10th July 1987
Queens Hall
Given the number of people I have encountered over the years
who claimed to have seen The Proclaimers’ appearance on The Tube back in early
1987, statistical extrapolation would lead one to believe the Channel 4 TV
programme enjoyed an audience of perhaps 10 million. So let me own up here and now: I missed that
seminal moment in The Boys’ career.
Indeed, only managed to witness it for the first time some months ago,
when some enterprising chap placed a recording on YouTube.
The most striking thing about the footage now, is how normal
Craig and Charlie look amongst the gaggle of fancy-dressed
“look-at-me-I'm-on-the-telly” attention-seeking halfwits which passed for a
studio audience. Indeed the only thing
more bizarre than whatever is on Paula Yates' head is her attempt at a pronunciation
of Auchtermuchty.
What still shines through even after all these years, apart
from the power of the songs, is Craig and Charlie’s self-confidence and refusal
to compromise. Their passionate
rendition of Throw The R Away clearly laying down the message: “This is Us.
Take Us or leave Us, but don’t expect any concessions on our part”.
This attitude was even more clearly stated in the songs on
the debut album This Is The Story, which introduced the world to The Proclaimers’
trademark amalgam of romance, anger, wit and (often brutal) honesty. Listening to the collection now it still
sounds totally fresh, and the complexity of many of the songs all more
noteworthy given the whole album is pretty much just two voices accompanied by a single
acoustic guitar.
I played the thing almost non-stop for months after it was
released, and it holds a particular place in my heart, for it was released
around the time my first son arrived.
The little chap was born with an abdominal wall defect and spent all of
his short life in hospital.
This Is the
Story was an almost constant backdrop to my twice daily trips through to Edinburgh’s
Sick Kids Hospital from West Lothian.
The lyrics to Make My Heart Fly appeared at the time particularly
apposite, and just hearing the opening
few bars takes me back to those hours spent sitting next to an incubator
willing the lad to get better.
This gig took place in July of that year at The Queens Hall
in Edinburgh, whilst The Proclaimers were still a duet. I remember my first impression when they came
on stage was of how small and vulnerable they looked, swamped by the huge empty
stage. And, rather strangely, wondering
if Charlie ever felt any resentment that as well as singing he also had to
write and learn all the guitar parts, whilst his twin just stood and sang.
Although to be fair, Craig did strap on a set
of small bongo drums for Throw The R Away, and also gave his harmonica a fair
old blow during Burn Your Playhouse Down.
I am reasonably confident the entire debut album was played
with Letter From America perhaps given two airings. What must have been a very early rendition of
Oh Jean either closed the show or was one of the encores. I am fairly sure Sean was performed as well,
although I do wonder if I am making this up.
Would he even have been born by July 1987? The other song which was in the duo’s set
around this time is A Train Went Past The Window, but the mists of time have descended.
Upon leaving the show there was no sense of having managed
to catch some novelty act during their 15 minutes of fame; I think we all knew
we had witnessed the beginning of something rather special. Which makes it all the more puzzling to me that
it was another 14 years before I next saw The Proclaimers live.
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