They were a band who burst out of the aftermath of punk and new wave in a crescendo of crashing celtic guitars and booming vocals.

Sadly, the death of frontman Stuart Adamson at the age of 43, the wisdom was that Big Country were finished.

But that is far from the case, and original members Bruce Watson, who also plays in The Skids, and drummer Mark Brzezicki, are keeping the distinctive sound alive.

2019 marks the 35th anniversary of the classic Big Country album The Crossing, and they are bringing that, as well as their other hits, to Medina Leisure Centre sports hall, on April 20, as part of Jack Up The Weekend; which also features From The Jam on Good Friday (April 19).

I spoke to Bruce Watson last week and he spoke about how much he still loves playing the music that made them stars 35 years ago.

"The two-guitar sound was very new at that time and there was such a big Celtic scene with U2 in their early days and The Alarm very much part of it too."

"Although we liked bands such as Thin Lizzy and Status quo, they very much kept it straight, so we decided to go nowhere near the blues and make a noise we could call our own."

Bruce has a real stake in the band now with his son Jamie providing guitar and vocals; with singer Simon Hough and bassist Simon Whitley completing the line up.

He said the thought of a full gig at Medina was a great attraction to him.

"At some festivals, when I play with The Skids or with Big Country, you only get a short stage time and the gig never really warms up."

The Crossing includes most of their best known songs, such as Fields of Fire, Chance and In Big Country, as well as lesser-known gems such as Harvest Home.