Glenn Tilbrook, Cabaret Voltaire

Published on Wednesday 20 May 2009 09:44

Glenn Tilbrook **** Cabaret Voltaire ALONGSIDE guitarist Chris Difford, vocalist Glenn Tilbrook formed one of the great song-writing partnerships of the New Wave era as the creative lynchpins of the band Squeeze.

In the late seventies and early eighties, the South London wide boys defined the era's mod punk aesthetic with classic sevens such as Cool for Cats, Up the Junction and Pulling Mussels from a Jar.

Tilbrook oozes the sharply confident geezerdom of old, but now mellowed with a more open, relaxed delivery as befits his veteran status.

The more intimate confines are the ideal setting for his genial between-song banter – all wry anecdotes about random encounters with Welsh songstress Mary Hopkins and the frosty aftermath of an opportunistic invasion of a live recording of Chris Evans' Radio Two show.

Indeed, for a musician with a top notch repertoire of his own, it is slightly surprising to hear him play so many covers.

Cuts from Fleetwood Mac, The Small Faces, The Eurythmics and The Beatles all get an outing here, but it is testament to Tilbrook's distinctive voice that he makes them entirely his own without having to play too fast and loose.

Tilbrook's factory setting is locked firmly on three-minute something slices of razor sharp verse and instantly familiar choruses that just beg to be sung along to. Sing-along they do as tracks from the new album Pandemonium Ensues are unveiled, such as Through the Net, Black Sheep and Best of Times, which are met with resounding approval.

The show is split into two parts with the ageing rocker taking a fifteen-minute break to nip across Blair Street and disappear into his lumbering but clearly much loved RV tour bus for some well earned refreshment.

With the first part consisting mainly of his recent solo material, it is left to the second part to give his equally ageing but surprisingly rowdy fans what they have been waiting for – dusting off classics such as Up the Junction and Pulling Mussels from the Jar to rapturous applause.

While the inclusion of the new single on Radio Two's heavy rotation playlist is encouraging, more could and should be done.

Judging by tonight's show, Tilbrook is a talent surpassing many of his more successful contemporaries.

Perhaps, a booking on a certain former band mate's influential television show would hurry this well deserved recognition along.