BACK ON THE DOUBLE

Scottish twins Charlie and Craig reid, aka the Proclaimers are still recording and touring, almost three decades after releasing their first album. Charlie spoke to Kathryn Tye ahead of their gig in the county.

It’s 26 years since the Proclaimers burst on to the music scene with their first album This is the Story. Twin brothers sporting glasses and straitlaced shirts, singing in gruff accents about Scotland, they were a far cry from the outrageous pop performers sharing the charts in the mid-1980s, such as Sinitta and Wham. While other acts have come and gone, however, Craig and Charlie Reid have steadily carved a niche for themselves, releasing nine albums of original material and touring the world. To celebrate a quarter of a century of their music, they have just released The Very Best Of The Proclaimers: 1987 - 2012, featuring new single Not Cynical. They are promoting the album with an extensive tour which stops off in Kent this week. Audiences can expect to hear all the classics, including (I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles, Letter From America and I’m On My Way. Charlie said: “Of course we will be performing all the old hits, although we do rotate songs so we never play the same set twice. We don’t want to become a cabaret act. Performing live is what we do. We put a record out every couple of years but we are essentially a live band. That’s what we wanted to do.” Their relentless touring, including a fifth performance at Glastonbury last weekend, has seen them attract a new generation of fans. “For the last decade our audience has grown dramatically, largely through playing festivals where you get a younger audience. They then come back to see you at gigs, which is great. We perform a lot of up tempo numbers, so our shows are high energy and we have a lot of sing-along choruses.” The brothers’ new single has received critical acclaim, and is getting lots of radio airplay, but Charlie admitted they aren’t worried about its chart position. “The single seems to be doing all right, but we are long past the stage where we are expecting hit singles. We just enjoy making music.” It is typical of the straightforward approach which they have always taken to the industry since first starting out. He said: “All we wanted to do was get off the dole and make a living. We never gave a damn about having a record and just wanted to make a living. I think the reason we are still going, and our music has had longevity, is the lyrics. They appeal to people as they mean something.” One of the things which set the brothers apart from other acts was their distinctive accents when singing. Unusual at the time, it has now become more commonplace with recent examples including fellow Scot Paolo Nutini and Sheffield’s Arctic Monkeys. Charlie said: “We weren’t the first to do it, as Ian Dury was doing it in the 1970s, but it was important to us to be as natural as possible when we sang. I think the fact more artists are singing in their own accents is a sign of rock ‘n’ roll maturing.” Another major change to the industry is the move to downloading music, something which Charlie admits having mixed feelings about. He said: “I think there’s something sad about not having a physical record in your hand, just clicking a button means you don’t value it as much. It is also sad to see the closure of record shops. A lot of guys my age like browsing through the albums.” Now aged 51, Charlie has three children, and Craig has four, but there is no sign of a new generation of Proclaimers bursting on to the music scene. “There are seven kids between us, and a couple of them are interested in the music industry but it is completely up to them. Some things haven’t changed – it is still competitive and you still have to be talented.” Family friction may have caused the break up of other groups such as Oasis, but it isn’t something which looks likely to happen to the Proclaimers. Charlie said: “We have disagreements but we always resolve them. For example, when we are dividing up the parts in the songs, Craig writes most of the lyrics so he tends to sing the melody and I take the higher part. It feels natural.” And the brothers’ plan for the future? “We would definitely like another hit album. And I hope we keep maturing as performers and keep singing for as long as we can.”

Twins Charlie and Craig reid will be performing twice in the county