by fans both old and new as they worked their way back to the backstage area where they could be seen chatting with both Little Steven and Nils Lofgren of Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band. It’s safe to say that Big Country made a huge impression on al in attendance both physically and across the nation’s airwaves this weekend…  a testament to the fact that some serious rock and roll had been performed, backed by a serious message.

Stay Alive – The festival season has begun!

Country Club Reporter – Scoop Edwards