Deacon Blue - The Very Best Of Deacon Blue Live
Amnplify 12th February 2026


@ The Forum, Melbourne February 8th 2026

Scottish pop-rock band Deacon Blue made their return to Australia with the release of their latest studio album, The Great Western Road. Bringing new live performances, the tour also marked the band’s 40th anniversary, and saw the setlist feature a range of tracks all across their catalogue.
Making a stop at the Forum in Melbourne, Deacon Blue was supported by Australia’s own Emily Barker. The singer/songwriter opened with a raw and intimate set, carried by her gentle vocals and acoustic guitar. The close atmosphere at the Forum made for the perfect accompaniment to Emily’s set, as the crowd sat and embraced each track. She was captivating, and showed such musical talent as she performed so vulnerably for the audience. With no grandiose backing to hide any faults, Barker showed that all she needs is her voice and a guitar to put on a beautiful performance.
Deacon Blue arrived to the stage at 8:50pm with no lack of energy. From the second the band appeared, their passion was electric and shot through the crowd, igniting the room. They began with ‘Turn up Your Radio’, from their latest album. It was clear from the get-go that the audience wasn’t only here for the hits, as they embraced the new tracks like they’d been listening to them for the last forty years.

Their older tracks also got a run, with song three ‘Queen of the New Year’ being one of the biggest hits of the night. The chemistry amongst the band members was palpable throughout their whole set. Lead singers Ricky and Lorraine had amazing vocal chemistry, as the two so naturally bounced off each other and created beautiful harmonies. The rest of the band too also contributed to this so well, with each having their own key moments to shine and highlight their musicianship across the set. They interacted, danced and laughed together. One of my favourite parts about watching artists perform is when you can see how much fun they are having and how passionate they are about what they’re doing, and for Deacon Blue they were not short of this one bit. You could see the passion and enjoyment in each of the band’s faces that didn’t falter throughout their whole performance, and definitely carried out to the audience.
Having only gone to the Forum as a standing venue, I wasn’t sure how the seated nature of the concert would attribute to the vibe of the crowd. But my doubts were quickly put to the side, when by the fourth song of the night, ‘Fergus Sings the Blues’, everyone was up on their feet. The energy from Deacon Blue bounced off the audience, as everyone seemed so connected, dancing together and having the time of their lives.

While it was such a lively and fun set, the band also brought us intimate moments and showcased their incredible music abilities as a group. One of my favourite moments of the night was in Ricky’s interaction with the crowd, as he touched on the unfortunate passing of their former keyboard player, James Prime. Here, he introduced their song ‘How We Remember It’, a heartfelt ode to their late friend James. The track showcased the journey the band has been on and the memories they have made along the way. It was touching, heartbreaking and an incredibly vulnerable moment of the night, which was felt through the room in their ability to emotionally connect to the crowd.
The show carried on with the band playing old hits including ‘Twist and Shout’, ’Wages Day’ and ‘Real Gone Kid’. The audience was back on their feet throughout the rest of the show and the band jumped around the stage, interacting and enjoying these moments with the crowd.

Their 2025 track ‘People Come First’ finished the official part of their set, before they came back on for a cover of Warren Zevron’s ‘Keep Me in Your Heart.’ Their ability to shift into different spaces and still have their own Deacon Blue unique take on it was so enjoyable to watch.With the passion and chemistry shown on the stage at the Forum, this was a show that left me wanting to know more, to listen more and to engage with the band more. Each member added such a valuable contribution to the live show, coming together to produce something that is so happy and fun to witness. Leaving the show it was easy to understand how Deacon Blue has been playing together for 40+ years, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Grace Kneale