Deacon Blue Reunion
Glasgow S.E.C.C. Clyde Auditorium 2nd June 1999

It had been 8 years since I had last seen Deacon Blue in concert (though I can hardly believe it!). I did originally have tickets for the Our Town tour back in 1993 but then of course they were cancelled and I some how let the re-scheduled dates for 1994 slip me by. I didn’t expect to have to travel half the country to see them again but it was worth every mile.

The band came on just before 9 P.M., although Dougie did make an earlier appearance to finish off the set with his new band The Swiss Family Orbison.

From the opening chord of Born in a Storm to the final note of I’ll Never Fall in Love an outstanding 2 hours was spent in their company. They looked pretty much the same, though Graeme’s latest hair cut did give him the appearance of a golden orb! This collection of concerts must have been his first foray back with Ricky, all the rest, however, have played with Mr. Ross on some level or another over the past 5 years.Musically they were brilliant Mick Slaven’s guitar playing added an extra dimension especially to Our Town and A Town to be Blamed (which for me was the highlight of the night) and the rest of them were really tight, at ease and really enjoying playing together again. Ricky’s voice did sound a little more guttural than I recall but its grittiness in no way detracted from a great vocal performance complemented superbly by Lorraine. I don’t know how much time they had to rehearse together but they were so comfortable they could have been half way through a (inter)national tour.

It was also pleasing to hear material from Raintown and When the World Knows your name. The first concert I went to in 1990 they were promoting Ooh Las Vegas and performed mainly the singles from those albums.Then the next gig I went to in 1991 they were showcasing Fellow Hoodlums and didn't even play Dignity! Like many bands, they were probably trying to show they'd moved on e.t.c

Fans have by now grown accustomed to witnessing how the band extend and twist their songs into new realms of delight by segueing material from their favourite artists. So it was Fab to hear In the Mood develop into Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison one of the first artists they covered on disc in the form of Angeliou on the L.P Riches. This was followed up near the end of the gig by the addition of Just my Imagination by the Temptations, combining well with Love and Regret. The more intimate surroundings of the Clyde auditorium were also much more satisfying than the Birmingham N.E.C and what better place could you pick to see them than Glasgow?

The crowd too, was in top form. The first three rows were on their feet at the descent into Raintown with a couple of girls at the front swinging from one side of the stage to the next like a giant pendulum. Being a little further back it took a little time before we got a chance to be up with the rest but when we did we were there for the night. There was one bizarre couple, however, who spent the entire night looking really fed up and eventually left at the start of the second half. Perhaps they thought they were going to see a Steely Dan concert? A few people were also caught out after the first encore and started to leave, only to be seen rushing back, breathless in time for the closing numbers of Chocolate Girl and I’ll never Fall in Love (Chocolate Girl being the first time I was introduced to Deacon Blue on GMTV back in 1987)

I did hope the crowd if determined enough may have persuaded them to return yet again for an unprecedented third encore but alas as the house lights came up I knew a splendid night that had been guaranteed for all was over ‘til the next time…please!!!!!!!!! Richard Waldron