The Proclaimers
11th May 2019
ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Adam Jones. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
There’s something to be said about familiarity. As winter is beckoning from around the corner, we start to reach for our trusty thick jumpers, reliable, dependable and always there when you need them. The Proclaimers are very reminiscent of that to me, a form of musical comfort food for the soul.
You know exactly what you’re getting when you see Charlie and Craig Reid grace the stage and last night was no exception. The Proclaimers are currently on a headline New Zealand tour in support of their latest album Angry Cyclist, released late last year – the brothers showing no intention of slowing down – their 11th studio album still packing the trademark political and social commentaries wrapped in infectious melodies and catchy choruses that has made them iconic.
Our own Mel Parsons provided support and she feels like the right fit for the tour, her distinctive husky voice amplified by a stripped back acoustic sound, supported only by bass and backing vocals from Josh Logan. Right from the get-go she starts building the energy in the ASB Theatre, grabbing the attention of those already seated and the masses who are still bustling in to see the headline act. It’s a hard thing to perform in front of a half full venue as people struggle to get to their seats, but Parsons did a fantastic job. A unique kiwi sense of humour opened the song ‘Don’t Wait’, a ballad about getting out of bad situations and one of the stronger songs of her set, which was helped along by the talents of Josh Logan on bass who provided a warm, dulcet backing. As her set began to come to an end, Parsons gave us a beautiful rendition of ‘Wicked Game’ made famous by Chris Isaak, which truly showcased both her vocal talent and range before closing with ‘Far Away’.
With the atmosphere now warmed up within Aotea Centre, the lights dimmed and Leith’s biggest export The Proclaimers arrived on stage to a wall of applause. Looking around the room what surprised me the most was the age range of their fan base. Not known for being at the forefront of modern music taste or mentioned in the same conversations as whoever is in the charts, the number of younger fans here tonight was a pleasant shock.
They chose to open with the stabbing, anti-fascist title track from 2017’s Angry Cyclist and the show never relented from there; pulling classics from their immense back catalogue, they took the audience on a journey through heartache and joy without ever breaking a sweat. It only took a few songs before the familiar sight of people rising to their feet to dance in the front rows came to fruition, something you can always count on at a Proclaimers show; to be fair you can’t help but move to the stirring harmonies and compelling vocal rhythms. ‘Over and Done With’ and ‘Letter From America’ pushed the pace of the evening before ‘Streets of Edinburgh’ provided a melancholic breather, the band not once stopping for air as they went straight from one song to another. Their perfection and impeccable musical timing when performing to a sold-out venue is a testament to their thirty years of experience and they did not miss a beat.
‘Lets Get Married’ was performed with gusto as Charlie Reid furiously played his acoustic guitar whilst delivering soaring backing harmonies, his voice filling the venue, all while Craig sang his heart out to the main chorus. The rock n roll stylings of ‘Role Model’, the joyful chorus of ‘Spinning Around In The Air’, the emotionally charged dual harmonies of ‘The First Attack’, were all a complete audible exploration of the audiences emotions and the pacing of the tracks was flawless. 1988’s anthem ‘Sunshine on Leith’ elicited an exuberant reaction, the lyrics passionately sung back to the band by all those in attendance; the moment capturing you at a point in time where everything else disappeared and you felt as though this timeless classic was being performed solely for you. ‘Rainbows and Happy Regrets’ was a pleasant surprise to hear live with its bouncing rhythm continuing to feed the electric atmosphere the band had been driving throughout the evening and it didn’t stop as ‘I’m On My Way’ and ‘Then I Met You’ pushed the energy to its fullest just in time for the cult song ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’. Like the starters pistol at the beginning of a race, the foot stomping and clapping began immediately as the first plucks on the guitar rang out. There’s nothing more satisfying than being at a sold-out show and being able to shout ‘Da, Da Da Da’ at the top of your voice and still feeling drowned out by everyone doing the same thing.
After a very brief absence from the stage likely due to the rapturous demands to give us more, the brothers bolstered by their regular backing band returned to the stage once again to satisfy the crowd. The encore consisted of ‘Cap In Hand’ and ‘Make My Heart Fly’, followed by an unforgettable version of ‘The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues’, a song that is a standout at every one of their gigs. The backing band also needs to be credited for their talents, guitarist Zac Ware’s blistering solos, Steven Christies keyboard virtuosities, Garry John Kane’s rich bass foundations and particularly drummer Clive Jenner whose energy was frantic and unrelenting during the entire set.
Delivering a performance that delighted both die hard and casual fans alike with the perfect mix of classics and new material, the crowd could not have asked for anything more and judging by the looks on the faces of those leaving as the lights went up, The Proclaimers certainly made all of our hearts fly.
Were you there at the Aotea Centre to witness this amazing celtic rock gig? Or have you seen The Proclaimers perform live some other time? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Angry Cyclist
- Forever Young
- Over and Done With
- Letter from America
- Should Have Been Loved
- Streets of Edinburgh
- Let’s Get Married
- Role Model
- Spinning Around in the Air
- Sean
- Information
- What Makes You Cry?
- You Make Me Happy
- Through Him
- The First Attack
- Sunshine on Leith
- Life with You
- Rainbows and Happy Regrets
- I’m On My Way
- Then I Met You
- I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
- Cap in Hand [encore]
- Make My Heart Fly [encore]
- The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues [encore]
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