REVIEW: The Proclaimers, Assembly Hall, Worthing

The pair claimed Saturday’s concert was their first in the town, though I swear they played the Pavilion back in the late 1980s. Maybe my memory is playing tricks.

Either way, there wasn’t a spare seat in the house as people travelled not only from Worthing but further afield to hear the band’s unique sound.

All the favourites were there, from Sunshine on Leith to Cap in Hand, but it wasn’t until I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) that the crowd got to their feet and many danced their way to the front.

Shame in a way, as it brought a real party atmosphere, but that number closed the main set, so the evening was nearly at an end.

Luckily, the boys returned for a rousing encore, though even then the crowd was reluctant to see them go.

It was an excellent, polished performance, delivering hit after hit – and actually, I’d forgotten just how many great songs they have done. Even then they didn’t play two of my favourites, Lady Luck and The Light.

It was all done with very little audience interaction, and in fact not much between the band members either. Maybe twins’ telepathy at work!

But they knew what we had come for, and they delivered it. None of the blather you get with modern bands and none of the stupid holding out the mic for the crowd to sing. Thank goodness – we pay to hear the professionals not the audience.

The interaction came at the very end, when Craig and Charlie strolled out to the foyer to sign albums and chat with the many people who had stayed on to speak to them.

Twisted Piglet, a band which also features two brothers, provided a jolly support, with a blend of covers and their own numbers, all delivered with great enthusiasm.