By STEVE MASCORD
VIRTUOSO hit-makers Mr Big have announced a worldwide farewell tour beginning in July.
Since the death in 2018 of drummer Pat Torpey from Parkinson’s, the plans for surviving original members Eric Martin (vocals), Billy Sheehan (bass) and Paul Gilbert (drums) have been uncertain.
Mr Big, whose biggest hit, 1991’s “To Be With You” reached number one in 12 countries, will start the ‘Big Finish’ tour in South-East Asia. Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train) will be on drums.
“We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it,” Sheehan said in a statement.
Gilbert added: “We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we’re going to play in as many of those places as we can.”
The comments from Martin were: “If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to ‘The BIG Finish‘!’
“Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as Mr Big again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.”
There was no mention of Australian dates.
