Earlier this year Deacon Blue returned with a new album – The Great Western Road. Rather than being a rehash of old ideas, the record saw the Scottish band continuing to push the boundaries via the songwriting skills of frontman Ricky Ross. The band were rightly proud of the new album as they arrived at the Leeds arena, eager to showcase the delicacies and delights of the record, though the dilemma, as is often the case when an act has been performing for so long, is how to appease the faithful whilst maintaining a degree of freshness.

Thankfully, the balance between old and new was split evenly, with the vocals of Ross and Lorraine McKintosh still recognisably intact forty years on from when Deacon Blue first appeared. Turn Up Your Radio! provided a good opening number, with the title of the track being quite ironical: any of the band’s legacy of hits are more likely to be heard on the radio than the new material, which seems rather confusing when the quality of songwriting on display was just as good as back in the day.

Tonight’s audience was mainly there for the hits – and they received them in abundance. They were out of their seats as soon as the opening chord of Fergus Sings the Blues resounded around the arena. Raintown came with the cinematic theme that made the original so appealing, whilst Real Gone Kid, the song best associated with the band, was given a heroic reception by the fans. The group understand the power of a big hit, as they appeared to give the track a certain reverence and respect in an extended version of the song, building up into a giant crescendo of powerful pop and melody.

Of the more recent numbers, Late ’88 detailed their first bout of success via the video screens showing the band in a more youthful mode from almost forty years ago. “We seemed to do it all, and it all seemed so easy,” sang Ross as a reminder of how the band appeared to have the world at their feet in an era of pop music that was more concerned with disposable pop acts.

The cover of Warren Zevon’s Keep Me in Your Heart, dedicated to keyboard player James Prime, a founding member of the band who passed away this summer, was a fitting finale on a night where the road ahead for the band looked to be as assured as ever.

The tour continues with further dates in the north:
Monday 29th September – Sheffield Arena
Wednesday 1st October – Manchester AO Arena