The Proclaimers warm up a sellout crowd at Inverness Leisure with a pacy set
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A sellout crowd lined up in front of the stage at Inverness Leisure last night to see The Proclaimers celebrate what's now an almost 40-year career.
The crowd of 1,800 was in powerful singalong voice, never more so than with I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) which ended the main set – and also a roof-raising go at their hymn to Scottish independence, Sunshine On Leith.
Talking of Leith, Leither Ross Wilson who performs as Blue Rose Code made a great choice as support with his songs of independence and love and his feisty, upbeat and warm-hearted presence. He opened his set with Grateful – often where his sets end – with his tongue-in-cheek love song – "I'll never be cool, I'll never be good-looking, I'll never be rich, But Lord I'm grateful'. And he treated us to Sandaig, a boat trip namechecking North locations "Arisaig to Torridon" as he cuts the boat engine "to hear the Highlands breathe" and the "roar of freedom all the way along the West Coast".
It set the pace for The Proclaimers' set, relentless and pushing on, just the odd break to read out a request.
But they had a lot of songs to get through!
Anyone who thinks the twins might be slowing down – or even mellowing in their 60th year – should take a look at the lyrics of the short pithy songs of latest album Dentures Out, the title song opening the show with its theme of anti-nostalgia – as a great interview with veteran Scots music journalist Craig McLean tells you in the programme if you bought it.
Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield plays on the track on the album. And though he wasn't among the Proclaimers' veteran gang of musicians onstage in Inverness, the feistiness and the fight was there live onstage to give the Inverness gig real edge to get us started.
The new songs have a go at everything from "the right wing press" to in Drawing Another Line and the words "Bring your fist down hard on the table/ But you don't have the strength in your hand!" lyrcs they've talked about in reference to England saying no to another Scottish independence referendum.
But in case their willingness to get political – all the way back to Letter From America (and the Inverness crowd loved singing along to that one) should make us forget, they are also brilliant on love and relationships.
Pinpointing the important moments in a relationship, like Let's Get Married (one couple got a dedication for the song to mark their own wedding this weekend!), then following it immediately with the wry pain of a failed relationship in What Makes You Cry. And the set cleverly gave us Sunshine On Leith "my heart was broken" – and the stunning violin solo from Erica Nockalls in a gold party dress – to the pure adrenalin rush when falling in love changes everything, so brilliantly captured by the twins in I Met You.
They made us wait for our encore, just long enough to make the cheer huge when they returned for Make My Heart Fly and The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues.
The Reids – Inverness was date 53 on this year's tour – still giving it everything, no messing – who needs nostalgia?
Tickets sales for Skipinnish tonight (Friday) at Invernes Leisure were at 1,600 last night, but still selling, LCC Live promoter Les Kidger confirmed last night. Also, support act Sandi Thom has had to pull out and another support will be announced today.
