Deacon Blue "The Great Western Road Trip", OVO Hydro, Glasgow. Friday 10th October, 2025.

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

Loaded

Dignity

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.

Deacon Blue , Live Acoustic Show with Q&A, Oran Mor Auditorium, Glasgow (late show). Wednesday 26th March, 2025

What a beautiful evening!

Okay, the drive along Byres Road was interminable, but I managed to find a parking bay close to the venue and parallel parked perfectly on the first go. Outside, while I got jostled by the chatty pre-pensioners behind me, I messaged a new acquaintance to pass the time. Turns out both our diaries are busy for a while. 

Inside, I found a spot near the front behind a smaller lady. Then I noticed her other half was an old school mate who enjoys his gigs as much as I do. We had a great catch-up while waiting for the band. It then turned out the lady on my left, who was eavesdropping on our conversation, was a Boots pharmacist from Stewarton. I didn't know her, but such are the coincidences of life, even at such a small, intimate gig.

Ricky and James opened the set with a stripped-down version of Dignity before welcoming the rest of the band. The room was packed, the atmosphere warm, and the sound divine. Ricky's introduction to the next song was class: "It's nice to be able to play The Great Western Road on Great Western Road." As always, Lorraine's vocals complemented Ricky's voice beautifully. 

Ricky's intro to "How We Remember It" talked about the circus and carnival coming to town when he was a young lad and how his strait-laced father refused to take him on the flying rockets, instead paying a stranger, who looked like an Alvin Stardust wannabe, to sit with him on the ride. Ricky reflected on his desire to run away with the circus, travelling from place to place, realising all these years later that his dream did come true.

Lorraine sang lead vocals on the next tune, "Cover From The Sky." Then, they played one of the more upbeat numbers, "Late '88," from the new album before finishing on a crowd favourite, "Real Gone Kid."

The venue suited the event. A former church with great acoustics, it felt special to be in attendance, even though they only played for half an hour before answering questions during the Q&A for a further thirty minutes. I loved every minute of it so much that I never bothered to film any of it. It was nice just being in the moment (okay, I did take some snaps).

Not bad for £22, including a signed Assai Exclusive Sleeve CD. 

Setlist     

How far I was from the tower entrance

The queue behind went on for quite a distance
(That's the top of my head, not an Easter egg)

Ricky and James

Bassist Lewis Gordon is hiding behind Ricky

Lorraine didn't wait during the end applause

Q&A

 

Deacon Blue, "Cities of Love", OVO Hydro, Glasgow Saturday 7th May, 2022

My wife detests Deacon Blue. She'll switch stations if one of their songs comes on the radio so I only bought one ticket for this show. It was supposed to be a 2020 Christmas present to myself but then that gig got pushed back, twice. 

Usually, prior to a gig, I'll listen to the band's music to familiarise myself with their songs but this one kind of crept up on me. I hadn't kept up to date with the band's latest music and got a surprise when I discovered they'd released a new album, Riding on the Tide of Love last year. I played it on the way in (and back) and liked it a lot.

Tonight, I found a parking space with no problem, entered the venue without fuss (no queue in my line) and even snagged a spot relatively close to the stage in the middle where there were no tall people in front of me. I stood behind two short people so had an uninterrupted view.

The support act, interlopers, came on at 7.30 pm. I'd never heard of them and didn't realise the main man was the guy from The Big Dish until they played their hit, Miss America. I have to admit I found their music a bit soporific, a bit like Marillion on Mogadon. If I'd heard them on the radio, I probably wouldn't be aware of listening until halfway through and even then I'd only be mildly interested. At least they only played for thirty minutes. That's probably doing them a disservice. Their studio recordings may well be wonderful. I did amuse myself when I realised the fifth member of the band, who never turned around and had a strap on his back, was actually the bassist's reflection.  

Then, before Deacon Blue launched into their show, at 8.30 pm, the tall people appeared: one woman with an afro, her equally tall partner and another beanpole who pushed in front of them. This was okay though because they were on my right. I still had a super view. Then a group of four overexcited ladies appeared on my left, all full of chat, posing in various group combinations for selfies while slugging downing their drinks. I was momentarily distracted when one of them, the buxom one, decided to use her cleavage as a drinks holder, lodging the tumbler's handle down there to free up her hands for waving and selfie-taking. It was a wondrous sight and from what I could see from her dry T-shirt, despite her weird poses, not a drop was spilt. Quite a feat. During the course of the show, the girls metastasised to infect nearby individuals with their friendliness, putting their arms around strangers and engaging them in conversation. I'm not the kind of bloke that attracts that level of female attention so observed them with amusement. Unfortunately, the group of four only lasted till the end of the main set, departing before the encores because one of them burned out too soon, the alcohol and the dancing leaving her with the dead-eyed stare of death. 

By now, the mingling had allowed the tall people to drift in front of me and I was consigned to watching the rest of the gig on the big screen except when I peeked between their necks. Photos had to be snapped with arms extended above my head. The afro lady filmed the end of the show so I did get to watch it on the small screen of her phone. 

Deacon Blue shouldn't work as a band but somehow they do. They were never hip, never huge (but had plenty of hits) yet the audience of this nearly sold-out Hydro show retain a strong affection for them. Tonight, I think I figured out why.

Love.

Ricky loves to write well-crafted songs, he loves to tell stories, he loves to perform and he loves playing with his bandmates, especially Lorraine, whom he loves dearly. Tonight, she was as wacky as ever, a free spirit dressed like an escapee from a mental asylum in her long white gown, dancing like she was aff her meds. The vocal harmonies between her and Ricky shouldn't work but they do, giving the band a dynamic that forms its heart. 

During their two-and-a-half-hour performance, I did feel some nostalgia for their golden era but this gig was so much more. It was a delight and a pleasure to attend and I loved it.

The only downer came afterwards as I walked alone back to the car with no one to share the experience. Although those four girls from earlier were loud and more interested in themselves than the gig, they at least had each other (and lots of weirdly posed photos to show for it afterwards). I hope they all got home safely. 

Ticket Price £45 

Service Charge £6.10

Setlist