Friends Again

31st January 2026

Glasgow Old Fruit Market

I used to love Friends Again - at least, up until that slightly disappointing Trapped and Unwrapped album.  It wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a poor album.  

It just failed, in my opinion, to live up to the promise shown by those marvellous early singles by the band:  Honey at the Core, State of Art, Sunkissed and Lullaby No2.  Most of these tunes were, of course, re-recorded for the album, but they were infuriatingly inferior-sounding renditions.

Nevertheless, like a fair % of Glaswegians of my vintage (going by how quickly the gig sold out), I made sure I was going to be present, when the band performed this first concert in over 40 years.

Although, strictly speaking we only had 3/5 of the original band up on stage this evening - for we saw no sign of the rhythm section of yore: Stuart Kerr and Neil Cunningham, who were replaced this evening by Stuart Kidd and Douglas McIntyre.  Plus a young pup - Rob McLaughlin - who played Chris Thompson original guitar parts, allowing the singer to swoop and sway.

It was wonderful to hear many of these magical songs live, for the first time since I caught the band back in 1983.  

But I have to say, if truth be told, Friends Again don't really have enough quality tunes to pad out an 80 minute set.  Consequently there was a rather flabby middle to the show (Tomboy/South of Love/Dealing in Silver), I thought.

I don't know if the band did much in the way of covers back in the day, but we got two rather surprising and fun choices here:  David Bowie's Kooks (which I missed, as I was in the bar queuing for a much needed (non alcoholic) rehydration - gosh, but it was hot in there.

And, as an encore: The O' Jays' Love Train.

The Old Fruit Market

    

Friends Again - January 2026

Douglas McIntyre

James Grant

Stuart Kidd

Chris Thompson

Rob McLaughlin

Paul McGeechan

Friends Again - January 2026

Setlist

Lucky Star
Swallows in the Rain
Vaguely Yours
Skip the Goldrush
Wand You Wave
Tomboy
South of Love
Dealing in Silver
Moon 3
Kooks
Lullaby No.2
Old Flame
State of Art
Sunkissed

Encore
Honey at the Core
Love Train/Lullaby No.2

Special Guest this evening was none other than adopted Glaswegian Lloyd Cole, who presented us with selection of tunes from his time spent living in the city - i.e. from the first two Lloys Cole & The Commotions' albums.

Lloyd Cole