In the midst of their final tour – The BIG Finish – MR. BIG, inspired by the legions of fans that shared in their goodbye over the past year, wanted to say a final farewell with the undertaking of a brand-new studio album. Culminating over three decades of musical partnership, Martin, Gilbert, and Sheehan, with the help of D’Virgilio, ignite their spark once more and take a new form with the forthcoming ‘Ten‘. The first single and accompanying video from ‘Ten‘, “Good Luck Trying“, is a loud, raw, ‘70s blues rocker that pulls influence from MR. BIG’s earliest musical inspirations.
Eric Martin comments on ‘Ten‘:
“This new album doesn’t copy anything from the 9 previous studio records its all new stuff from scratch.. this is raw, unadulterated riff rock and blues with all the Mr. Big trimmings.”
Paul Gilbert explains the meaning behind the lyrics:
“Overall, it’s about being overwhelmed with life, and realizing that you won’t win many of the battles, but still fighting to the end. And keeping a sense of humor about it by saying to anyone nearby, ‘Wish me good luck trying!‘”
As a session musician and touring artist, Nick has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from Tears for Fears, Sheryl Crow, and Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and the ANIMALS. In 1996, Nick took Phil Collins’s place in GENESIS and played on their ‘Calling All Stations‘ album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, Spock’s Beard and Big Big Train. Before joining the Sweetwater team, Nick spent almost five years touring with Cirque Du Soleil’s “Totem” as a drummer, vocalist, and assistant bandleader.
The entirety of the album, recorded both live in the studio and on the tour bus, showcases the band’s unique ability to compose homegrown hard rock ‘n’ roll and their consistent success in climbing new musical heights.
MR. BIG recently completed the South American leg of its farewell tour, dubbed The BIG Finish, which sees the veteran band performing MR. BIG’s 1991 album, ‘Lean Into It‘, in full and other cuts from the group’s history.
When MR. BIG announced The BIG Finish tour last year, the band members said that it was “time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy” after Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.
Tickets for their Irish dates on July 16th (The Academy, Dublin) and 17th (Belfast, Limelight), can be purchased here.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2024