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Squeeze put on rousing performance at Cambridge Corn Exchange




Squeeze, on stage at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, October 27, 2017. Picture: Adrian Peel
Squeeze, on stage at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, October 27, 2017. Picture: Adrian Peel

Despite a slight setback, the band’s hit-packed set still succeeded in delighting their fans.

Squeeze. Picture: Rob OConnor
Squeeze. Picture: Rob OConnor

A nice touch came at the beginning of the show, when a giant Google search engine appeared on the big screen behind. One by one, the six band members' names were typed in and the results shown, followed by the band itself.

During the first song, Please Be Upstanding, from new album The Knowledge, it was clear that something was not quite right with singer/founding member Glenn Tilbrook's voice.

Afterwards, he explained that he had almost lost it and that it wasn't expected or planned.

Determined not to dampen the considerable enthusiasm being shown by the crowd, the six-piece - Tilbrook, singer/guitarist, fellow founding member and co-songwriter Chris Difford, bass player Yolanda Charles, keyboardist Stephen Large, drummer Simon Hanson and percussionist Steve Smith - ploughed ahead with a set that successfully mixed the old and the new.

Although, for me, some of the more recent material had rather less of an impact - except for Cradle to the Grave - the hits certainly drew the acclaim they deserved from me and, as far as I could see, pretty much everyone else.

Hourglass, perhaps my favourite Squeeze song, was played quite early on - with help from support act Nine Below Zero's saxophone player and trumpeter - and most of the group's other bona-fide British pop classics - Cool for Cats, Tempted, Up the Junction, Labelled with Love, etc. - came before the encore, leading me to wonder what they would save until last.

It was Is That Love and Black Coffee in Bed that were given an airing at the end, the latter included all the very talented musicians on stage being introduced.

When Difford came to introduce the colleague he put the band together with way back in 1974, he praised"super trooperTilbrook's insistence that the gig would go ahead, saying that anyone else would have cancelled the show. I'm glad they didn't.

squeezeofficial.com



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