Wonderful watertight set from The Proclaimers
The ingrained image of The Proclaimers as two shouty, strongly accented blokes with glasses and a guitar is a far cry from The Proclaimers the band, that rocked the Albert Halls on Friday night.
This was definitely a Proclaimers show, but the six musicians on stage would have given Oasis a run for their money. The comparison with the Gallagher brothers doesn’t end there, as lead singer Craig Reid commands a similar stage presence to Liam Gallagher, with the microphone angled down, shoulders back, chest out and attitude at top notch. He also possesses a powerful voice that could front any rock band.
With over 30 years of performances around the world, including six at Glastonbury, they are a well-oiled performance machine.
Friday night’s sold out show is one of 60 this year in the UK and Canada to promote their 11th studio album, ‘Angry Cyclist’, released in August to critical acclaim.
The album has been described as “A lament for civility and understanding in the Trump/Brexit era”. As guitarist, Charlie Reid, says “Cyclists always seem to come off badly. That concern of ‘Where do I stand here? Who’s going to push me over next?’. It seemed like a good symbol of the way things are going politically, where people just seem to be shouting at each other rather than conversing.”
The show opened with the title track of ‘Angry Cyclist’. A gentle, introspective start turning into a foot-stomping, modern anthem as good as anything in their impressive catalogue. There were four songs from the new album and all fitted perfectly with their older material. With 11 albums to choose from the show could have gone in any number of directions, but this band know how to work an audience.
Drawing half the 24 strong set from their first two albums, ‘This Is The Story’ and ‘Sunshine On Leith’, the hits featured strongly.
Whilst we all know that one, you don’t realise just how many other great songs they have. From their breakthrough hit ‘Letter From America’ (remixed as a band version by Gerry Rafferty), to the mass singalong of ‘I’m On My Way’. Whether it’s the entire audience singing ‘Sunshine On Leith’ (arms aloft, tears welling) the euphoric jumping that accompanies ‘Life With You’s feelgood factor or the rousing ‘Cap In Hand’, what is entirely evident, is the special place that these songs have in our lives.
Most outwardly political artists (there’s not many) would have taken the opportunity to revel in the current political chaos, but the Reids don’t make a single comment - they let the songs speak for themselves.
As this was the full band performance, we were in for a few sonic treats. There were plenty of woozy Hammond organ fills and honky-tonk piano breaks, but Zac Weir’s electric mandolin for ‘Spinning Around In The Air’, beautifully poignant pedal steel guitar for ‘Sunshine On Leith’ and blistering guitar solo on ‘Then I Met You’ were real highlights.
The band have been together a long time and the set was absolutely watertight, finishing on the inevitable, incomparable, ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’.
The night started off with the latest album and ended with the encore’s final song ‘The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues’ from
The Reids don’t make a single political comment - they let the songs speak for themselves
the debut album.
This was a total wig-out, complete with leaping guitarist and drumming (and a drum solo) that John Bonham would have been proud of - I didn’t expect that at a Proclaimers gig!
Whether it’s scathing