Photograph by Ian D. Hall

Originally published by L.S. Media. July 30th 2011.

Two years ago as part of the Summer Pops, Deacon Blue stormed the Liverpool Echo Arena. The audience from start to finish were beside themselves in joy having heard an expansive and top notch set from one of the great bands of mid 80’s. Two years on, they were back in Liverpool to perform for their legion of fans and yet again simply blew the cobwebs out of Liverpool’s lungs.

Ricky Ross, Lorraine Mcintosh and the rest of this fabulously talented band from Scotland certainly know how to whip up a crowd with their particular blend of pop, blues and stirring rock anthems, they deliver exactly what they promise, gentle, soothing, fiery and catchy lyrics wrapped up in band that just doesn’t know how to give a bad performance.

Deacon Blue arrived on stage and is their want proceeded to thrill the Liverpool crowd with a short version of the Beatles hit With a Little Help from my Friends before going straight headlong into the set with The One About Loneliness and the tremendous Your Town. The crowd were up on their feet for virtually the whole night as Lorraine Mcintosh bounced around the stage and sang her heart out in time to the audience’s growing appreciation. Vocalist Ricky Ross looked genuinely pleased as he noticed the crowd’s reaction to songs such as the 1987 song Raintown, the exquisite The Day That Jackie Jumped the Jail from the 1991 studio album Fellow Hoodlums and the beautiful Love and Regret.

The Summer Pops may be a little thin on the ground this year, however what might be lacking in nights out the organisers have more than ensured top quality, and they don’t come much more high quality than Deacon Blue.

The night went by too speedily, great songs by the band came and went but the group always seem to save the best till last as they thrilled a very passionate and vocal crowd with the bands first top ten hit Real Gone Kid, the storming Wages Day and the utterly delightful Dignity.

Ricky Ross is one of those rare musicians who comes to Liverpool and who really gets what the city and its people are about and gives his and the bands all to ensuring that Liverpool enjoys what it hears.

A sensational and inspiring night of music.

5 stars

Ian D. Hall