Squeeze - Hammersmith Apollo, London.

Squeeze
Hammersmith Apollo, London.
19/11/22
By Paul Davies

Labelled as the ‘Food For Thought’ tour, to coincide with the release of their six-track EP led by the titular new song in support of food banks, Squeeze still craft a perfect niche as the thinking person’s rock/pop band. Their songs contain wry story narratives, often witty and sometimes bittersweet, that are as engaging on record as their onstage presence. Not much has changed as they threw in the full kitchen sink musical drama that is their trademark tonight at Hammersmith. With Chris Difford mining the low vocal register drawl from the off with the opening song Take Me I’m Yours, that’s in stark contrast to Glenn Tilbrook’s loftier vocal pipes, the interchange of frontman roles works as well as it ever did across this 23-song career-spanning set. A near to full audience - of a certain age - seemed to personally connect with certain songs as they danced night away. With Tilbrook taking the guitar solos on his Telecaster guitar, Melvin Duffy at his side on lap steel and guitars, a rare outing of Hourglass found a strong favourable reaction from their ardent, dedicated fans. However, this theatre erupted as the band started the lamenting motif of Up The Junction. One of the many hits in this set that reminded everyone of this singular band's elite-level pop/rock songwriting prowess.

It's worth considering that there still isn't a group that writes classic 'kitchen sink' dramatic songs in the manner of Squeeze who couple smart, relatable observations on the human condition with catchy, ironic tunes. Their new song Food For Thought continues in doing this with its thought-provoking lyrics and ear worming melodic motif and went down very well as though these South Londoners had bought a round of drinks for all the near 4000 punters here tonight. Following a rousing Cradle To The Grave, Chris Difford, corrected by Tilbrook, got the date wrong for when they first played here. Announcing it as 1979, it was 1978, "when I had a 26-inch waist" I Think I'm Go-Go belted out another deep cut to the joy of this knowledgeable crowd who came to have a good time and catch up with their past selves. Pulling Mussels From The Shell and Is That Love continued this wistful vibe until, directed by Difford, the band stopped midway through Annie Get Your Gun as a scuffle broke out in the front stalls - proof that this group still fire up an audience - which fizzled out with the presence of security and Difford offering to 'sort it out' as though catching himself on as the very young South London teenage skinhead (Diff!) he once was. A mostly solo take on Tempted by Tilbrook on guitar and vocals and a rousing Cool For Cats ended the main set. Returning to this hallowed stage, long-term keyboard player, the slightly neurotic, white-suited Stephen Large chopped out, in a karate keyboards style, the opening passage to Slap And Tickle on his Moog keyboard. The irrepressible drummer Simon Hanson added the backbeat to do just as the song title suggests keeping everyone on their feet before Black Coffee In Bed wrapped up a highly entertaining evening. Tonight, re-emphasised the songwriting expertise of the two original members: Difford and Tilbrook and, with the fever pitch they attained with this packed theatre audience as irrefutable evidence, why musical trends come and go but Squeeze will never go out of fashion.

Squeeze Press Handout