Deacon Blue, in my memory were a slightly rebellious Glaswegian commercial rock band
Commercial in the fact they gave us some brilliant, memorable hits, plus you’d see them on Saturday morning kids TV. Rebellious in the fact they were cool. In a time of synchronised dance moves pop, they did their own thing. They were real and Lorraine’s hair was as wild as you imagined her to be.
Thirty years later, they’re now a middle-aged rock band. Although best remembered for defining the sound of the 80’s with their number one 1987 debut album, Raintown, and its 1989 follow-up, the band have continued to record, releasing three new albums in the last six years, selling six million albums in total.
I had been looking forward to seeing them in this, their 30th anniversary tour. I had loved the groups soulful pop hits, but wouldn’t call myself a die-hard fan of the group, named after a Steely Dan song, so couldn’t have told you if it was the original line-up, however there’s no mistaking vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh. The husband and wife duo have an absorbing double-act, are Impeccable harmonisers and blow you away with intuition and energy.
What a show! 25 songs over two hours. Opening with I Was Right And You Were Wrong and Raintown, it was almost a warm up to the crowd favourites, though many had been on their feet from the start. This was the first time too that I’ve seen people in the choir stalls for a gig (other than obviously a choir at Christmas – Ricky jokingly referring to them as the ‘Trent End’)
Loaded bought the remainder of those seated to their feet, where they stayed for the remainder of the gig. Lead Vocalist Ricky Ross happily interacted with the audience between songs, thanking them for their support throughout the years. The whole Concert Hall singing along to Chocolate Girl, Real Gone Kid, Wages Day and Your Swaying Arms. A few newer numbers followed, Hipsters and The Believers, before concluding with the Bacharach and David cover I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
