Tonight was the night that Deacon Blue burst at the seams and spattered themselves all over the highway of epic rock romanticism. An impressive sight. but a little embarrassing. Where before they wavered between the honest’sensitive songwriting territory of Danny Wilson/Prefab Sprout and the craggy melodrama of Bruce Springsteen-land. they’ve now plumped firmly, and a little clumsily, for the sweat and grit of BIG PASSION music.

In front-man Ricky Ross there was tonight little sign of the doomed inner-city lover who stalked the glistening Glasgow streets of last year’s Rairitown LP. This Ricky Ross, this possessed showman figure in the baggy white suit, was more of an angular Jim Kerr, with co-vocalist Lorraine Mcintosh playing a dark haired, hyperactive Carol Decker at his side. As the wildfire raunch of the opening new songs gave way to anthemic versions of ‘Raintown’ favourites. it became clear that we were not in a middle-sized London theatre at all, but in the colossal rock stadium of Rosss imagination. The rambling inter-song monologues, the orchestrated racing around the stage, the growled last-drop-of-anguish Ross vocals, the sparkling’ keyboards. and the ‘soaring’ harmonies traded with the impressive Mcintosh, all worked to push this up and over the top into rock cliche land.

This two hour multiple crescendo affair, which included versions of the single Real Gone Kid’ and a new song ‘Wages Day’, both of which out-Bruced Bruce. and an encored ‘When Will You Make My Phone Ring’, which was the most grandiose soul sing-a-long ever, showcased a band who have long left the darkness on the edge of Glasgow town behind, and joined the over-crowded jet lanes heading for Rockville, USA. Real gone kids, or what? Roger Morton