Debuting in Swansea Arena and opening on tour for Squeeze, John Cooper Clarke – poet laureate of punk, rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator – was phenomenal. Forty minutes of spoken word, plying his trade as only he can (and has for over 45 years): poetry should reflect the change in times, and this performance certainly did.
Accelerating through the likes of Hire Car in his trademark rapid firestyle, JCC deals with his sobriety in the most head-on way with Get Back On Drugs, You Fat Fuck, and the aging process in general with “Bedblocker”. His crowning moment, though, remains Beasley Street (“the BBC use this every time they do a programme about Thatcher, I wrote it 18 months before the bitch got near Westminster”), followed by its modern equivalent Beasley Boulevard about the gentrification of the area. Add in references to First Minister Mark Drakeford, Swansea as a university town and Welsh nationalism, this audience lapped up every second; John Cooper Clarke exits stage left to a standing ovation.

Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, the remaining original Squeeze members, have been in the industry almost 50 years themselves. Sifting through their back catalogue, they play the classic Pulling Mussels (From The Shell), a demonstration of Tilbrook’s guitar prowess: he gets Swansea Arena off their seats, on their feet and dancing. The show continues at pace with Take Me I’m Yours and stopping off at Up The Junction, while Cradle To The Grave, from 2015, has the same class, as does the new song they’ve just released, Food For Thought. A charity single for The Trussell Trust’s work with homeless people, it’s a vicious attack on the government that allowed this to occur.
The presence of those, and the seldom played What Have They Done, is evidence that they haven’t just come here to play the hits, but my goodness! When they do – Labelled With Love, for instance – the crowd erupt. Keyboardist Stephen Large oozes talent and charisma, his showmanship elevating the music to a new level, and Melvin Duffy’s lap steel playing adds a real country flavour. The pair shine, but the rest of the band are awesome performers in their own right. Steve Smith’s energy on percussion, new bassist Owen Biddle and drummer Simon Hanson add to an all-round top-notch show.

All of which means that when they race for the end, they do so in an incredibly varied way. Very First Dance is funky, Goodbye Girl gets cowbell bonus points and Another Nail In My Heart is proper rock’n’roll, strutting and lively. However, it’s Tempted that ends up being my highlight, Tillbrook playing it mostly solo.
Late-70s single Slap And Tickle begins the encore in a haze of synthesizer, smoke and a lightshow to rival Guy Fawkes night, before Black Coffee In Bed is used as a vehicle for the band to each get their moment in the spotlight. The set ends with another hit from 1979, Cool For Cats: cue spilled drink, and universal overjoy with the nostalgia of it all.
Squeeze + John Cooper Clarke, Swansea Arena, Thurs 17 Nov
words and photos ANTHONY CONWAY
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