The Proclaimers
Town Hall, Birmingham
By Richard Lutz
Conjure up twins Charlie and Craig Reid. With their Buddy Holly specs and their Fife accents and you can be met with mute indifference.
Say their name- The Proclaimers– and eyes do raise.
Their songs can be as sharp as a haggis supper and they belted out two hours of ballads, pop. doo-wop and classics to get an audience off their feet for most of the show. Mind, The Town Hall did take all the stall seating out to allow for standing room only knowing St Andrews flags would be unfurled, roly poly middle aged fans would reel around the floor and all sorts of Hibernian nonsense would ensure during the show.
And it did.
The brothers took in a sharp breathe and belted out favourites such as Letter From America, Sunshine on Leith and I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). And with a backing band with all the muscle of an Eastie Coast Scots breeze, the town hall was not exactly a quiet place.
Their two part harmony night marks their 25th year together as The Proclaimers. A bit porkier now than the stick-thin laddies who sung their way south to Edinburgh from across the Forth, their voices less chirpier, they still knew how to rock and move an audience. They always have been an odd mix of lung busting gusto and sweet love songs and, somehow, it does work.
Their 9th album, Like Comedy is out now. Voila their tour. A pleasure.