For Squeeze’s Chris Difford, hitting the road has lost its luster
If you ask Squeeze’s Chris Difford, there’s no place like home. After traveling with the popular British band (as well as performing solo and with other artists) for nearly 50 years, his ideal vacation is being home in Sussex in the English countryside. “There’s not enough time really to be at home. It’s of my own choosing, but as I get older, I want to spend more quality time and I can be more creative as a writer when I’m home,” Difford, 69, said in a recent phone call from his home on England’s southern coast. “Traveling is something I’ve done most of my life, so I’m not a big fan of it, really. It’s very transitory, I suppose. But I think when you’re 16 years old and want to be in a band, you don’t sort of think about all the traveling and what that’s going to add up to. It’s something I’ve spent my whole life doing and
I’m supposed to be used to it, but I’m still not.” Squeeze — coming to the Wang Theatre on Sept. 12 (with the Psychedelic Furs) — gained significant success in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits that included “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction,” and “Tempted.” When not touring, Difford, who just performed a string of solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, hosts songwriting retreats two or three times a year and has a podcast called “I Never Thought It Would Happen,” where he interviews other musicians about their journeys. The Squeeze cofounder (with Glenn Tilbrook) said he is looking forward to performing in Boston and said the band plans to play “lots of hits and lots of old tracks that we haven’t played for years.” We caught up with Difford, who has four adult children and lives near Brighton, England, with his wife, Louise, and their two dogs, Colin and Keith, to talk about all things travel.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
I think I would go to Italy — mainly because I like the food and the people.
Where was the first place you traveled to after COVID restrictions were lifted?
I went on tour with Hall & Oates around America for 10 weeks. It was uplifting and great fun.
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own?
On my own, because if anybody is going to make mistakes, it will be me and I’d rather make my own mistakes than have to shout at somebody or send an email … so I’d rather book my own [trip] and get it right. But I do have a really good travel agent here in the UK and I trust her very much.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
I’m not a good camper, so unplugged is not my thing.
Do you use all of your vacation time or leave some on the table?
I hardly ever go on vacation; touring is my vacation time.
What has been your worst vacation experience?
Being stuck in Italy after a volcano erupted. I was running a songwriting workshop and it was due to end the day before the volcano blew. All planes were grounded. There were 20 of us and we all had to stay for another 10 days or something. It was actually pretty good fun, I have to say. If you’re going to be stuck anywhere, it should be in a castle in Italy, really, and that’s exactly what happened.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all?
Relaxing if anything.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation?
I seldom read a book, but if I did, it would be a simple one.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be?
Larry David. I think he’d be a pain in the ass and it’d be quite interesting to be with him. He’s hysterical. I really enjoy his humor, but I also get annoyed at him because he shouts all the time …but I think that would be part of the journey for me.
What is the best gift to give a traveler?
A torch [flashlight].
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip?
Snickers.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation?
A guitar in LA.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
Unique Homestays [UniqueHomestays.com, which offers rental luxury cottages throughout the UK].
What has travel taught you?
To stay at home.
What is your best travel tip?
Stay at home.