ShareSqueeze with special guest Heaven 17 performing their Songbook Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Saturday 9th November 2019
Images and review by Kevin Cooper
Celebrating 45 years together, Squeeze were back at the Royal Concert Hall last night to deliver a set list of stone cold classics that have aged as gracefully as they have.
With special guests Heaven 17, it was a night of pure nostalgic entertainment that had this capacity crowd on their feet for the likes of the opener, Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry. With Glenn Gregory being joined by fellow band member Martin Ware for a cover of The Human League’s cover of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, they mesmerized this crowd.
Filling a forty five minute set with songs from their best selling album, The Luxury Gap and 1981’s Penthouse And Pavement, (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang and Come Live With Me had the crowd clapping along whilst set closer, Temptation, made sure that they left the stage to unrestrained applause.
As a much loved Institution that has been around for forty five years, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford needed no introduction. As the only original members in what has become a very accomplished touring band that is perpetually on the road, drummer Simon Hanson, Stephen Large on keyboards, guitarist Melvin Duffy , percussionist Steve Smith and the very able Yolanda Charles on bass, began the evening with Footprints which had the crowd tapping their feet.
The strength and depth of their collective songbook was there for all to see with crowd pleasers Hourglass, Pulling Muscles (From The Shell) and Up The Junction getting an early airing, before lesser known songs, King George Street and Mumbo Jumbo begged for the crowd’s attention.
With the band leaving the stage to the duo that started it all, they delivered a lovely In Quintessence, Slap And Tickle and the beautiful heartbreaker Labelled With Love which had everyone singing along.
A slight lull in the proceedings saw The Day I Get Home and Third Rail quieten the crowd before the whole place erupted as the hits arrived like Nottingham Trams, one after the other with the likes of Tempted, Cool For Cats, Another Nail In My Heart, and Goodbye Girl.
The encore songs of Take Me I’m Yours and Black Coffee In Bed allowed each band member to have a little solo spot, before they thanked the crowd and left the stage definitely leaving them wanting more.
