Deacon Blue ***
Playhouse
YOU never see young bands cite Deacon Blue as an influence. After all, the Glasgow band's sound is a bit dated, few people under the age of 30 even know who they are, and Sportscene presenter Dougie Vipond is their drummer.
That said, the early nineties pop band are cool for one thing - being named after a Steely Dan song. They also have a devoted following, as last night's show at the Playhouse testified. Playing for an hour-and-forty-five minutes, the venue bounced as Deacon Blue reeled off all their hit tunes. The performance was being filmed for a DVD, and singer Ricky Ross enjoyed showing off as he threw water into the audience, posed with his guitar, and charged about the place.
He also indulged in some cheesy mid-song repartee with Vipond during Chocolate Girl, apologised for some negative lyrics about Edinburgh in The Day That Jackie Jumped The Jail (he was unsurprisingly forgiven), and generally had a great time. Just like everybody else. Ross's wife and River City star Lorraine McIntosh was in fine fettle also, but it was classics Dignity and Real Gone Kid that suggested while Deacon Blue might not be coolest band on the block, they certainly know how to give their fans a good time.