Dave Woodhall catches Squeeze at Symphony Hall.
Yet again the city centre’s traffic problems caused gridlock on what seemed like every road into town and meant missing all but the last two songs from Badly Drawn Boy, who sounded okay to while away half an hour or so before the main attraction.
That minor annoyance aside, Squeeze came onstage to the expected rapt reception and kicked off with a bit of a surprise, Black Coffee in Bed, which has been the set closer when I’ve seen them before. That was one of the few surprises of an evening where familiarity brought nothing but content. Up the Junction was a bit of a rocker this time round, which was something else that was different.
A further unexpected event, and a much less welcome one, was the sound inside Symphony Hall. Even into its fourth decade the venue still boasts unparalleled acoustics but tonight was far from its finest hour – muddy, far too drum-heavy and with the vocals nowhere near prominent enough, making some of the between-songs chat inaudible.
This setback might not have been helped by Glen Tilbrook’s voice problems, which had seen the previous show in Sheffield ending early and at times it seemed as though he was performing within himself this evening. Not that this was anything more than a minor inconvenience. After all, the strength of Squeeze’s success is in the songs rather than their delivery.
Difford and Tilbrook have been compared with Lennon & McCartney almost from their first Top of the Pops appearance, but watching them tonight I was drawn by the resemblance to another great British band, namely Slade. The music might be different, but both have one or two songs that overshadow a back catalogue of genius.
It’s only when you hear them that you realise just how many of each band’s songs you know, and they pass the bona fide National Treasure test of being loved even by people who don’t particularly like their music. After all, when was the last time you heard a bad word about either of them? And even if you’re not a particular fan, it’s impossible not to like at least a couple of their songs.
Not that there was any chance of anything other than established fans of Squeeze in Symphony Hall tonight. After a bright start, new song One Beautiful Summer, about finding love in old age, showed that the band’s ability for describing poignant social comment remains. The middle of the set featured album tracks, with the 1981 classic East Side Story as always featuring prominently, and there were enough of the better-known songs to keep everyone’s rapt attention. Then as the band came round the final bend all the remaining classics were brought out.
As another band would say, every one a winner; it’s a bit too early for Christmas parties but this was an exercise in seventies/eighties nostalgia that hit plenty of spots at once. By now the sound had even improved. The back to front nature of the night was concluded with the final numbers, Hourglass and then a lengthy Take Me I’m Yours, with the obligatory band introductions and solos thrown in.
There wasn’t an encore; there couldn’t have been one because Squeeze didn’t have anything else to play. What a band they are, and how well they deliver.
