Music > Live Reviews
Squeeze and Paul Heaton // UEA - 16.12.12
22/01/13
I was really looking forward to seeing Squeeze live again after having missed them a couple of years ago, when they toured with their re-recorded greatest hits album ‘Spot The Difference’. And I was not disappointed as they were indeed as entertaining as ever.
I was equally keen to catch ex - football hooligan Paul Heaton’s support act and once again I was not disappointed. The only down side was that he was only able to do a forty minute set.
The master of dry Northern humour remains as on form as ever with references of how his fresh young band mates would have been made more than welcome when in the heydays of his ex-bands, The Housemartins and The Beautiful South they would regularly frequent the Top of The Pops studios to promote yet another chart hit. Most of the band members were still in short trousers judging by the answers that come back in reply to each of them, when he asks then how old they were in 1986 when Heaton was really beginning to make his name in the music business.
The last time I saw Heaton was way back in the eighties (the greaties!?), 1985 to be precise, when he was fronting the up and coming The Housemartins while they were supporting Blancmange at the UEA and the electricity went so they had to finish off their set acoustically. These days, no doubt if that happened mid – gig the risk assessment police would have the place evacuated and the gig cancelled?
Heaton is as unmistakable and good looking as ever? Looking not that much different at all from those heady days, when he could do no wrong churning out hit after hit such as ‘Old Red Eyes Is Back ’, which is still sung with such aplomb this evening, as is ‘Dumb’ from The Beautiful South period of his life and career. Full on and full of fresh wit, with more stories of the joys at being fifty, sat in Waterstones waiting ages for a beer before he realised that he was in a bookshop and not Weatherspoons! Sounding as good as ever; there is a lot of life left in the old dog yet judging by the new solo material on offer this evening. But for me the highlight of the evening were the two Housemartins songs that he sings for us this evening, ‘Build’ and the cover of the Isley Brothers ‘Caravan of Love’ a number one back at the end of 1986.
On their final song of the evening they are joined by Squeeze in an attempt to disrupt the performance, oh well it’s the last night of the tour and it will also soon be Christmas. So let the frolics begin...
So everyone is very nicely warmed up for headliners Squeeze.
As they enter the stage game show stylie for the final date of their ‘Pop Up Shop’ tour, with the VT reflecting a sort of Generation Game theme all set to a Brucie Forsyth voiceover (impersonated by Matt Lucas?). They are soon belting out the classics, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ gets the place rocking, then ‘Slap And Tickle’ and ‘No Place Like Home’.
New material is of course showcased as well but it is the classic hits of yesteryear that continue to bring the thrills and spills of the evening to the packed common room tonight.
It’s turning into one big karaoke show as the mainly mature audience sing along at full voice to yet more hits, ‘Pulling Mussels From A Shell’, ‘Is That Love’ and ‘Labelled With Love’ turn the clock back. They’re still talking about the cancers on our streets; Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are so quintessentially British and they have provided so much musical lyrical inspiration to some of our other rich musically talented bands over the years since their formation such is their own rich musical tapestry.
Not a duff note in sight tonight as we head towards the final part of the show with an acoustic take of ‘Take Me I'm Yours’, 'Black Coffee In Bed’, the audience is in heaven as ‘Hourglass’, ‘Tempted’, ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Cool For Cats’, ‘Another Nail In My Heart’ ensue as the hits just keep on coming and then it really is ‘Goodbye Girl’.
The end of tour frolics continue towards the end of their set as Paul Heaton and his band members appear on stage, brooms in hand in their caretaker overalls.
They still sound freshly squeezed as they continue to pull rabbits out of hats in what has been a very memorable Sunday evening out in Norwich.
No more sweaty tour buses for a little while, until the next time.
Yes, Squeeze have, during these past thirty-six years, been the soundtrack to many people’s lives including mine. Their ‘45’5 And Under’ best of package was certainly the soundtrack to coming home from Norwich City away games in the early eighties and certainly brings back some great memories for those of us that were there on those very often long journeys home on the back of a sweaty Drummee’s tour coach / mini bus. Tonight “the past has been bottled and labelled with love" and everyone goes home extremely happy.
Steve Plunkett