When they reached the end of their set, each of the five members of Big Country thanked the crowd of fans crammed into The Haunt for the early Saturday evening gig.

Clearly humbled by their fans’ dedication, they said the gig “in what is becoming one of our favourite places” was a pleasure, to the joy of the crowd.

A band clearly aware of how to please their audience, the cult following has continued for decades after the band’s 1980s success. The tracks clearly harp back to a bygone decade of rock, with some talented guitar playing picking out the Celtic background of the Scottish-formed band with complicated solos.

Their cultural background was emphasised with thick accents of the Scottish and Irish members – and one guitarist’s attire of a kilt and leather waistcoat.

Lead singer Mike Peters was happy to shake the hands of the eager crowds craning on to the stage as they sung his lyrics at him almost louder than his amplified voice. Despite battling a cold, his voice was pitch perfect and still able to hit some impressive high notes.

The band, which contributed to the 1984 charity track Do They Know It’s Christmas, were reaching the end of their six-month international tour.

Performing hits including In A Big Country and Wonderland, with a variation of members, the musicians proved, 30 years on, they’ve still got what it takes to please a crowd.