Two of the finest songwriters of the late 70’s and 1980’s were in town last night. Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook’s Squeeze played the Roseland Ballroom – and as you might expect, I was there!

The Roseland Ballroom has an impressive history – Fred Astair, Madonna and The Rolling Stones have all performed there! The carpets are authentically sticky, bet Fred didn’t have to put up with that?

Squeeze are one of my all-time favourite groups. I first saw them in the early 1980’s and have subsequently seen them numerous times. Once on a beach in Cannes! Last night it was New York, it was the final night of their US tour.

But first – It was The English Beat in support – known when I was in shorts just as The Beat. And they were pretty good, playing “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” “Mirror In the Bathroom,” “Hands Off She’s Mine” and “Best Friend.” I remember these hits well – It’s an age thing I suspect?

The great thing about Squeeze is that I know all the words to all of the songs! So it follows that I’m not going to have a voice after these gigs! I don’t, but I could easily stand in for either Chris or Glenn if they couldn’t make it. Lyrically they have been compared to Lennon & McCartney.

They were brilliant. The romped through the greatest hits – and in the final section played Cool for Cats, Up the Junction, Another Nail in My Heart, Goodbye Girl, Annie Get Your Gun, Take Me I’m Yours, Hourglass and Pulling Mussels from a Shell. Then for an encore, Slap & Tickle, Tempted and Black Coffee in Bed.

The American audience seemed pretty good to the boys from back home, some of them even knew the words!

And so it was all over, so I have to wait until December to see them again, this time back in Nottingham!