Squeeze – 10 December 2012 – live at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool

2012-12-10 auditorium by Peter D Thompson

2012-12-10 Liverpool Philharmonic by Peter D Thompson

Glenn Tilbrook - Squeeze live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - 10 December 2012

John Bentley - Squeeze live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - 10 December 2012

Stephen Large - Squeeze live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - 10 December 2012

Chris Difford - Squeeze live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - 10 December 2012

Simon Hanson - Squeeze live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - 10 December 2012

Fisheye Philharmonic - Squeeze live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - 10 December 2012

8 Responses to "Squeeze – 10 December 2012 – live at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool"

Rob.G says:

11 December 2012 at 8:39 am

Some songs are just timeless and last nights gig at the Philharmonic proved, if proof were needed, just how many of ’em Squeeze have. Loved the new stuff too. Met the band afterwards, which was great and drove to work this morning, listening to the CD of last nights show. Fantastic!

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packetofthree says:

11 December 2012 at 10:15 am

A strange night amongst some very, very drunk people in Liverpool. I’d heard that Liverpool Squeeze and Glenn gigs were legendary for the enthusiasm of the audience. “Two chords and they’ve rushed the stage” was the warning I’d been given so I firmly expected my camera bag to disappear in a mass of cavorting humanity. Not so. The audience sat politely and applauded in the plush seats of the Philharmonic Hall.

The band were on great form and did an enthusiastic set. I had my ear pressed to a speaker in the corner of the hall so it was a great way of listening to Simon’s kit and nothing else.

The Pop Up Shop was as busy as ever with hundreds of fans buying CDs and waiting for them to be signed and to have photos taken.

There was just time for a quick drink in the ridiculously ornate Philharmonic pub across the road before heading off into the night. A good night with great people.

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1. Rob.G says:
  
  11 December 2012 at 1:13 pm
  
  Glad you enjoyed Liverpool – we don’t rush the stage quite so much these days, as we’re all getting older…sigh! (Probably too afraid of dropping our reading glasses or losing our hearing aids. Ha!) My gf is walking on air today, because Chris D signed her tour programme ‘to…lovely eyes’ I told her he probably says that to all the girls, but she doesn’t care. Now, where can I get some shoes like Glenn’s?!?
  
  Reply
  1. packetofthree says:
    
    11 December 2012 at 3:42 pm
    
    Chris is such a heart-melter isn’t he! ? The only reason you haven’t seen shoes like Glenn’s before is that you probably don’t go shopping for ladies’ shoes too often!
    
    Reply
    1. Andy H says:
      
      11 December 2012 at 11:01 pm
      
      Had the pleasure of bumping into to Simon outside the Phil an hour or so before hand. He was as talkative of ever and told me how much he was looking forward to the gig as the guys had told him how enthusiastic the Liverpool crowd were. Another terrific set from the guys. I swear the rhythm section in this reincarnation is as strong as it’s ever been and the acoustic section in the middle was brilliant. Fantastic stuff and hurry back soon.
      
      Reply
Clare Sherman says:

12 December 2012 at 7:05 pm

I doubt much stage-rushing ever happens at the Philharmonic Hall – it`s a posh venue that hosts classical concerts, you would probably get thrown out for shuch behaviour!;)

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packetofthree says:

1 January 2013 at 8:58 pm

Here’s a great review with some of my photos from LOUDER than WAR:
http://louderthanwar.com/squeeze-and-paul-heaton-liverpool-live-review/

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1. packetofthree says:
  
  21 January 2013 at 11:19 pm
  
  Squeeze and Paul Heaton
  Liverpool Philharmonic
  10 December 2012
  
  Live review
  
  Tunnel, traffic, both car parks near the venue full and an early stage time for Paul Heaton made this a hectic start to what would prove a memorable evening.
  
  It’s slightly uncomfortable watching people filing into their seats as an artist of the stature of Heaton is getting into full swing. However, for those of us who suffered through the musical desert that was the mid-’80s, Paul Heaton will forever have a place in our hearts for leading an assault on a processed-pop packed chart with his whimsical yet bitingly political lyrics in the Housemartins.
  
  He gave voice to the many who felt increasingly alienated in the consumer-driven, Thatcher revolution that was engulfing us before expanding musically in The Beautiful South and with his solo career since 2007.
  
  Heaton’s presence on the bill is also an inspired booking as he sits firmly in the proud British tradition of imaginative song-writing, dating back to the Kinks, which also includes tonight’s headliners. It’s a style that combines observation and humour to document and celebrate the mundane realities of the lives of most people.
  
  Paul Heaton displays no pretensions and tonight he takes the stage with the minimum of fuss to kick off with ‘Welcome to the South’. Instantly at ease, Heaton led us through an all-too-brief set that combines Beautiful South tracks ‘Ol Red Eyes is Back’ and ‘Dumb’, Housemartins classics ‘Build’ and ‘Me and the Farmer’ with newer songs including the stand-out ‘I’ve Got Some Dancing To Do’.He also manages to liven up a pretty sedate crowd as the songs are interspersed with his trademark banter. The lyrics, which Heaton once described as ‘one long whinge but with jokes’ are delivered in a voice that has lost none of its unique power and this is perfectly showcased in the final song, delivered acapella alongside his excellent band, ‘Caravan of Love’.
  
  My ponderings as to how Squeeze would take the stage had not included the possibility of them being called on individually by a cartoon backdrop of Bruce Forsyth but it certainly worked. They kicked off with their second single ‘Bang Bang’ followed by 1982’s ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, ‘Without You Here’ and the irresistible ‘Slap and Tickle’ instantly displaying the versatility of Difford and Tilbrook, one of the strongest, and most enduring, song-writing duos in rock history.
  
  Two new songs follow, ‘Tommy’ and ‘Top of the Form’ dedicated to teachers, before ‘No Place Like Home’ is played with the backdrop screen showing old footage of Liverpool. ‘Still’ leads into ‘Is That Love’ where the band perform while videos of their younger selves playing a gig from long ago is projected onto the back drop.
  
  An acoustic section sees the delivery of ‘Labelled with Love’ and ‘Take Me I’m Yours’ and demonstrates the true prowess of this line-up with Stephen Large on accordion, drummer Simon Hanson and bassist John Bentley all pulling together to create an outstanding unplugged vibe.
  
  The Chris Difford solo track ‘Cowboys are my Weakness’ precedes another new song in ‘From the Cradle to the Grave’. From the new tracks played tonight, it seems that Difford and Tilbrook have lost none of their creative spark and vitality and it is to be hoped that 2013 will deliver the long-awaited new album.
  
  Crowd favourite ‘Black Coffee in Bed’ sees some enthusiastic punters lose self-control and actually attempt to dance to the music however this is swiftly dealt with by the venue security with as much charm and subtlety as can be conveyed by a stare and hand gesture. I do understand why Squeeze would play this venue as every night on the tour is recorded for immediate sale and the acoustics will be the best in Liverpool. However, I fail to see why someone who wants to dance by the speakers so they are not blocking anyone’s view should be threatened with ejection and I can think of a few gigs over the years that may have given the security a little more to worry about. Still, the evening moves towards a climax and the weight of public opinion combined with the band playing ‘Tempted’ finally sees the venue on their feet before possibly the most recognisable drum intro ever leads us into the classic ‘Up the Junction’ and the set closer of ‘Pulling Mussels (From a Shell)’.
  
  Encores of ‘Cool For Cats’ and ‘Another Nail in My Heart’ lead into the finale of ‘Goodbye Girl’, played acoustically with head-set microphones that enabled the band to wander round the auditorium before exiting into the foyer where they would spend a good deal of time at their ‘pop-up shop’ signing merchandise and recordings of the evenings show.
  
  Back out into the freezing Liverpool air to reflect on a golden British period from which Squeeze, alongside many other punk, ska, and rock bands emerged to inspire in a whole generation a love of musical originality that continues to this day, as we value the old bands and anticipate the new.
  
  All words by Dave Jennings. You can read more from Dave on LTW.
  
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Squeeze – 10 December 2012 – live at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool

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