A SCOTTISH rock band will bring their 40th anniversary tour to Warrington this year.

Big Country, whose second album Steeltown was released in 1984, will take to the stage at Parr Hall later this year.

The group's newest tour is named Return to Steeltown, following on from their '84 album - which was recorded in ABBA's recording studio.

Produced by the Grammy Award-winning Steve Lillywhite, who has also collaborated with the likes of U2, Rolling Stones and The Killers, the record was set against the backdrop of nationwide strife in the UK, fully in the grip of the miners’ strike.

Bruce Watson, one of the founding members of Big Country, said: “We started work on Steeltown back in June 1984 at ABBA’s studio.

"My dad was a miner, so what we did was knuckle down to hard work for six weeks.”

As part of the 40th anniversary tour, Big Country will be performing songs from the record as well as classic hits and live favourites such as Fields of Fire, In A Big Country, Chance, Wonderland and Look Away.

The band will also be joined by very special guest Mike Peters, known primarily as the frontman of acclaimed Welsh band The Alarm.

Achieving more than 15 top 40 singles and more than 15million album sales worldwide during his long career, Mike’s musical journey has seen him sing with some of history’s greatest performers including Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Bono.

He is also an inspirational two-time cancer survivor and founder of the leading rock and roll cancer charity, Love Hope Strength Foundation.

Big Country will play at Parr Hall on November 1, 2024 - tickets are available on Culture Warrington's website.