Mr. Big wrapped up their Big Finish farewell tour on Friday at Romania’s Way Too Far Rock Festival, leaving the band members in a grateful and reflective mood.
“Romania!!! Crowd was a little bit light, but they made up for it in enthusiasm! The last Mr. Big show (not my last show, goddammit!!),” bassist Billy Sheehan wrote on Instagram. “What a great run we’ve had since 1988. We made great memories and millions (literally) of friends all around the world. My unlimited love and respect to all who listened, watched, purchased records, tickets and T-shirts. Without you we would have been nothing. Fact. Moving on now to other adventures, but never forgetting this amazing experience.”
Guitarist Paul Gilbert added: “What an adventure! Mr. Big wraps up over a year of touring! Many thanks to all! I’ll get home just in time for my son’s 10th birthday. I hope he remembers who I am! And special thanks to Ibanez guitars for getting beautiful instruments to me after my touring guitars were stolen.”
Drummer Nick D’Virgilio, who joined the band in 2023, also shared his gratitude for the experience. “I’ve been able to rock ‘n’ roll all over the world with the guys and I will be forever thankful,” he wrote. “Big Love for Mr. Big!”
READ MORE: Paul Gilbert Says ‘To Be With You’ Gave Mr. Big Two Weeks of Fame
Mr. Big Says Goodbye to More Than Three Decades of Rock
It’s been a long and storied road for Mr. Big, who formed in Los Angeles in 1988 and initially comprised Gilbert, Sheehan, singer Eric Martin (who is still in the band) and late drummer Pat Torpey. The band’s 1989 self-titled debut was a modest success, peaking at No. 46 on the Billboard 200. But they enjoyed their biggest success with their sophomore album, 1991’s Lean Into It, which sold over a million copies in the United States and spawned the chart-topping ballad “To Be With You,” as well as the Top 20 hit “Just Take My Heart.”
Mr. Big’s popularity dwindled as grunge overtook hard rock and glam metal, but they continued releasing albums throughout the ’90s and early 2000s before disbanding in 2002. They reunited in 2009, launching a reunion trek in Japan. Several albums and tours followed, but the band went on hiatus after Torpey died in 2018 of complications from Parkinson’s disease.
Watch Mr. Big Perform ‘Just Take My Heart’ at Their Last Show
They confirmed in 2023 that they would embark on another reunion tour. Mr. Big released their 10th studio album, the aptly titled Ten, in July. A live album culled from their farewell tour, titled The Big Finish Live, will arrive on Sept. 6.
Martin recently told Brazil’s Radio Kiss FM (via Blabbermouth) that the Big Finish will mark the definitive end of Mr. Big’s touring activities. “When we say ‘the Big Finish’, it’s not, like — hey, more power to Motley Crue or when Kiss kept going. We really are men of our words,” he said. “It’s gonna be it. We’re not touring anymore. That’s it. We are putting out a new record. We’re not even gonna tour on it. We’ll play some songs from it as the tour progresses. I mean, it will end in August. And we’ve got a live album coming out. But that’s it. That’s it.”
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening