The Proclaimers

Hi, just want to post a review of the show last night:

First of all, the set list was: NOTES & RHYMES/BORN INNOCENT/WHAT MAKES YOU CRY/LETTER FROM AMERICA/CAP IN HAND/LET'S GET MARRIED/ THREE MORE DAYS/LONG HAUL/SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOVED/LOVE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS/WHOLE WIDE WORLD/I'M ON MY WAY/SEAN/SHADOWS FALL/SUNSHINE ON LEITH/THERE'S A TOUCH/I MET YOU/ LIFE WITH YOU/ 500 MILES and for the encore MY OLD FRIEND THE BLUES/WAGES OF SIN/KILMARNOCK

This was my third ever Proclaimers gig...the first being Blackpool last year which was fantastic and then Manchester on this tour.

I was looking forward to Liverpool for a couple of reasons: 1) because I have been a Beatles fan since the age of 13 and I have visited the city many times and I just love Liverpool. 2) because I was taking along my son, Lewis, who is 9, to his FIRST EVER concert! Collected a friend who came along too and then we set off along the East Lancs laughing at the sat nav lady the whole way because she was doing her best to get us on the motorway when I had no intention of leaving the East Lancs! Don't even know why I bothered with the sat nav cos I knew where I was going and it just complicates matters...

Arrived in plenty of time to grab something to eat near Penny Lane...Lewis said they were the best chips he'd ever tasted! Parked on Faulkner Street so had a little walk up to the Liverpool Institute/Art School. I explained to Lewis that John, Paul and George had all been educated there but he wasn't impressed!

Arrived at the Philly and were thrilled that our seats, although row B, were actually front row seats as row A kind of ended in the middle. GREAT! I'd been worried about whether or not Lewis would have a good view, but there he was lording it up in the very front middle! The support act, Miles Hunt and Erica ?, were fine...sounded good, great violin playing....I wonder how long it takes to get from strangled cat sound to a beautiful sound like Erica played? (Lewis is still at the strangled cat stage...)

After a short break, the Proclaimers stormed on the stage and straight into "Notes & Rhymes". The Philly is a seated venue and these can sometimes lack atmosphere but not tonight. Craig has such a powerful voice, it is really something to see how much energy and effort he puts into each song...not that he makes it look any effort! I don't need to tell you all how great they are live, because you all know! I would just say they sounded brilliant tonight, they were storming. The audience was well into it, singing along and having a great time. Magical! Funniest part for me was when Charlie dedicated a song to the best behaved dog in the audience (a beautiful guide dog which just lay in the aisle the whole time, half asleep).

Wasn't lucky enough to hear my own personal fave song (What I Saw In You) but maybe next time!!

As we were getting ready to leave, one of the road crew called to Lewis and handed him a set list and two plectrums! Lucky boy. I don't know the names of the crew members like a lot of you do on here so I have no idea who did this for Lewis but I'd just like to say it was a lovely gesture and Lewis was thrilled to bits. You really made his first concert one to remember. THANKS!

Oh cool, thanks. I THINK they said they love the Liverpool audience. And great seats! Good for Charlie.
Your boy's first concert, The Proclaimers, only fitting. I pulled a "so not Nashville" and spoke to my first concert in the grocery store. It was Brenda Lee a couple of years ago. Boy, did I gush. I even told her what dress she wore, we were both 12, now 63. Well, she just gushed right back, she was so pleased she was my first concert and that it mean so much to me, and she loved that dress, too.

Joz, if the roadie didn't wear glasses, it was Buddy. He likes to give things to kids, probably because he has a lot in common with them. If he did have glasses, it was Aldo (or, as his friends call him, Also).

Sounds like a lovely evening - so glad your son enjoyed the show.

Your mention about how powerful Craig's voice was tonight answered a question I'd been thinking about. They've been playing a lot of gigs, and I wondered how their voices are holding up. From your review, I'd say they're just fine!

Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about your experience - we all wish we were there!

Joz wrote:The support act, Miles Hunt and Erica ?, were fine...sounded good, great violin playing....I wonder how long it takes to get from strangled cat sound to a beautiful sound like Erica played? (Lewis is still at the strangled cat stage...)

Hahaha. I told Erica I couldn't do that if I practised for a hundred years, and she laughed. But the strangled cat will go after a couple of years, Joz. LOL. As my grandad said (and I'll never get to play like he did), if you want to play fiddle, you have to fix your eyes on a distant star