Is it REALLY 45 years since Clare Grogan bounced into our living rooms via the portal that was Top of the Pops? Once the bedroom pinup of every teenage schoolboy, Clare was everywhere in the 80s. In the charts, TV appearances on shows like Top of the Pops or on the radio with her band as lead singer in Altered Images. However, she first broke through on the big screen as Susan in the smash hit movie from 1980, Gregory’s Girl. Her career in music phased out around the mid-eighties leaving her to concentrate on her acting, and she went on to play parts in other movies like Comfort and Joy alongside Alex Norton and Bill Paterson, and tv shows such as Taggart and Eastenders, but now she’s back with a bang to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Happy Birthday, the debut album that launched the band and a UK tour to showcase the 1981 record. Tonight, she’s entertaining her hometown of Glasgow in the East End’s intimate St Luke’s venue.
Support on the night would be provided by Glasgow-based indie singer-songwriter Zoe Graham, who warmed the crowd up perfectly, ready for this evening’s main act. There’s a bright future ahead for the young artist.
And now on to Altered Images. It may have been a cold, damp and dreich night outside but the crowd were buzzing as the lights dimmed and the band took to the stage to the familiar opening intro bars of Happy Birthday. Love and Kisses opened the set, as Clare Grogan made a dramatic entrance and took to the stage a minute or so into the song, and lapped up the huge roar from the Glasgow audience. Real Toys, Idols and Legionnaire followed on, as the band played out the album in the original running order. Grogan’s vocals still carry the songs well, and the band were on point. St Lukes offers good views of the stage and good acoustics, although the lighting guys could sometimes be doing with brighter bulbs in their spotlights!
The crowd were loving it though, and Clare Grogan was beaming smiles all round as she introduced the song that propelled them to number 2 in the UK chart and the title track of the album, Happy Birthday, providing a singalong for the audience before closing off the first act with Leave Me Alone and Insects. Time for a very short break as Clare headed off for a quick costume change. I Could Be Happy, See Those Eyes and Bring Me Closer gave the crowd more of the hits they came to hear, with Dead Pop Stars and an interesting cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine that The Bodysnatchers would have been proud of, up next. Finishing off the evening, one of the most identifiable 80s pop classics, Don’t talk to Me About Love. Clare and her bandmates left the stage to a rapturous applause and the gig was done.
This was a highly enjoyable evening. The old hits still sound great and Clare Grogan was in fine spirits, clearly enjoying being on stage with her band again. On tonight’s showing, let’s hope it’s not too long before they’re playing on a bigger and better stage again. For the 80’s nostalgia aficionados among us, it’s still a great night out.
Photographs and Review by Stephen Wilson Photography
