Big Country - Stuart Adamson and Tony Butler - The Big Breakfast, 2000. 

Craig writes: My Big Breakfast with Big Country May 2000 Some of the best bits for me were some of the bits you don’t see. Sitting in the shed (yes a real shed in the garden) with Stuart & Tony, sneaking in to the house (we were supposed to be in the shed) and pinching croissants and watching the show from the kitchen….there was many more. My story… On the day I couldn’t remember if I was excited or dead nervous, probably a lot of both. I was up until 11pm the night before, finalising the questions with the researcher by email (I think the researcher was in the pub). The format for the show was Ban The Fan, stop an obsessive fan meeting his heroes, I would ask the band three questions, if they get them wrong they spend the morning in the garden shed with me, if they get the questions right they get to play their latest single ‘Somebody Else.’ Flippin’ tough choice for me as obviously I wanted the single to get air play…. I was up at 3am as I was getting picked up at 3:30am and driven to Brentwood for 4:30am - proper chauffeur, suit, hat, the works - very nice. It was the chauffeur who told me that if the guys got my questions right then I would be marched off site and put on a bus, which would all be filmed - OMG! I was nervous now alright. I had decided on a format of one easy question, one medium question and one killer question but a fan would know the answers and I had a feeling Stuart would. I had taken a load of memorabilia with me but only a little was used for the show and I didn’t know what until I sat amongst it and faced Lisa Tarbuck. She was lovely and a fan of BC. I didn’t know what my questions were going to be. We had to be in place for the start even though it would be 45 minutes before we were on. I was comfortable enough on the sofa but the lights were so so hot. It was amusing looking back as the only time I left was to be locked outside whilst Stuart & Tony took their positions, so I didn’t meet them. They were dead serious about me not meeting them. All of a sudden Johnny Vaughan announced it was Ban The Fan. I was as nervous as hell. I could see the monitors and watch Stuart & Tony being interviewed. Lisa then introduced me, I was just praying not to be kicked out. I thought I would at least meet the guys if it all went wrong but no, It was reinforced that I would be marched off the property. I was in no doubt that would happen as they told me how they were going to film it and where I needed to be as a dress rehearsal. You know what happened next….thankfully only Tony remembered the Boys Own Stuff on the Chance single and not the caption ‘the only four left’ I honestly thought he would remember it and I would be snookered. We were shown to the shed and we sat getting colder and colder talking BC, swapping stories and laughing a lot. Every ad break the camera would cut to us in the shed and we had to wave…it got too cold and we decided to run across the garden to the house (about 100 yards) without being seen and hide in the kitchen. We managed it and helped ourselves to some croissants. Gail Porter spotted Stuart and started waving ha ha, making us panic. She came over and chatted but we were worried about being caught, so she left and said she would catch us later. Stuart told me that she knew Gail really well. The show was over. I met Johnny (he is the funniest man that I have met), he was brilliant and took the mick out of Stuart & Tony, they were eventually speechless as I quickly realised no one gets the better of Johnny and Stuart was very quick witted. He asked me to join everyone for breakfast, yep a big breakfast. I sat next to Stuart with Johnny, Lisa & Tony, all the crew, other guests, Gail Porter joined us and we had a brilliant time. It was then that Stuart confessed that Bruce had said "F off!" at 4am as he wasn’t going on breakfast TV and Mark couldn’t be woken! I did confront Bruce about this and he just laughed and admitted it, there was no way he was getting up at 4am. Tony & Stuart offered to sign a load of my stuff, they were amazed at how much there was and more amazed when I told them the rest was at home. I think the best momento was a picture of the three of us and Stuart & Tony signing the back of the Chance single, which I obviously cherish. We all know how accommodating and approachable the guys are but Tony & Stuart were stars to me and they lived up to my expectations and more, real gents. They asked what gigs I was doing for the tour, 5 or 6 I remember saying at the time and Stuart replying ‘My God, I hope we are good’ We’ll keep an eye out for you. I’ve never asked for anything but secretly hoped I could meet up with the guys again somewhere on the tour. I was lucky to have been able to do this and humble to spend quality time with Stuart. He made me laugh and settled my nerves by telling me one of my favourite stories. I said to him at breakfast that he had written some of the best songs in my life and knew of him in the Skids (The second single I bought was Into The Valley before seeing BC at Wembley Arena then paying £1 on the door at the Hammersmith Palais as I was hooked) I said I could have asked so much more but was a little in awe and a bit star struck. He laughed and said that he was in his wife’s salon in LA when his favourite female singer walked in, Emmylou Harris. He knew she was due in and admitted that he was deliberately there as he was desperate to meet her. He said it took a few minutes to pluck up enough courage to walk over and offer her a coffee as she waited for her time, In his words ‘I found myself babbling away and making a complete fool of myself and making no sense at all, so I excused myself and hid out the back’ I was bemused, and we both fell about laughing ‘aye, I regret that alright’ he added and it made us laugh even more. I was lucky enough to see the guys, then meet Bruce & Mark and get to know them all on the tour that followed the Final Fling, 4 nights then Stuart inviting me and my brother back stage at the Shepherds Bush Empire where I had said my BC farewell. I felt like I had gone full circle and didn’t want to do Barrowlands even though I had a ticket. I decided that I couldn’t top that and didn’t want to be at the last gig. Bitter sweet memories. Stuart Adamson was a real gentleman, a real star, a rock star and incredibly underrated as a guitarist, singer and song writer. Stuart created a guitar sound like no other - twice - and that is a rare talent. I last saw Stuart at Dingwalls and we laughed about the Big Breakfast a lot. (Craig Fettes, June, 2019)

Stuart seems so happy here. God only knows what happened over the next 18 months........ RIP. You are a legend.

Stuart was a hero. Every gig a cup final. Rest in peace my friend ⭐

Legend Stuart XX RIP 🙏😢

Stuart was one of the kindest musicians in the business with a heart of gold.

Who wouldn't have wanted to be the FAN on that set?!

Stuart has a beautiful soul!

Lovely lovely account of Craig’s meeting with Stuart & Tony here. Made me smile. Still feel so sad about the great man not being with us to read it himself 😔

Coolest clip ever! Reminds me of my youth...Big Country will forever be apart of me. "Where the rose is sown" still gets to me. I've got the vinyl from back in the day to.Thanks for this post.

Best band ever one of BC biggest fans. Stuart is the best guitarist ever so is tony the best bass player and the other two band mate's are brilliant aswell you will never never get a band so perfect well suited so rare so musical masters I nother level of music that is magic power engery playing with soul and heart . IV been I fan for round about about 8 year's and I sing to my rabbit when I start singing and playing big country you can see she's trying to sing. Her favourite songs are wonderland and walk the hill and mine aswell.my rabbit munch

That is so uplifting to watch - thank you Andy and Craig

Thank you so much for posting! As fans we're always looking for treasures like this and I'm sure we've all imagined ourselves in the situation Craig Fettes found himself, I have at least! 😁 Stuart Adamson will always 'be'!

Great to hear this

LEGEND!

Amazing Clip !! Thanks for Sharing Your Very Special Memories !! Always Enjoy Reading Beautiful Touching Comments Regarding A Still To This Day Incredible Band And Much Missed Stuart Who Brought So So Much Joy Into So So Many Many Lives !! 😀😀😀😀😀😀

God, we miss his lyrics today.

In another dimension, another reality, Big Country played live aid and were massive and respected and U2 were playing pub venues...

REST IN PEACE STUART

What a GREAT post. Superb 👌

Great band, great people, great video in the sea of abysmal detritus that flows through RU-vid, this is a gem and makes it ultimately worth it

RIP Stuart. Gid Pars man 🏁. How good was the big breakfast BTW

Wow! Amazing to see this.

Wow, If only...

Wow. Just read Chris’s notes. What a story. I wish I’d had the chance to meet Stuart. Though I doubt that I’d have plucked up the courage to speak to him. Lol.

Lemmy - Bass Stuart- Vocals Guitars Neil Peart - Drums

Man!, Johnny Vaughn and Denise Van Outen were the Big Breakfast Golden Years. Very happy to see this segment though, such a treat, I smiled all the way through. Rest easy Stu.

Lucky Craig, no fawning shyness, just genuine admiration and appreciation. Had to laugh, even if you don’t know the band, the chemistry on the show was there. Another giggle was the Melody Maker style file, just one of those memorable almost throw away publications that my box of memories contains. I’m sure the absence of Bruce meant that, who was the inventor of the seagull? question was saved for another day.

x siempre bc

This slimy interviewer not making hardly any eye contact with Tony how rude can you get.

Man that host is really annoying. Too bad gentle Stuart is on this show. if it was the Stone roses or oasis that guy would have been destroyed in a second