Mark Brzezicki
Mark Michael Brzezicki is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Scottish rock band Big Country, and was a member of the bands the Cult, Ultravox, From the Jam and Procol Harum. He has also played with Rick Astley, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Roger Daltrey, Fish, Steve Harley, Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, the Pretenders, Thunderclap Newman, Tiffany, Midge Ure, Pete Townshend and many others. He was also the sole drummer on Shine, the second and final English language studio album to date by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA. He uses both the traditional and matched grips.
Brzezicki is the son of a Polish war veteran and an English mother. Brzezicki left Big Country in July 1989, but rejoined in 1993. Together with bassist Tony Butler and guitarist Bruce Watson, Big Country started gigging again in 2007, as part of their 25th anniversary tour.
In 2004, Brzezicki helped found a new band, Casbah Club, with Bruce Foxton and Simon Townshend.
Smash Hits magazine had a running gag in the 1980s wherein they referred to him as "Mark Unpronounceablename of Big Country". On Pete Townshend's All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes and albums, there are joking references to the spelling of his last name.
His brother Steve is a session bassist with whom he frequently collaborates.
On 10 October 2009, Mark Brzezicki re-joined the Cult onstage at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He joined original members Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy and Jamie Stewart, with whom he had recorded their Love album, to perform "The Phoenix" and "She Sells Sanctuary" as a second and final encore to a live performance of Love.
