T in the Park review: Deacon Blue, Main Stage

“WE feel like we’ve been invited to a teenager’s birthday party,” says Ricky Ross, acknowledging a generation gap between Deacon Blue and puckish youngsters camped at the Main Stage.
By RAY PHILP
Published 13th Jul 2013, 19:14 BST
Deacon Blue. Picture: David P ScottDeacon Blue. Picture: David P Scott
Deacon Blue. Picture: David P Scott

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Wearing his 55 years gracefully with a white shirt and a dark waistcoat, Ross tests the waters with The Hipsters, a song glazed in sweeping strings and guitars, its sweet surfaces cracked by pounding kickdrums that make enough impact to prick the ears early on.

Powered on by Ross’ showmanship and vocalist Lorraine McIntosh’s generous melodies, Deacon Blue’s eternally romantic pop songs are met by a generally receptive audience. Ross urged his young charges to clap and sing along to the emboldening power-pop of That’s What We Can Do, and they joined in in larger numbers for Loaded’s uplifting chorus.

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That said, Ross’ prodding and cajoling seemed necessary - the festival’s ever-expanding list of rules (including bans on laser pens, beer javelins and, more bizarrely, camel packs) never seemed in danger of being broken by an unusually reserved Main Stage audience.

T IN THE PARK REVIEWS:

• Emeli Sande on the Main Stage

• Mumford and Sons headline the Main Stage