For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer and journalist Scott Rowley to talk about Stay Alive: The Life & Death of Stuart Adamson, his authorised biography of the late, great, Skids and Big Country musician. Scott explains how he came to be the one to write this book, the ‘authorised’ aspect and what that lends to it, his own background in music journalism, and his initial writings about Adamson many years before. The two then talk about the music and legacy of the Skids, all things Big Country, what they thought about both bands at the time, and how that has changed (if it has) over the years. They go on to discuss the Stuart Adamson who emerges from the book, the key relationships of his life including family, friends, bandmates, and musical contemporaries, and his various struggles with fame, mental health, and addiction. Scott then talks about how he thought the book might be received, the reality of how it has been, and how writing it has given him a taste to do more. This was such an interesting interview about a Scottish musical legend whose life ended far too soon, and what emerges from the chat, as it does from Scott’s book, is the picture of a complex and troubled man who was respected, admired, and ultimately loved by those who knew him best. If you are a fan of Stuart Adamson and the music he made (and the bands he was central to) then this is an essential listen, but you don’t have to be to get something from it as Adamson’s is a recognisably human story with everything that entails. For further details, including all the ways to listen, head over to scotswhayhae.com
