Squeeze – 23 April 2012 – live at Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ

Squeeze – 23 April 2012 – live at Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ

Thanks to Thomas Boynes for the ticket

SQUEEZE SETLIST:
Take Me I’m Yours
If I Didn’t Love You
Tough Love
In Quintessence
Revue / Model
The Knack
Who’s That
Is That Love
Points Of View
Heaven
Melody Motel
Bang Bang
Cool for Cats
Up the Junction
Another Nail in My Heart
Goodbye Girl
Annie Get Your Gun
Hourglass
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)

Encore:
Slap and Tickle
Tempted
Black Coffee in Bed

4 Responses to "Squeeze – 23 April 2012 – live at Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ"

packetofthree says:

24 April 2012 at 5:06 pm

Here’s a review of the show with photographs
: soundpress.net

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1. packetofthree says:
  
  25 April 2012 at 1:25 pm
  
  Squeeze Is Tight In New Jersey
  Gripping Set of Classic Hits and Rarities Grabs Attention!
  A soundpress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch
  Squeeze is a band that means business. That’s not surprising for a group now working in their fifth decade in the music industry. What is compelling is the way they have come back strong to recapture their brand and fan base in the past five years. It seems that team Difford and Tilbrook and Company have put together a plan to reintroduce themselves to the marketplace and music-loving masses – and it’s now working to perfection.
  
  It hasn’t always been that way. Squeeze emerged strong in the 1980’s with a proven formula of delectable pop confection powered by punk rock roots. Their four-album string of Argy Bargy, East Side Story, Sweets From a Stranger and Ridiculous had their ample share of chart hits and represented their commercial peak.
  
  The band themselves will tell you that their creative high point came in the early 1990’s with the memorable Some Fantastic Place album but by that time most of their original audience had moved on into adulthood. From there began a slow decline for the group until they finally disbanded in 1999 following the release of the disappointing Domino album and tour that saw Squeeze topple into fragments.
  
  In 2007 – following a thaw in their chilly partnership – Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook picked up the pieces of their broken band and took the show on the road once again to rave reviews and enthusiastic audiences. Squeeze re-emerged as a solid five-piece fronted by the founders, classic era bassist John Bentley, drummer Simon Hanson and keyboardist Stephen Large.
  
  It was this line-up that took the stage on April 23, 2012 at the BergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey. An impressive and vocal audience greeted the quintet with cheers as they broke into “Take Me I’m Yours” and for the next 90-minutes Squeeze held the attention of the rapt attendees in their hands.
  
  The only mar in their otherwise flawless performance came during song two when it was apparent that Bentley’s bass was way too high in the mix muddying up the sound and drowning out Tilbrook’s incisive guitar break in “If I Didn’t Love You”. However, the bottom end eventually found a more equitable footing and the quality of the tone returned to acceptable levels for the rest of the show.
  
  Squeeze has long been known for delivering the goods and classic songs in their concerts but what was unexpected was the number of deep tracks and rarities that made it into the evening’s set including the moody “Model” and jarring “Bang Bang” from the band’s 1978 debut, U.K. Squeeze.
  
  In fact, the concert was heavily weighted with a total of seven numbers from their first two albums in the 23-song setlist. Other highlights included the rarely played gem “Points Of View” from 1985’s Sweets From a Stranger and the catchy B-Side, “Who’s That”.
  
  Throughout the night the band thrilled with their tight musicianship. Tilbrook – always underrated on the axe – chopped through lead after blistering lead with acumen and passion. The rhythm section of Bentley and Hanson propelled the songs with a rock edge. Large was abundantly capable in the keyboard chair and Difford was as durable and dependable as ever. This edition of Squeeze is the most stable line-up the band has ever had and the familiarity the players have with one another has allowed this group to take chances in a live setting.
  
  The evening was adorned by captivating screen shots, clips and cartoons of the band as they closed with a strong encore of ‘Slap and Tickle”, “Tempted” and “Black Coffee In Bed” – which like a shot of caffeine – provided the fans with a delicious dose of adrenaline for the ride home.
  
  Squeeze is in the midst of a brief Spring tour that saw them appear for two weekends in a row at the massive Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA with a much-talked about appearance on the Ellen Show squeezed in for good measure. They’ll be back in the States in the summer of 2012 for some more dates and they have promised that their first album of new material in over 15 years should be out in 2013.
  
  Squeeze is a band with a full grasp on their past as exhibited by the number of songs from their early records performed at the Englewood concert. They are also clearly embracing the present moment with professional and exhilarating performances. Fans are eagerly anticipating their next move as they press forward into the future – so, the pressure is on for the forthcoming album – we hope they crush it!
  
  SQUEEZE SETLIST: Take Me I’m Yours / If I Didn’t Love You / Tough Love / In Quintessence / Revue / Model / The Knack / Who’s That / Is That Love / Points Of View / Heaven / Melody Motel / Bang Bang / Cool for Cats / Up the Junction / Another Nail in My Heart / Goodbye Girl / Annie Get Your Gun / Hourglass / Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) / Encore / Slap and Tickle / Tempted / Black Coffee in Bed
  
  Opening for Squeeze were their long-time friends and fellow road warriors The English Beat. Dave Wakeling – hailing from working-class Birmingham , England – formed the band in 1978. At that time, there was much turmoil on the social front and the group’s music reflected that in danceable tunes about love, politics and unity.
  
  The English Beat released three successful albums and had a number of hits (“She’s Mine”, “All Out To Get You”, “Mirror in the Bathroom”, “Too Nice To Talk To”, “Can’t Get Used To Losing You” and “Hands”) before calling it quits. Band members pursued other projects. In recent years, Dave Wakeling has been touring with a talented team under the name The English Beat bringing back the band’s unique blend of pop, punk rock, reggae, ska and soul.
  
  Despite having to travel 600 miles in the snow to get to the BergenPAC, The English Beat were in good spirits and performed an energizing and engaging set. The six piece started with a peppy pace that had a spicy Spanish flavor propelled by percussion and a sassy sax solo. The music progressed through harmonies and reggae styled grooves.
  
  The sound was well mixed allowing each instrument and voice to be heard. “Remember 1980?,” the band inquired as one of the singers rhymed memories of those times. The rap had a reggae vibe with heavy drumming that melded into the up-tempo “I’ll Take You There” with its teasing pace.
  
  “Half way through our party – hydration just keep drinking ladies – moderately,” jested Wakeling as The English Beat continued to play their up-beat party music that included fan favorites “Ranking Full Stop”, “Mirror in the Bathroom”, “Save It for Later” and the catchy “Tenderness” with the crowd clapping along to its lively rhythms.
  
  The English Beat did not use any screens or props but entertained with their beguiling musical melds, brisk pacing and bright stage presence. They were animated and played an assortment of genres in songs that were danceable and delightful!
  
  The BergenPAC’s 2012 season features a diverse range of artists including Dokken with Warrant, Boyz II Men, Glenn Frey, Paul Anka, Gladys Knight, Steve Miller Band, Ziggy Marley, Diana Krall, The Jacksons, Tesla, Yes with Procol Harem, Meat Loaf and Salt-n-Pepa. Please visit http://www.bergenpac.org for the BergenPAC’s full 2012 line-up.
  
  Reply
Terri says:

25 April 2012 at 3:43 am

Another great show last night, though I did think the sound was a bit off at a couple of points-maybe it was just me-
The boys looked like they were having a good time, Chris seemed a little anxious but not in a bad way-Heaven and The Knack were great and the fans up front did not hesitate to display their admiration for him!! And Cool for Cats is one of my faves, along with Another Nail, so I was thrilled-
(Honestly though, I would trade those two just ONCE for something from Play-Satsified, Sunday Street, House of Love, Letting Go, But I know I must accept here in the States they will probably never go there : ( )
I don’t mean to complain, the setlist was varied and fun!! Highlight for me was In Quintessence and Points of View-
Glenn was his usual wonderful self, Stephen, Simon and John also fab-
I love the banter with the crowd and between Glenn and Chris, my one real criticism would be that there was very little of it-some Tempted and Coffee sing-a-long but that’s it-
I am always a bit down at the end of the show-so happy to have been there, but so sad that it’s over–now begins the long wait until July 15-
By the way, the Live at the Fillmore vinyl was NOT available at the show :(

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packetofthree says:

25 April 2012 at 1:23 pm

Squeeze and the English Beat at Bergen PAC, April 23, Englewood, NJ

APRIL 24, 2012 BY TONY SOKOL 0 COMMENTS
The first time I saw Squeeze, it was at a small bar called Club 57 on St. Mark’s Place in downtown Manhattan. It’s probably because of this, even though I’ve seen them at larger theaters and stadiums, they will always be my favorite bar band. Although they became a legendary, radio-friendly band, Squeeze never lost the familiarity they have with their audience. This is a band that’s happy running back and forth to the bar to throw back a few during breaks, mingling with the audience. Squeeze wants to have as much fun as the audience. Last night’s show at Bergen PAC, with the English Beat as openers, was a fast-paced, energetic romp through very familiar territory.
Squeeze didn’t put on any pretenses; a simple screen shows clips of old movies, short films and band press behind them while they played. Glenn Tilbrook is an underrated guitarist. His leads are tasteful, forceful, melodic and fast. He and Chris Difford, the songwriters, pack more chords into their songs than most prog bands. The chords inform the fun and add subtle drama to their witty lyrics, or undercut sad lyrics with poppy beats. When Glen and Chris sing together they create a signature sound. The band is first-rate on their instruments. John Bentley is on bass, Stephen Large on keyboards and Simon Hanson, the drummer, has so much fun recreating Gilson Lavis’ old runs, he finds a new vocabulary for the poetry of his rhythm. The band has fun with the sounds they can incorporate into such pop-rock perfection.

Squeeze had so many favorites that almost all their songs feel like hits. Halfway through the show they played so many popular songs in a row, so enthusiastically, that every song felt like an encore. They opened with “Take Me I’m Yours” from their first album and closed with “Black Coffee in Bed” and hit all their musical periods. They opened their encore with an audience-led version of “Tempted.” They couldn’t play all their most recognizable songs, but they tried their best, hardly lingering for a four count between some songs. They didn’t rush the music, but they skipped everything in between, including most banter, so they could fit in as many songs as they could, knowing they’d have to leave out some fan favorites. I like some of their deep cuts best, so I missed some of my personal favorites, and my kids missed their two favorites, but it didn’t take away from the fun. (Yes, my kids, they’re twelve and bemoan how little good rock there is to find on a popular radio that only plays 12 or thirteen pop artists in any given month.) When the house lights went out on his solo acoustic tour a few years ago, Glen Tilbrook might move the audience to the parking lot. He had more songs than union rules allowed.

Their most recent studio record was “Spot the Difference” from August 2010 which invited the listener to “spot the difference” between new and old versions of some of their best known songs. The band recently released the 20-track “Live at the Fillmore” album from earlier in the tour.
Squeeze is also a bar band because they’re not just the type of people you’d be drinking with if you go to clubs, they might already be drinking. And if you’re drinking, you’re drinking with them. The English Beat invited the audience to drink with them or to them or on them several times.

The Beat wasn’t as popular in America, where they’re known as The English Beat, as they were in England, but they’ve kept a solid following. They are a 2 Tone ska band formed in 1978. Ska music has the power to move your ass and anything with the power to move your ass has the power to free the mind, or at least make it shake until it’s happy. They opened with a medley of two my favorites of theirs, “Full Stop” and “Mirror in the Bathroom,” and closed with their biggest U.S. hit, “Save It For Later.” They also put their stamp on covers of “Tears of a Clown,” originally by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and The Staples’ “I’ll Take you There.” The Beat is Dave Wakeling on vocals and guitar, Ranking Roger on vocals, David Steele on bass, Everett Morton on drums, Saxa on sax and Mickey Billingham on keyboards, formerly a member of Dexys Midnight Runners and General Public.

Set List
SQUEEZE
1 Take Me I’m Yours
2. If I Didn’t Love You
3. Tough Love
4. In Quintessence
5. Revue
6. Model
7. Knack
8. Is That Love
9. Points Of View
10. Heaven
11. Melody Motel
12. Bang! Bang!
13. Cool for Cats
14. Up the Junction
15. Another Nail in My Heart
16. Goodbye Girl
17. Annie Get Your Gun
18. Hourglass
19. Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Encore:
20. Slap and Tickle
21. Tempted
22. Black Coffee in Bed
THE ENGLISH BEAT
1. Full Stop
2. Mirror In The Bathroom
3. Tears Of A Clown
4. I’ll Take You There (The Staple Singers cover)
5. Never You Done That
6. Tenderness
7. Save It For Later

thesilvertongueonline.com

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