Latest news with #TheSeer
The Courier
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Stuart Adamson's message to fans at Big Country's last UK gig
Stuart Adamson and Big Country decided to bow out of the live music scene with an emotionally-charged final fling 25 years ago. Adamson announced enough was enough. He explained why they were calling it a day in a forgotten interview from his Nashville home in May 2000, which has been uncovered from the archives. 'The final shows are going to be a trek through the life of Big Country,' he said. 'We'll be playing a few songs from each of the albums. 'We just want to make sure that everyone who comes along has a great time. 'I'm really looking forward to the tour. 'It will be a great way to come off the road.' The Final Fling tour would finish at Glasgow Barrowland, which became the band's spiritual home following the homecoming concert on Hogmanay 1983. Adamson decided it was time for a change Adamson and guitarist Bruce Watson founded Big Country in Dunfermline in 1981. Bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki joined in 1982. The band exploded on to the scene with anthems such as Fields of Fire and In a Big Country from their classic debut album The Crossing in 1983. Steeltown went straight in at Number 1 after being released in 1984. The Seer, in 1986, yielded their highest-charting single with Look Away, Butler, Adamson, Watson and Brzezicki in 1984. Image: Supplied. Peace in Our Time (1988), No Place Like Home (1991), Buffalo Skinners (1993) and Why The Long Face (1995) were followed by Driving to Damascus (1999). This was the last album they recorded together with Adamson at the helm. 'I really do enjoy touring,' said Adamson in May 2000. 'But my priorities in life have changed now and I've had enough of spending eight months of every year away from home. 'I've always been one to listen to my inner voice. 'It just feels right now to finish Big Country's touring days.' Why did Big Country stay together so long? Adamson stressed there was no falling out. 'I've had a great time with the band, but I'm a great believer in looking forward, not back, and it's time for a change,' he said. 'The reason we have stayed together is that we have always got on well. 'The four of us finishing up on this tour were on the original Big Country album, The Crossing, and we've never really had a fall out in all that time.' The band in full flow in January 1989. Image: DC Thomson. Adamson said he wouldn't be quitting music after leaving the band. He intended to keep writing new material and perform live in Nashville. 'Nashville is a great place,' he said. 'People imagine that it's all country music, but that's not the case. 'The only thing I miss about Scotland are the people and being able to go and watch a football match rather than watch a game on the telly. 'But I am very happy here.' The European Final Fling tour kicked off in the Netherlands in April 2000. Adamson in Dunfermline in 1996. Image: DC Thomson. Adamson's beloved Dunfermline Athletic had just been promoted to the Premier League when the UK Final Fling tour started in Cambridge on May 18 2000. Dates in Norwich, London, Wolverhampton, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Leeds and Manchester followed before Somebody Else was released on May 29. Somebody Else was written by Adamson and Kinks singer Ray Davies. It was the band's final single with Adamson. Big Country performed at the Olympia in Dublin and the Waterfront in Belfast before a tear-stained goodbye at Glasgow Barrowland on May 31 2000. What songs did Big Country play in 2000? Big Country performed 24 songs and started where it all began. Harvest Home was written in a Dunfermline community centre in 1981. It was released as the band's debut single in September 1982. It was a great way to open the concert. Watson and Adamson on stage at the final fling. Image: Supplied. Driving to Damascus songs merged seamlessly with classic tracks. The pace never let up. The band were dressed in kilts. Adamson complemented the look with a pair of Adidas Samba trainers. Set highlights included King of Emotion, Where the Rose Is Sown, Your Spirit to Me, Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys) and We're Not in Kansas. The 1984 single Wonderland also proved a big hit with the audience. Adamson made it a family affair. Teenage daughter Kirsten provided backing vocals on Fragile Thing. It was a goosebumps moment. Porrohman and Chance from The Crossing was reserved for the encore. Thunderous roars and stamping feet demanded a second encore. The fans got one. The band in kilts in 2000. Image: Supplied. In a Big Country and Fields of Fire followed. The noise was deafening. The band returned to the stage for a third encore. The much-missed Alarm singer Mike Peters and Adamson's son, Callum, joined them for a cover of Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World. Band's final UK show was emotional affair Big Country have always been the people's band. There were a few misty eyes when the band took a final bow. 'Thanks everybody for your support and friendship,' said Adamson. 'May the road rise up to meet you. 'We'll see you all again. 'Until then, stay alive!' A message that took on added poignancy 18 months later. Adamson on stage at the final show. Image: Supplied. And that was it. Almost. There was one, final encore. Big Country took to the stage for a final time in Kuala Lumpur in October 2000. Adamson had relapsed and was firmly in the grip of alcohol addiction. The band struggled through the show. Adamson died on December 16 2001 at the age of 43. Adamson's biographer, Allan Glen, said there was no doubt the six months leading up to the concert at Barrowland was challenging for Big Country. Conflicting reports about the band's future were regularly appearing in the press. Allan Glen wrote Adamson's biography in 2011. Image: Supplied. He told me: 'In April 2000 came the first official announcement that the band was winding up with one last tour, billed The Final Fling by the band's long-term live agent John Giddings of Solo, who booked live shows for, among others, U2, the Rolling Stones, Madonna and David Bowie. 'The band could still command a live following, record sales were another matter. 'Adamson intended to quit the band after the tour.' Allan said he cited constant travelling as the main reason. Barrowland was band's spiritual home 'It's apt that the band's final concert – in Europe, at least, there was one more, in Kuala Lumpur on October 21 that year – was at Barrowland,' said Allan. 'It's as close to a spiritual home for Big Country as Dunfermline. 'The show on New Year's Eve 1983 and the Final Fling concert there in 2000 are remembered fondly among fans, particularly Stuart's touching Happy New Year message to his first wife, Sandra, at the former, and the appearance of the band's children on stage at the latter. 'Those are great memories for anyone who was lucky enough to attend those shows and a wonderful way for Big Country fans to remember all that Stuart and the band achieved.' Kirsten and Callum beside their dad's mural at East End Park in 2009. Image: DC Thomson. Butler, Brzezicki and Watson reunited in 2007 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band, which has since gone through various personnel changes. 'It's also delightful to see the band have just announced they will play the venue on December 31 2025,' said Allan. 'When Bruce Watson pays tribute to Stuart from the stage of the Barrowland on Hogmanay this year, I doubt there'll be a dry eye in the house.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Traitors' Jake Brown reveals first luxury spend after winning £47k
The Traitors winner Jake Brown says the first thing he plans to do with his prize money is show his wife Shannon some appreciation. Now he's £47,300 richer — after splitting the £94,600 prize pot with fellow Faithful Leanne Quigley — Jake can't wait to whisk his wife away. "We're not really decided where we want to go, somewhere relaxing," he told Yahoo. "Where there's no punishments, no murders, no Claudia. Just find a pool somewhere — a nice hot holiday." Despite rocketing to overnight fame on the BBC show, Jake has vowed he will stay grounded but would love to continue to raise awareness for cerebral palsy. The Traitor Hunter was the favourite to win and had made a huge impact on the game, having got his nickname on the BBC show for identifying Linda as a Traitor five seconds into the game, when she turned her head after host Claudia Winkleman said "Traitors". In the final, Jake said he had been "desperate" to become The Seer to be able to see someone else's identity in the game. However, he was delighted how it turned out and said the role of The Seer turned out to be "too much power". Jake never suspected Charlotte of being a Traitor until Frankie uncovered her true identity in the role of The Seer, changing the whole direction of the game. Admittedly, the TV personality said it "pulled my heartstrings" finding out that finalists Frankie and Alexander were also Faithful but he said "paranoia" tore the four Faithfuls apart at the end game. Jake took Yahoo behind the scenes of his experience on The Traitors. What is next for you after winning The Traitors Jake? I just want to be able to take my wife on holiday and just show my appreciation to my wife first. Yeah, we're not really decided where we want to go, somewhere relaxing — where there's no punishments, no murders, no Claudia's! Just find a pool somewhere, a nice hot holiday! I think a bit of downtime would be good and give some money back to my mum and dad in terms of showing my appreciation to them as well. That's probably first on the agenda, and then afterwards just kind of see. Keep my feet on the ground and any opportunities that come out as a bonus. Do you see yourself building a career in TV or do you want to go back to your day job? I'm not really sure, to be honest with you. It would be nice to continue to raise awareness for cerebral palsy and disability in general. I'm very passionate about sports and football, so if I could get involved in any capacity to do with football and sport — that'd be amazing. There's probably not enough representation of disability on TV, so if I could be that person that would be amazing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BBC SPORT (@bbcsport) What was it like being able to represent people with cerebral palsy and also other hidden disabilities as well on screen because that was just incredible? Yeah, I felt honoured to be able to spread awareness, to have a platform to talk about my cerebral palsy in such an open environment and to get such positive feedback as well, that was just really touching. I have had so many lovely messages from people that have been saying things like they're inspired by my story and they have either got cerebral palsy themselves, or a son or daughter and feel hope that their kids have a future. The whole point of why I want to spread awareness is it's not a barrier. It doesn't close doors, it opens doors. So I feel very honoured and proud to be able to talk about it because it's such a hidden disability, I don't let people know about it a lot and they don't get spoken about enough. To be able to actually let people know that actually it's OK to be disabled and it's not a negative, it's actually a positive, and it makes me who I am as a person. Growing up as a kid, I was ashamed of it to some degree. And to me, I'm now very confident in my own skin, and if I can preach that message to other people no matter how old they are, that actually be proud of disability and it makes you who you are then that would be great. You were an incredible traitor hunter, right? Did you realise you would be really good at spotting Traitors? I've been labelled with that name now, The Traitor Hunter! I didn't think going into the game. I remember sitting down and watching season two with my wife, Shannon. I remember saying, 'I would be good in this game.' I just felt it in my bones that I'd be good on this game. I love mystery thrillers. I'm very competitive. I did think I'd be good at it but then going into the game and spotting Linda within five seconds. I couldn't believe my luck. But it was more challenging than than what I thought. I didn't realise how hard it would be because you don't know the people who are playing with you, it's hard to know [when they are lying]. I'll know if my wife's lying or my mum. But how to know when Minah or Freddie's lying, it's hard to learn their signs because I don't know them. You're trying to get to build as many relationships with people as quick as possible and because I think the more you get to know people on a personal level, the easier than it is to know when they're lying and when they're not. So it is a very challenging game. After the final, how did it feel finding out that both Frankie and Alexander were Faithful? Was that gutting? Yeah, I felt, really really bad. I felt very guilty because obviously now I know that they were all Faithful. It does pull your heartstrings, especially with Frankie saying things like mother to mother to Leanne. Obviously had me and Leanne knew that we were all Faithful, we would have ended the game as a four. But the paranoia of the game just takes over, especially with the whole twist with the whole Seer thing and not knowing everyone's identity. You could see obviously at the end everyone decided to banish again because If you're not 100% confident that someone is a Faithful, you can't just end the game. My fear was that I'd end the game with people that were Traitors and I'd look like a fool. So I had to just go with the gut and just stick to what I believed in, and I believed who Leanne was a Faithful and I had doubts on the other two. Sadly I had to go with my gut and they did the same, obviously Frankie tried to vote for myself and Alexander tried to vote me out. It's just a shame that we didn't know in hindsight. If I could have spoken to Frankie more, get to know her more on a personal level. I think that adds suspicion. The people you don't get to speak to enough, you don't have that extra connection with; it's harder to trust them. You don't speak to them. If I could change one thing, it would be to go back and speak to Alexander and Frankie more, get to know them more as people. You get so immersed in the game and it's 100 mile an hour all day. It's hard to kind of get a chance to speak to everyone properly. It's constantly accusations and there's so much going on with missions and round tables. It's very difficult. What did you think of The Seer twist and finding out Charlotte was a Traitor? Those two things were like big bombshells. I enjoyed The Seer twist. I was desperate to be The Seer now, but I'm so glad now that I wasn't because I think it was actually too much power. It would be interesting to see how it would have worked had a Faithful picked another Faithful or if a Traitor got The Seer power. To find out Charlotte a Traitor, up until that whole The Seer moment and Freddie had voted for her, I had her in my 100% Faithful category. She was a Faithful for such a long time. That's one of the things that makes the game so hard, you could be the ultimate Faithful and then you can be recruited. It changes the whole game. That's why you can't really get complacent. You've got to build trust with people every day. You can't rely on I trusted them yesterday because every day is a new day. It took me by surprise finding out Charlotte was a Traitor. Watching it back, she played an amazing game especially as she was pretending to be Welsh as well. What did you make of Leanne's big secret, were you surprised to find out she was a soldier? Walk me through that moment. I was really shocked when she said she worked in the army but I remember doing missions and seeing her like sprint up up the hill with a statue on her shoulders, and I did think, 'Oh wow, Leanne's very fit.' She's smashing it. I thought maybe she goes to the gym all the time. Getting to know her more personally hearing about my story with the boys and IVF and how strong she has been as a person, she's such an inspiration as a person. That part of it doesn't shock me because now I know she's in the army, it makes sense. It's the character that she is and the personality. But at the time when she said, because of the way she dresses as well it's not typical army fashion, like she was dressed as a Barbie doll in her pink suit. That was her tactic to put people off her scent. I think sometimes she played on the whole blonde but she was very screwed on, she played the game very smartly. From the beginning, did you think that you and Leanne would be there standing there together at the very end of the show? Why or why not? Never in a million years did I think I'd get to the end. I thought I'd be lucky to last a week, especially with how opinionated and vocal I can be. That's when I realised I wasn't going to be a Traitor. I really wanted to be a Traitor going into the game because of how vocal I am. I thought I would struggle being a Faithful and being so opinionated. So when I found that I was going to be a Faithful, I thought this will be quite challenging. But I did think I'm going to be true to myself, don't go home any regrets, so I thought I'm going to go in there, be me, and if I felt something, if I had an opinion, make sure I air it. Obviously a lot of luck involved and skill in getting Linda out. I befriended a Traitor in Minah as well. There's so many different factors that go into lasting so long. Do you think it's better to be a Faithful or a Traitor? I think it's easier to play the game as a Faithful because you don't really need to pretend to be anyone else. I know Charlotte pretended to be Welsh and Leanne lied about her job but you can just be yourself. You don't have to put an act on, you can just be you. But I do think it is harder to win the game as a Faithful. One you can't win by yourself, you need to have the trust in someone else. It's out of your control. You can't decide who gets murdered. You have no control over really anything. That's why I quite liked The Seer thing because it brought some control to the game. So as a Traitor, you can you can be a puppeteer and pull the strings. Even though I wouldn't change the outcome for the world, it would have been quite nice to be a Traitor as well to see the other side of the curtain. In hindsight it's easier to say this as well, I think I would have played the game well as a Traitor. But yeah, I'm glad I was a Faithful, I'm glad the outcome was the outcome, because I'm now £47,000 richer! Catch up on The Traitors on BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Traitors' Charlotte reacts to fans claiming she was 'robbed' of £94k
The Traitors star Charlotte Berman has told Yahoo that viewers were being "very generous" in thinking she would have won the £94,600 if it wasn't for The Seer twist. She told Yahoo: "I think probably I would never have managed to clinch the win, but maybe I could have got one step closer." Charlotte narrowly lost out on winning the prize money at the final hurdle, having made the final five of the game and the only Traitor in the group. But Faithful Frankie (Francesca Rowan-Plowden) discovered Charlotte's true identity as a Traitor in the BBC show because she won the power of The Seer, meaning she could find out whether one person was either a Faithful or a Traitor; it was a role inspired by the card game Werewolf, something that had been used overseas before in The Traitors. Even winner Jake Brown had Charlotte down in his "100% Faithful" category until The Seer power. Some viewers believed that The Seer "robbed" Charlotte of the £94,000 prize money, that was won by Jake and Leanne Quigley. However, Charlotte lifted the lid on why she didn't see it that way and the one red flag that she felt would have caught her out if she wasn't chosen for The Seer. Charlotte also shared the future of her friendship with Frankie and the special reassuring moment they shared off-camera after filming the tense Seer scenes. How did you transition from Faithful to Traitor? Ooh! I think easier than you might think, because I've been a Faithful for six days — or six episodes if you like. I knew exactly how to be a Faithful. I just was the same. I just literally operated exactly the same, except, obviously, this time, when I was discussing kind of theories and stuff, I obviously knew maybe they weren't correct. Yeah, I actually found it easier. Maybe being recruited is slightly easier than being a Traitor from the start. Seeing The Seer twist, I watched the £94,600 slip through your fingers. I really did think you had everyone believing you. I just think with that the way that The Seer, and how it didn't get revealed who was a Faithful or a Traitor, even if I hadn't been seen by The Seer, Freddie obviously still wrote my name on the board so that would have taken some explaining. So I reckon I might have survived banishment but I reckon everyone's super clever and they probably wouldn't have taken the risk at the fire pit. Everyone's being very generous, saying I was robbed. I think probably I would never have managed to clinch the win but maybe I could have got one step closer. Why are friendships so important to the castle? Oh my God, your relationships in the castle are literally what I think keeps you in the castle. Being frank about it there's 25 people in the beginning but you sort of got on with someone really well, I don't know, that morning, you're probably less likely to vote for them, just because, you know, you're comfortable with them, so it's a real game of relationships, friendships. Obviously, you naturally form really tight friendships because you're just spending so much time with each other. You're away from your family and friends, you're away from your normal life, and you're away from your phone, [which is] obviously, quite crucial. It is a game you are banishing people, people are getting murdered but it is still an experience only you guys are going through. Everyone just became really close. It was super nice and now it's all out in the open and we can all chat openly as well, because when we came out from the filming, obviously, we were all chatting and stuff on WhatsApp but it had to be a bit on the DL [down low] One of the most important friendships in The Traitors was your friendship with Frankie, do you think your friendship was your downfall in The Traitors or not entirely? Frankie was saying she was toying between me and Alexander. If she had picked Alexander as The Seer we could have had a totally different outcome. It has not affected our friendship at all. We know it's just a game. We both were playing our roles, and she's amazing. She was so quick to say, 'Do not be silly, you have nothing to [worry about], it's a game, full stop, end of conversation.' In a way, it's so great because, you know, we were sat next to each other on the train on the very first day, randomly allocated. And so straight away we had that sort of shared experience from being that, you know, the first person you sit next to at school. Sitting next to each other on the train to, you know, having that big Seer moment and making it to the final together, irrespective of how it all panned out, it was just so amazing to do that together which was really nice. Do you plan to keep all your close friends from The Traitors? Are these friendships for life? 100%. It's crazy. We've just gone through this amazing experience together. It's so fun because, you know, when you go through life, you make friends at school and uni and your jobs and, you know, maybe an NCT class or whatever, but The Traitors is a brand new place and way to make new friends. So it's really great. How did you find keeping all the secrets on the show and after filming? On the show it depends what you want to do. So for example, when Anna told me that she had been seduced. I wasn't gonna tell anyone about that because I wanted to build that trust with Anna. Obviously I then got recruited myself. Some things that you want to keep secret, then there are some sort of rumours that you spread. That's all part of the game. Trying to build up those relationships and maybe keep information to yourself or share information, depending on how it benefits you, really. But in real life, obviously, it's super easy. We came home from the filming and obviously, people, some people in my life knew that I'd gone and done it but no one knew what happened. It was a secret well worth keeping I think because it was all the more fun for everyone else. Do you prefer being a Traitor or a Faithful? I prefer being a Traitor because I really wanted to be a Traitor coming in. I really wanted to play the Traitor role, so I'm just so thrilled that I got to but do you know what? I didn't know the recruitment was coming, and I was super happy as a Faithful as well. So, I think, you know, I'm just so grateful that I got that unique experience of basically having half my time as a Faithful and half my time as a Traitor, cause it was pretty much 50% of the days there. I'm really lucky to have had that. The Traitors is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
