Deacon Blue Edinburgh Usher Hall 8th
October 2012
Edinburgh Evening News 9th October 2012
Deacon Blue’s music means so much to so many.
They were never the coolest, it’s fair to say. Yet they did, however, sell out
the Usher Hall last night as part of their 25th anniversary tour.
“Some people’s marriages don’t last that long,” said one female fan outside,
prior to the show. “What’s your favourite song?” demanded another. “I saw them
in 1987, back in the day,” someone shouted.
Clearly, many grew up listening to the group on dodgy Ford Fiesta cassette
players, and continue to do so via the iPod in their People Carriers.
Unsurprisingly, then, the air was thick with nostalgia. Even tunes from DB’s
latest album – the ironically-titled The Hipsters – had its eyes looking very
much back the way.
Opening the set with Here I Am In London Town – a mellow reflection about life
in the band – Ricky Ross exemplified why he is the finest man to fashion the
jeans and suit-jacket look.
The others members soon followed, and we were off; old faves Chocolate Girl and
Real Gone Kid asserting Ross’s intention that tonight’s tunes would make you
sing, break your heart, and put your daily worries behind you for a couple of
hours.
Ross loves a blether, though, so when he wasn’t waffling about the poll tax
days, he was cracking the audience up with a tale about the Commonwealth Games
chiefs and how they quickly took to Glasgow when they realised everyone in the
east end wore tracksuits.
The odd heckler, meanwhile, was quickly reminded that Ross was once a teacher,
many women shouted for drummer Dougie Vipond throughout, and vocalist Lorraine
McIntosh is still an expert in swaying her arms a lot.
But let’s be honest. People come to watch Deacon Blue because they want to hear
the hits and remind themselves of when they were younger. And that’s precisely
what they received. Newer parent-pop material was politely tolerated, but
hearing the likes of Raintown, Dignity, etc. proves why fans still come out to
see them perform 25 years on. It lasts. Barry Gordon