Music

Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook
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Review: Squeeze, The Hexagon, Reading

By David Millward
November 25, 2010

Squeeze, The Hexagon, Reading, Monday, November 15

A quick look around the bar at The Hexagon before the concert gave a clear indication of the age of your average Squeeze fan.

Not many faces under 40 could be seen but as the concert went on it became clear why the band had managed to retain such a hard core of fans over the years.

The mature audience had arrived in good time to see support band The Lightning Seeds who treated them to a swift showcase of their impressive back catalogue of hits from the 90s.

But it was clear the crowd, who packed out the arena, were there to re-live some of the memories of their youth sparked by the top sellers of Squeeze which date back to the late 70s.

And as the band rattled through the hits, it was a reminder of the broad spectrum of musical styles they have experimented with; from the punk era’s Cool For Cats to the country sound of Labelled With Love.

As they kept coming - Tempted, Take Me I’m Yours, Pulling Mussells (From the Shell) etc – it was also a testament to the great song writing talents of the band’s two founder and constant members Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford.

The duo had the support of excellent musicians including Steve Nieve, the long-term pianist/keyboard player with Elvis Costello, and Squeeze veteran John Bentley.

Tilbrook’s crystal clear voice sounded as superb as ever and he, in particular, displayed bags of enthusiasm and energy on stage.

Lily Allen, Mark Ronson and The Feeling are among today’s acts who count Squeeze among their influences and it would be brilliant if their young fans were to become the next generation of Squeeze concert-goers.

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