BandModern
Big Big Train
- SceneModern Progressive Rock
- Formed1990
- StyleModern symphonic
- Key membersDavid Longdon, Greg Spawton, Andy Poole, Nick D’Virgilio, Rikard Sjöblom
Big Big Train are one of the most cherished bands in modern English progressive rock — a group who, after years of quiet persistence, blossomed into the great storytellers of the genre. With lush, brass-laced symphonic arrangements and songs steeped in English history and landscape, they built a body of work of rare warmth and craftsmanship. Founded by Greg Spawton and brought to their finest flowering by the late David Longdon, they stand as a much-loved institution of modern prog.
The short version
Formed in England in 1990, Big Big Train play pastoral, story-driven modern symphonic prog — lush, melodic music rich in brass, strings and folk colour, celebrating English history, landscape and character. After a long, low-key beginning, the band found acclaim from around 2009 onward, releasing a string of beloved albums from “The Underfall Yard” (2009) to “Welcome to the Planet” (2022). Often likened to Genesis, they are among the most treasured names in modern English prog.
England: a long road to acclaim
Big Big Train were formed in 1990 in Bournemouth by songwriters Greg Spawton and Andy Poole, who spent the next two decades as a largely studio-bound project, releasing independent albums to a small but devoted following. Everything changed in 2009, when the band recruited a new lead vocalist, David Longdon, and the acclaimed drummer Nick D’Virgilio. With a richer, more ambitious sound and an expanded line-up, Big Big Train embarked on a remarkable second act, winning Progressive Music Awards, reaching the upper end of the UK charts and, after years away, returning triumphantly to the stage.
Pastoral English storytelling
Big Big Train’s music is quintessentially English. Across lush, intricate symphonic arrangements — complete with a real brass ensemble, strings and folk touches — they tell richly detailed stories drawn from English history, landscape and everyday life, from railways and industry to rural nostalgia and forgotten heroes. Their songs are at once complex and deeply melodic, full of warmth, craft and emotion, and they carry the unmistakable influence of Genesis alongside a flavour all their own. With David Longdon’s expressive voice at the centre, and Greg Spawton’s thoughtful songwriting throughout, they made some of the most beautiful narrative prog of the modern era.
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From The Underfall Yard to Welcome to the Planet
Big Big Train’s celebrated run begins with the early concept album “Gathering Speed” (2004) and their breakout seller “The Difference Machine” (2007), before the arrival of David Longdon transformed them on “The Underfall Yard” (2009), a leap forward in depth and ambition. The two-part “English Electric” (2012 and 2013) explored England’s industrial and pastoral landscapes, while “Folklore” (2016) and “Grimspound” (2017) deepened their storytelling. “Grand Tour” (2019) looked to European history, and “Common Ground” (2021) and “Welcome to the Planet” (2022) closed a remarkable chapter with grace.
Album by album
Ten albums of pastoral, story-rich English symphonic prog. Tap any title for its guide.
The players
Big Big Train have always centred on co-founder Greg Spawton — bassist, multi-instrumentalist and the band’s principal songwriter since 1990. From 2009, the group was led by the much-loved singer, flautist and multi-instrumentalist David Longdon, whose warm, expressive voice defined their golden era; Longdon died in November 2021, and is remembered with great affection by bandmates and fans alike. Alongside them over the years have stood co-founder Andy Poole, drummer Nick D’Virgilio, of Spock’s Beard fame, and Swedish guitarist and keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom, formerly of Beardfish, as well as a rotating cast of brass and string players. After Longdon’s passing, the band chose to continue in his memory, welcoming Italian vocalist Alberto Bravin.
Where to start
Begin with “The Underfall Yard” (2009), the album that announced Big Big Train’s golden era and a perfect introduction to their lush, narrative style. From there, the two-part “English Electric” (2012-13) and the beloved “Folklore” (2016) show the band at their storytelling peak, while “Grand Tour” (2019) is among their most accessible. Any of these reveals one of modern prog’s most heartfelt and English of bands.
Why they still matter
Big Big Train matter as the great modern storytellers of progressive rock — a band who turned English history and landscape into music of extraordinary warmth, detail and beauty, and who did so with patience, craft and heart. Their unfashionable persistence through lean years, and their flowering into one of the genre’s most beloved acts, is a story in itself, and David Longdon’s legacy lives on in a catalogue of real emotional depth. For anyone who loves melodic, narrative, quintessentially English prog, Big Big Train are essential listening.