Squeeze
by Simon
The BBC documentary about Squeeze from a couple of weeks ago left me really weird. I was moved, I felt sad too and remembered how much I loved Squeeze.
Moved because of the obvious love between Difford and Tilbrook, moved because of the rags to riches and down again elements of their story, but also saddened by the glimpse into another world. The world and music scene they arrived in doesn’t exist anymore. I’m watching X Factor while I’m writing this and I can’t actually see Squeeze in the same world as it.
I also felt a little sad and nostalgic about my own times in bands. There was a time when the musicians I worked with were very much the same sort of people as Difford/Tilbrook, so I kind of felt like I was watching my own story alongside Squeeze’s. Felt like I wanted to be in a band again, and that hasn’t really been that strong a thing for a while.
Here’s a track from Squeeze and it’s from what is now ‘mid period’, 1990 or thereabouts. It was a b-side, but I can’t find the original version on Youtube, so here’s modern Squeeze (with the beard!!) performing Who’s That, which is a recent discovery of mine. Lovely lovely song.
True that the world and music scene Squeeze arrived in doesn’t exist anymore, and this *is* sad.
And don’t watch the X Factor! Turn it off! If everyone could do that, it would go away!
I felt a bit sad when watching Roddy Frame as well, thinking I’m watching possibly the best guitarist I’ve ever seen, performing some of the best songs ever written, in my opinion, who has never gotten the credit he deserves. At the same time millions are watching people with delusions murdering other peoples songs for the advantage of one person, Simon Cowell. Then I thought, Roddy doesn’t look to bothered, fuck it and fuck them, they deserve the x-factor if that’s all music is to them, something safe to consume while watching the telly on a Saturday night.
i am not really as fearful for the future of music as I once was, as any night of the week you could go out in Glasgow or any major city and find people playing their own music to varying degrees of competency. All you need to do is seek them out. Whether we will see the likes of Frame, or Difford and Tilbrook again, not sure, I hope so.
There is still lots of music out there, and always will be. But its a bit like old school end of pier variety, the world has moved on. Watching Squeeze or the beeb programme on pub rock is a bit like watching a programme on the old music halls, its history. Maybe I’m just getting old!!!
Being in a band is shite Simon! Especially when 3/4s of you have kids & all of you have wives and jobs. And especially when half of you can’t remember the songs that are practised twice a week. And when one of you hasn’t paid room rent for a 6 months. And when one of you is a domineering control freak (hello).And when the other band you share a room with has started to use your amp as a tea tray. And when promoters rip you off. And when the soundman,even though you’ve tried you’re very best to work with him, is a complete fucking dick that couldn’t mix a shandy at a funeral. Yes, being in a band is fucking shite Simon. I’m joining another on the 8th of November. We’ll be doing a Squeeze cover even though covers band are fucking shite!
Oh god. Now I’m really nostalgic. Where’s my guitar?