Squeeze – 29 June 1985 – live at Crocka Park, Dublin

"Squeeze – 29 June 1985 – live at Crocka Park, Dublin"

Adrian says:

9 March 2010 at 10:14 am

Look at the picture. That’s the funny thing about being 17 – you take snaps just to say you were there – it doesn’t matter how far back you are. Thankfully, despite the afternoon of lager, my memory isn’t as blurry as this shot.

My first ever Squeeze experience was not intended to be one. They were supporting U2 at a huge football stadium in Dublin and, while I knew about them and remembered and liked Cool for Cats and Up the Junction, I certainly wasn’t a fan. All that was about to change over the course of their set.

It was summer 1985, I’d just finished my final school exams and this gig was a celebration of being thrust out into the big bad world. The giant stadium was a kind of symbol of that world – a bit scary, but exciting and full of drunk people! Weeks earlier I’d seen Jools introduce a recently reformed band on his show ‘The Tube’, but rather than disappearing off stage, he joined them at the piano and launched into Pulling Mussels, a song they played again here. My ears pricked up as they continued through a list of songs that were strangely familiar to me – as if I’d known them all my life. I think I was falling in love.

Jools had his left hand in a splint as he’d broken his finger and took great delight in showing it off to the audience by giving them ‘the finger’. Thankfully it didn’t diminish his playing too much. The rowdy U2 diehards down the front threw plastic cups and bottles at the band (a warm Irish welcome by any standards) and when Glenn made a wisecrack saying, ‘We’ve had enough to drink backstage, please keep it for yourselves!’, this only increased the missiles tenfold.

As the beer flowed through me and that particular smell of outdoor gigs (mud, grass, grass, beer, sweat) enveloped me, I swayed to Labeled with Love and sang along to the chorus with 50,000 others. It was a glorious, formative moment.

Then U2 came on and did what U2 do. I still don’t have a single U2 record in my collection. As for Squeeze, well, that day was the start of a 25 year obsession.

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1. chris holland says:
  
  30 April 2010 at 8:37 pm
  
  @Adrian, Hey wheres my face ? i remember playing keys on that gig and poor Keith tripping over his lead just as we walked out in front of about 20000 people .. then very cleverly disguised it as a sort of dance..good gig though.
  
  Reply
  1. adrian fitzsimon says:
    
    1 May 2010 at 7:10 pm
    
    @chris holland, my lord, mr Holland – terribly sorry about that omission – i actually had no idea who anyone was onstage at the time as i was a Squeeze novice and my shots were too blurry to pick you out. Fear not though, all will be rectified next week when I’ll photoshop you in! Where were you positioned – beside the bro?
    
    cheers
    Adrian
    
    Reply
  2. Adrian says:
    
    4 May 2010 at 9:44 am
    
    @chris holland, here you go – all members present and correct! thanks for pointing it out.
    
    adrian
    
    Reply
2. tygre97 says:
  
  1 May 2010 at 8:18 am
  
  @Adrian, Oh, to be 17 again! The Tube performances have been uploaded to my YouTube site (including a very young looking Chris Holland).
  
  Reply
3. Stephen says:
  
  29 June 2017 at 2:31 pm
  
  Great post i believe they playex support to th e police 79/80 and the crowd called them back when police came on
  
  Reply
Stephen says:

29 June 2017 at 2:28 pm

Hi all its CROKE park reckon there was more than 20,000 holds 80,000 dont know why i wasnt there

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Squeeze – 29 June 1985 – live at Crocka Park, Dublin

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