The Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow is a stunning reminder of the grand theatre days of old. Beautifully refurbished, it also boasts some of the best sound you’ll find in any venue in our city of a thousand venues… Okay, maybe not a thousand, but there’s a good few!
As I approached the theatre, I was immediately greeted by the huge neon sign proclaiming my arrival, while the magnificent façade looked quite grand enough to grace any theatre in the country.
It was, of course, raining in Tinsel Town, but the architects had clearly anticipated the Glasgow weather and incorporated a wide concrete umbrella into their plans. The long queue (or at least those lucky enough to be standing beneath the theatre’s frontage) were grateful for that. The staff were equally on board, hastily shepherding fans inside as quickly as their hard-working wee feet would allow.
The theatrical setting continues inside, where the vista opens into full-blown Glaswegian vaudeville as you enter the stalls. A large, decorative stage, complete with fire curtain, sits ready for action, instruments in place and stage crew busy with those last-minute fixes that somehow always need fixing.
First up are Neil Arthur and Finlay Shakespeare, aka Blancmange.
Finlay was much, much too young to have seen Blancmange in the 1980s, but as it transpired, he certainly knew his way around his rack of synths. Neil, meanwhile, was resplendent in his usual smart, almost formal attire.
Blancmange were massive in the 1980s but somehow managed to slip beneath the radar of mainstream public attention for much of their career. While many of their contemporaries were chasing as much media attention as they could possibly find, Blancmange quietly got on with the business of making bloody good music.
The huge hits would, of course, be in the set, but there is considerably more to Blancmange than the obvious crowd-pleasers. Neil has an uncanny talent for producing incredible songs, and his work since those heady days is testament to that.
Neil decided to kick things off with ‘Game Above My Head’, immediately giving the audience something to get their teeth into. A canny choice from the seasoned performer.
Mr Arthur is known to be a man of few words during the early part of his sets and can appear outwardly nervous, but once things settle down and he realises the crowd are firmly on his side, he comes out of his shell. His arsenal of (in)famous dance moves is unleashed and the storytelling begins.
Think drunk chemistry teacher at a sixth-form school dance.
His journey to Glasgow unfolds through a series of stories, including one about seals he had seen in Whitley Bay which, according to Neil, looked like furry sausages. He may well have had a point, but someone in the crowd felt compelled to remind him (at considerable volume) that they were here for the music! He took it in good spirit!
Strange… Glaswegians are usually such a shy and retiring bunch.
Hit after massive hit followed during Blancmange’s ten-song set, including the Depeche Mode classic ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ and the bizarrely brilliant spoken-word piece ‘What’s the Time?’
Neil eventually sent the crowd into the interval with a tantalising promise of a headline tour in the not-too-distant future. I suspect there were plenty of people in the room who would happily sign up for that one.
Regular theatre-goers were already ahead of the game during the break. They had ordered their halftime refreshments before the gig even started and had them delivered directly to their seats, while the theatre virgins queued at the bar.
Lesson learned. Future sorties into the world of theatre will be planned with considerably more foresight.
Such was the queue that many fans were still waiting for their drinks as Tom Bailey and his band took to the stage.
Anyone who hasn’t seen Tom since his band sat proudly (almost) atop the UK charts in the 1980s would still recognise him immediately. The colour of his hair may have changed and the gaiety of youth may have long since departed, but there is absolutely no mistaking Tom Bailey.
One thing that certainly hasn’t left him is the ability to write and perform massive tunes.
As you’d expect, tonight’s set is comprised mainly and quite rightly of Thompson Twins material. Thompson Twins were, and Tom remains, masters of their particular trade. More pop-driven than tonight’s openers, certainly, but damned good at what they did.
The band, formed in 1977, initially flirted with the emerging new wave scene before moving towards the sound for which they would ultimately become famous. In hindsight, it was quite some move.
Hit after hit brought them the success they deserved, while it also brought various changes of personnel before the classic line-up of Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway took shape and proceeded to take the contemporary music scene by storm.
Fast-forward to tonight in Glasgow and the stage is lit by a flood of royal blue. The band are little more than silhouettes, waiting patiently for the main attraction — Mr Tom Bailey.
The audience are already on their feet, waiting to acclaim their musical hero.
‘In the Name of Love’ ends the wait as the stage erupts into light and sound. As mentioned earlier, Tom Bailey is instantly recognisable as he strides to his front-and-centre pulpit, and his congregation are more than ready for him.
All hail the Thompson Twin…
The set is, naturally, dominated by Thompson Twins songs, supplemented by some solo work and the occasional cover.
Song four brings the next Thompson Twins mammoth tune as ‘You Take Me Up’ explodes into life. The majority of those still seated are now firmly on their feet, belting out the words in a full-blown flashback to their youth. Some have even taken to dancing like Neil Arthur.
‘You Take Me Up’ also provides one of the evening’s funniest moments — and it came perilously close to being a set-ender.
Tom throws a giant red balloon into the crowd. It is bounced around for a while before its trajectory took it back towards the stage. No problem.
Except Tom, seemingly without looking, gave it a shove and sent it directly towards his synth stack.
There was an almighty explosion of sound and light as the balloon collided with the equipment, sending assorted bits and pieces flying across the stage.
The stage hands immediately make like Usain Bolt as they frantically set about putting everything back where it belonged. Mr Bailey, meanwhile, appeared delightfully oblivious to the minor catastrophe unfolding behind him and simply carried on like the consummate professional he is.
Panic over.
Into ‘Shooting Star’ and then ‘We Are Detective’, and the crowd are now in full overdrive. They are singing their collective hearts out and dancing for all they’re worth.
Tom’s band deserve a special mention. Ever-smiling and seemingly permanently on the move, they provided the perfect foil to Bailey and the huge songs. None of them would have been old enough to have experienced the Thompson Twins first time around, yet they play and sing the material with such conviction that you’d swear they had been there.
Tight, professional and joyful, they add considerably to the whole spectacle.
The potential for a cover is fulfilled at track twelve when the massive Talking Heads classic ‘Psycho Killer’ makes an appearance. Just as Blancmange had done earlier with ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, it proves to be a masterstroke.
Anyone who considers themselves a music fan knows this song — and it demands participation. Even if you only know the chorus, you’re joining in.
And then comes the finish.
Now, how is this for a way to end a gig?
‘Doctor! Doctor!’, ‘Love on Your Side’ and finally…
‘Hold Me Now’.
C’mon…where are you going to find a better finish to a gig than that?
A finish of equal quality, perhaps, but you’d need to travel afar to top this.
The venue, the staff, the fans and, most importantly, the music combine to make this a fantastic night. Nostalgic, certainly, but never trapped in the past. Instead, a distant memory manifests itself as a fresh musical adventure.
And that, in a nutshell, is what live music should be.
BRILLIANT!
Review & Photographs by John Brown Photography
