As I walk to the Hydro from the car, there's a blustery, chilly wind (as opposed to a chilli wind, which is far messier). Security has been ramped up at the venue with the introduction of walk-through metal detectors inside the entrance tent. I get asked to stand aside for a further check, flagged by a supercilious official. The girl dealing with these checks appears harassed. She needs to scroll through the images on her tablet until she finds me, which takes a moment due to the large number of people flowing through. She doesn't use her wand, but simply asks me what is in my pocket. I show her my wallet. She then asks what is in the other pocket. I show her my keys. "Your keys are metal," she exhales. "Go on in". No pat down, no wand scan. I show her some metal. She lets me in. It was that stupid.
There's no problem getting in after that, and, after a quick squint at the merch, I make my way upstairs to section 207. The arena is laid out for seating, with most of the audience still to arrive. This has hardly changed when Turin Brakes take to the stage for their acoustic set. Though I'm unfamiliar with their work, I'm initially impressed, but the longer they play, the more vapid they sound. This feeling isn't helped by the chatty wags behind me, who are shouting over the music to hear each other. No class!
Setlist:
Sea Change
Spacehopper
World Like That
Keep Me Around
Fishing for a Dream
Underdog (Save Me)
Pain Killer (Summer Rain)
Deacon Blue's audience is predominantly middle-aged, as you might expect for a band that started in the '80s. The response to their opening numbers, all from the new album, seemed muted due to either a lack of familiarity with the songs or because the audience was seated. It's only when Fergus Sings the Blues that they rise to their feet and come alive. Where we are near the front of the balcony, everyone remains seated (except at the end). This makes it more obvious when people need to exit the row, prompting everyone to stand to let them go to the bar or toilet. Unfortunately, this was a frequent occurrence, particularly during the new songs, of which they played ten. Maybe the venue should set up a pisshead section close to the bars and toilets for those so inclined.
Ricky was struggling with his voice, but he used all his experience to get through the set without drawing attention to it. He was less chatty than usual, occasionally patting his chest, singing forcefully in the range he could comfortably hit, pulling out when his voice was about to crack. Lorraine bolstered the vocals more than usual to compensate. That showed how good they are as a band, as they still delivered such a great performance under these circumstances.
I wasn't so sure about the staging. They didn't own the Hydro this time. Yes, they had lighting and screens, but this performance could just as easily have been delivered in the Royal Concert Hall, with much better sound. I kept thinking back to how good they were at Oran Mor, a much more intimate performance that showcased them as people and highlighted the new songs better.
The band paid a warm tribute to Jim Prime, who passed away recently, afterwards leaving his cap on a microphone stand to show he wasn't forgotten. Jim was such a down-to-earth character and an intrinsic part of the band that he was sadly missed. Not to detract from his replacement's performance. It just wasn't the same without him tinkling away at the back.
Despite Ricky's vocal struggles, the band played for over two hours. It was irritating to see so many audience members leave after the performance of Dignity. It wasn't exactly a mass exodus, but with two songs remaining, a noticeable chunk of the audience started making their way to the exits. I could understand this if you were on crutches or infirm, wanting to avoid the crush, but these were hipsters, youngsters, and couples. The front row in 207 was half empty by the end. I don't understand these people. You paid a lot of money for a show. Why leave before the end? It wasn't as if it was overrunning. Maybe they had wristbands that allowed them into the private bars. I dunno.
So, a good night, if not a great one.
Setlist:
Turn Up Your Radio!
Up Hope
Late '88
Fergus Sings the Blues
Raintown
Mid Century Modern
That's What We Can Do
Wages Day
Love and Regret
How We Remember It
Chocolate Girl/ Stone in Love with You
Twist and Shout
Ashore
Your Town
Loaded
The Believers
Underneath the Stars
When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)
The Great Western Road
The Hipsters
Real Gone Kid
Curve of the Line
Dignity
People Come First
Keep Me in Your Heart (Warren Zevon cover)
Ticket Price: £65.00 Plus £8.80 Service Charge, plus £1.70 Facility Charge, plus Handling Fee £2.00 = £77.50 from Ticketmaster
The person sitting next to me asked what kind of phone I used to take the pictures and complimented the quality. Looking at the images afterwards, they are not all that great, but it's what I've got, and it's better than what I had before. 207 is quite a distance from the stage, so they're not that bad.
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