Chris Difford, when he’s not in the mighty Squeeze, often does a solo show with Squeeze guitar player Melvin Duffy on pedal steel and guitar. Tonight, we are treated to a kind of potted version of it.
After “Take Me I’m Yours”, Difford launches into a very funny, very self-deprecating 50 minutes, one which almost tells the story of his life: from the humble beginnings of “Deptford” to being on Top Of The Pops with “Up The Junction”. “Me and Jools Holland decided we wanted to shag Legs & Co.,” he says. “But there were a lot of them, and David Van Day from Dollar got there first.”
He takes us back to the first song he ever wrote, “It’s Over”, which finally saw the light of day 52 years later on Squeeze’s new “lost” album, “Trixies”. Aside from the banter, though, there are some marvellous songs, like “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)”, or the tale of young hopefuls going to America that is “Freddie And The Dreamers”, which underlines his prowess away from the day job.
So does “Cowboys Are My Weakness”. “We wrote this for k.d. lang,” he smiles, “but she wrote back saying she didn’t like it.”
Before long, there’s a string of tunes kept off the number one slot, like “Labelled With Love”. “Tempted” is another beauty. “Glenn does a great version of this,” Difford says. “I’m going to ruin it for you.”
“Cool For Cats” ends things and sees him claim to be “semi-erect” at the crowd’s harmonies. Even then, he’d be no match for Lennie Peters of Peters and Lee, apparently, and their “Welcome Home” accompanies them off.
All self-deprecation aside, Chris Difford is getting towards national treasure status.
“’Ello, ’ello, ’ello, it’s Saturday night.”
Elvis Costello, and his American twang these days, channels some Ian Hunter for the opening gambit. After which things get rather breathless.
There’s “This Year’s Girl”, “You Belong To Me”, and then he fires out the boogie-woogie of “Mystery Dance”, sounding for all the world like The E Street Band. “Watching The Detectives” follows before we pause for breath.
All of those songs are bound together by being his early songs, and this tour is a celebration — a reimagining, if you like — of those early albums.
“Little Triggers” begins the de facto second part, with “Watch Your Step” following before an unnamed country demo became “Accidents Will Happen”. And, as “Opportunity” proves, these aren’t facsimiles. They are versions of these songs, played with his long-standing Imposters: Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher, with the added Attraction of Charlie Sexton.
A man who has played with everyone, Sexton now bolsters this band, and the third section recalls his former boss Bob Dylan, with the five men almost huddled on the stage around the piano and Elvis’ guitar for bursts of “Beyond Belief”.
Then off he goes to the piano for the late-night jazz of “Almost Blue” and “Who Will The Next Fool Be”. “Indoor Fireworks” sees him sound cracked and broken.
“This is our tribute to the Everly Brothers,” he jokes, before “You’re So Loveable”, while “Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?” is rock’n’roll from Sun Studio.
A passionate “Clubland” is mixed with a touch of “Ghost Town”, and after that it is rock to the finish. That includes “Radio, Radio” and “Less Than Zero”, before he pulls the pace back with “Shipbuilding”, his voice lugubrious and heavy with feeling.
“Oliver’s Army” has been updated for 2026, thankfully, and “Alison” and “Big Boys” sound fresh despite the vintage.
“Pump It Up” comes with snippets of Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, which leaves only one. The only one, too, perhaps. And in 2026, you have to ask “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding” on an almost daily basis.
Those early albums of Costello’s were as good as anyone’s, and this was a joyous celebration of them. He’s not the same artist as then, of course, but he plays them in a way that feels right for right now.
They deserved to be on the radio then and they’ve still got soul
