Last week I was in Birmingham for a gig; ‘The Odd Couple’ tour by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. They were, of course, the singer-songwriters from Squeeze. In the early days Jools Holland played too – ha has, of course, gone on to bigger and better things.

The gig was very different – the stage was set out as an apartment – beds, sofas, dining tables and the like.

Difford and Tilbrook are amazingly talented – playing a two hour set on their own – no backing singers or support. They both play guitar, Tilbrook piano. It was a romp through their greatest hits and some new material. Squeeze lyrics are often sublime!

“They do it down on Camber Sands, they do it at Waikiki…”

The list of hits contains some of my favourite songs of all time:

Cool For Cats,

Pulling Mussels,

Is that Love

Black Coffee,

Take me I’m yours

Up the Junction,

Slap and Tickle,

Annie Get Your Gun

Tempted and, to finish

Labelled with Love…

But this wasn’t just music – there were two or three opportunities to ask questions – gaining an insight into their relationship. I was amused by some of the stories – Diffords take on ‘Tubular Bells’ which he listened to whilst stoned and regard as ‘genius’. He confessed to listening to it a few months ago, whilst clean, and now see’s it as ‘shit’! Tilbrook was asked about the comparison to Lennon & McCartney – as they were in the 1980’s. He suggested that it was initially great – but affected them – making them arrogant. It wasn’t until they put it behind them until they got back to doing what they do best..

It was a great evening – I have lost count of the number of times I have seen them – but they never cease to make me smile. And – I still know most of the words from those formative years…