The Proclaimers

Got back just over half an hour ago - a quick report back to my wife and put my eldest son to bed, then over to the PC to pass on the news before I pass out myself. If it's not now, then it's never - so here is my take........

In short, an emotional and memorable night and I am filled with pride. I posted an earlier thread about kids at gigs - and following advice from the venue and assurances from other haverers, I took my son, Matthew, who turns 8 next week to his first gig. I had made him up a compilation CD of likely set list based on the US leg - he'd digested it and we were ready. The car journey to Southampton showed that Notes and Rhymes, 500 Miles, Whole Wide World and Life With You were his faves and ones he was looking forward to the most.

My main fear, however was whether he would last the pace...and Mum had said that he must tell me that if he was tired and wanted to come home, I should leave straight away.......

Anyway, enough of the preamble/context...down to the gig. Arrived at the Guildhall literally as Miles and Erica hit the stage, and as others have reported they were excellent. Miles exuded warmth (he certainly never used to be like that) and Erica had such presence and intensity in her playing. Wonder Stuff songs included in the set were Circle-Square, Cheap Seats and Size of a Cow. We had taken our seats at the back of the raised seating - and Matthew enjoyed it, just taking in the scale of the venue, of the lights although as the set moved to a close, I was getting the sense of the perennial car journey question 'are we nearly there yet?' from him as he wanted to see Craig and Charlie.

What was good was that we only had a 15 min wait and then the lights went out - the backing track intro of Dexy's 'Geno' kicked in, shortly followed by the arrival of the band and the drum/guitars of N&R - we were on our feet and dancing....

The set list was as follows

Notes and Rhymes
Born Innocent
What Makes You Cry
Letter From America
Cap in Hand
Let's Get Married
Three More Days
In Recognition
Should Have Been Loved
Love Can Move Mountains
Whole Wide World
I'm On My Way
Sean
S-O-R-R-Y
Sunshine On Leith
There's A Touch
I Met You
Life With You
500 Miles

and then the encore songs:
My Old Friend The Blues
Wages Of Sin
Joyful Kilmarnock Blues

Much comment has passed about the songs in recent days and weeks and I cannot add much more to the positivity conveyed. Matthew’s enjoyed his favourites – our vantage point meant we were able to pace ourselves, and sit down. When things slowed down with Sunshine on Leith and S-O-R-R-Y, he was still taking it all in but starting to yawn. As the band moved into another gear in the last four songs, I was dreading the ‘can I go home now?’ question but good on him he was determined to stay. The 2nd and 3rd choruses of Life With You gave him an almighty rush of adrenaline, and as we moved into 500 Miles, he was jigging about as if the concert had just started. We made it!

My Old Friend the Blues provided us with another pause for breath. Wages of Sin was intense/raw power and JKB was sheer exuberance. As the lights went up, we high-fived! We left on a high and Matthew is now a proud owner of the tour T-shirt, which he wanted at the end. Thanks for all the best wishes – many people were enquiring if Matthew enjoyed it and he certainly told them YES.

My personal faves on the night – as well as above, Should Have Been Loved rocked, Sunshine on Leith’s arrangement was beautiful and Erica’s contribution magnificent, and Love Can Move Mountains almost hymn-like. I also cannot leave out Let’s Get Married – in the significance of the night, the line ‘for the lives of the children that we’ve planned’ certainly left a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

2nd October 1986 was the first time I saw The Proclaimers, at Liverpool Royal Court, supporting the Housemartins. That night by their sheer energy, enthusiasm, passion, determination and raw talent, two lads with one guitar and a harmonica turned an indifferent crowd into one that was eating out of the palms of their hands – the Joyful Kilmarnock Blues was the culmination of that set and there is a wonderful symmetry in tonight’s set closing with this song too (albeit sounding very different!).

If someone had said to me 23 years ago that I would be taking my eldest child to his first gig to see the Proclaimers, my jaw would have hit the floor. I am so glad that I did and I know he was glad I did too

Thank you, thank you, thank you Craig and Charlie – long may you continue to do what you do!

Time for bed now methinks – I will try and post a couple of pics soon. TTFN

Oh, Ian, thank you so much! What a wonderful review - I'm so glad that everything worked out with Matthew. It will give you a lovely memory to talk about for many years to come. The Proclaimers have done it again.

Thanks, too, for sharing the emotion of Lets Get Married. There have been many times that I've shed a tear at a Proclaimers gig, just because the music cuts through all protective layers built up over the years, to touch the most intimate places of my heart. Magic.

What can I say, Ian? That was a magnificant review - thank you so much. I am really pleased that you took Matthew - 7 years old - well, I believe you are never too young for the Proclaimers - my four year old happily sits and sings the lyrics in the car - and would move mountains" to see the lads!

Thanks for the set list - we now have a full house as to what they are playing - as they seem to be doing a four gig rotation, though I think they have alternatives set up just to keep us on our toes. As to the music - I think (as I have said time and time again) - Erica Nockalls' presence in Sunshine on Leith just takes it to a different level - and as for Wages of Sin, the power is phenomenal.

Thanks again, Ian - you are a star! And so is Matthew, for not saying those all too painful words -I want to go home!

Regards,

David M

Wow,, Ian, It turned out so well for you and Matthew, good job.
There are so many parts here. The review of the concert, the taking of the boy, passing the torch, and for me, above all, being there in the beginning. I am just verklempt.
Thanks for sharing all these experiences with us.

Maybe at some point you can remember some more of the songs they sang in 86?

Hi Everyone,

I took a few pics at the gig last night. You can find them at http://www.gigshot.com

Here's an example:



Cheers
Martin

Thanks so much, Ian, for your wonderful reminder of another great evening; my, you go back a long way…how fantastic. Wish I did ! Great to hear that Matthew enjoyed it so much. Craig has said that a lot of their fans are growing older now, and they need to get some younger people in ! I love seeing children at the gigs, and hearing about others who sing along to the songs in the car, like David M’s littlie !

If I’d discovered The Proclaimers 20 years ago, my children would have grown up with Charlie’s and Craig’s voices ringing in the car, too. Instead of which, even though I tried my hardest, I could NOT persuade my 23 year old daughter to come with me last night. She said “I’ve heard them before” but I did point out that whereas Henley Music Festival was mostly folk turning up for the Final Night Party with little idea of what was in store, Soton would be dedicated fans plus interested people, and a different atmosphere. But that was then and this is now. Still, her loss…as I told her today !

And Matthew stayed the course – good man – and will always remember the evening.

Yes, great atmosphere in Soton. After Nottingham, decided to stand back in the crowd this time, instead of at the front. Spotted a Restless Soul T-shirt in front of me, and a certain tattoo…it looks just GREAT, Mazza ! You were too far away for me to get to you and Chef and say hello, and when it all ended, I looked again, and you were gone. Wonder where

Standing back enables one to look around more…always wonderful to see the sheer enjoyment on people’s faces as they either sing along, or just come to the realisation that this is an amazing gig…better than they had ever anticipated. That’s the comment that I’ve heard over and over as people are leaving. Last night, trade at the merchandise desk was fast and furious, always a good sign. And thanks Gigshot, for posting your pics…they’re hugely better than mine! But then you’re a pro, so they would be...

As I write this, Craig and Charlie and the Band are about to come on stage in Exeter. I hope there’s someone who will tell us about it !

PS: I am now WHOLLY converted to Wages of Sin. Last night, it was just amazing. Oh, and it's Zac AND Clive on backing vocals !

Oh, Mary, I love to hear your response to shows.

I didn't realize that both Zac and Clive did the backing vocals for Wages of Sin! How interesting that you weren't much of a fan of the song at first. Between you and David, you're making it sound like one that must not be missed!

The different set lists have included between 4 and 7 songs from N&R. What a lottery about which ones are performed which night!

Oh Wow! WOS sounds like it was magic, I'm hoping like crazy that they include it in the set for Leeds!

i went to the southampton gig. travelled all the way from barnstaple,north devon. i have seen the lads a lot of times.this time,i felt it was just lacking a little enthusiasm,especially from the audience. yeah,they went mad for the biggies but the rest of the time i felt i was leaping about on my own.i don't think they came out front afterwards.may be wrong.the sound wasn't the best i think that was down to the size and shape of the hall though. off to bristol in a coupla days.back to normal i hope.

This was where our mini tour of the weekend started, i had been to the Guildhall before for a gig and as a venue, its a bit crap.
As we walked in we spotted Gary John and went over for a quick chat (but not too close as he is with cold!), then after being stung £7.20 for 2 beers!!!!! Watched Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls, i read somewhere on an earlier date on the tour that Miles had the grudging look of a Man who hated the fact he wasn't famous anymore, NOTHING could be further from the truth, they were the best support i have ever seen at a gig and after meeting him later he is a lovely lovely guy and Erica is wonderful too (oh and their CD, buy it buy it!!!).
The Procies came onto the strains of Dexy's "Geno" which is a stroke of genius it really gets the crowd UP!
The gig was great, i never comment too heavily on the setlist content because as a fan by proxy the music is all new to me and i have yet to develop many REAL favourite favourite's, saying that Life with you and JKB are sooo good live.
I think they will play Wages of sin at all the gigs Angie, so you should enjoy Leeds, i know Mazza is looking forward to it!
Shame we didn't see you Mary, glad you liked the tat! We did hang around for a while outside and bumped into Zac and gave him a dedication for the Lads to do for our Anniversary the following night and then we went for a curry..........................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here a bit of live footage from the gig; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95yPNZmL3I8

chef01 wrote: then after being stung £7.20 for 2 beers!!!!!

Thats nothing! It was 12 yo yo's for 2 beers in Dublin a couple of months ago Most miffed was I

Thanks for all your kind responses to the review. Three more days have passed since the gig and Matthew still can spontaneously burst into song, alternating between N&R, Whole Wide World and 500 Miles. On Sunday the Tshirt only left his back for the duration of his U8 football match in the afternoon. The wonder with which he reported to all that 'everyone was singing and dancing' was a joy to hear. Imagine the excitement when they appeared on Breakfast TV this morning.

As promised I enclose a few pics - it was only a 4MP camera and we were at the back of the tiered seating so certainly not top quality but a great memento nonetheless

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... e135b6328b - selected photos

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=157679010841 - short video clip of I'm Gonna Be

Bobby - from the 1986 gig, the set comprised about 8 songs, all of which were on This Is The Story. I definitely recall Throw the R Away, Letter from America, Sky Takes the Soul, Joyful Kilmarnock Blues, Make My Heart Fly, The Part that Really Matters - and the intro to I'm Gonna Burn Your Playhouse Down was 'this is not a Paul Young song'. Through sheer force of character they did not start to sing JKB until the majority of the audience was clapping. Memorable - the next time was the infamous appearance on The Tube TV show later that Autumn.

Thanks Ian for your photos and video! Doesn't Matthew look really happy
As for 1986, you have such a good memory to remember that !!! Thanks for sharing. It was the very beginning, wish I could have been there!

Ian, my favourite photo of the entire N&R tour so far is the one of Matthew in his t-shirt. How fabulous!

Check your pm's...

I was at the Southampton gig, as I went with my wife, who I have now converted into a fully fledged Proclaimers fan, as she did not mind them before, but she now sings the songs with the rest of the crowd, as we had Let's Get Married played at our wedding as we walked through the arch saying goodbye to everyone, so it will always be special to us both.

We travelled up from Portsmouth on the train and went for a bite to eat and a drink, we got to Southampton Guildhall about 20 to 7 and as we were queueing we got talking to another couple from Portsmouth (it was a shame they were playing Southampton this time and we had to travel, as the last time we saw them was at the Kings Theatre, Portsmouth, which is only about 10 minutes walk from where we live) as there did seem to be a lot of fans from Portsmouth.

I cannot really add more to what Ian has said, as his review was spot on. It was another great gig and a great night, they were on top form. I have to mention Sunshine On Leith, as it is my favourite ever song and Erica Nockalls playing the violin was amazing, as this song always brings a tear to my eye no matter when I hear it.
We cannot wait until the next tour or gig.

We are so pleased that Matthew enjoyed himself Ian, as the photos on Facebook look great.