Squeeze man Glenn performs live in Airdrie

Oct 10 2012 by Graham Miller, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

Glenn Tilbrook

His temples may be greying and his waistline expanding, but Squeeze star Glenn Tilbrook’s songs show no sign of middle-age — still sounding as fresh and tight as ever.

The outrageously talented singer-songwriter performed a fabulous solo set last Friday night at the Sir John Wilson Town Hall in Airdrie.

Armed only with his trusty acoustic guitar and easy-going stage manner, Glenn got the disappointingly small audience immediately onside, with a raw and powerful rendition of his band’s 1978 debut single ‘Take Me I’m Yours’.

In what was essentially a glorified busking session, Glenn managed to not only do justice to each of his power-pop gems, but showcased just how outstanding these songs are, stripped of all other instrumentation, even including former member Jools Holland’s infectious boogie-woogie piano.

‘Goodbye Girl’, ‘Black Coffee in Bed’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Another Nail in My Heart’, ‘Tempted’, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, ‘Is That Love’ and of course ‘Up The Junction’ — this thoroughly enjoyable trip down memory lane was a timely reminder of just how many great singles Squeeze had.

Tilbrook was on top form, taking obscure requests such as T Rex’s One Inch Rock: “a while since I played that one”. Asking, “What do I have in common with David Beckham and Wayne Rooney?”, he then explained the reason behind his recent broken metatarsal (he slipped on wet grass). The 55-year-old Londoner was in his element, even composing off-the-cuff jingles for a local takeaway.

The unlikely guitar hero’s playing was a joy to behold. Lightning-fast solos from hook-laden hits were delivered with consummate ease — talk about nimble-fingered.

His voice still sounds great too. Effortlessly delivering the evocative and quirky lyrics of partner Chris Difford, it’s easy to see why the pair were once mentioned in the same breath as Lennon and McCartney.

The set was sprinkled with tracks from his less well-known but equally impressive solo work, as well as a couple of warmly received covers, including Fleetwood Mac’s Oh Well and Randy Crawford’s One Day I’ll Fly Away, the latter of which Glenn said he’d always loved and had quickly worked out the chords to after hearing it on the radio recently.

The evening drew to a close with the track ‘Pulling Mussels’, leaving those who had shelled out for a ticket no doubt looking forward to Squeeze’s forthcoming reunion tour.