I’d LIKE to start this week’s column by wishing a belated happy birthday to Craig & Charlie Reid – aka The Proclaimers – who hit the big 6-0 last Saturday.
Yes, both of them.
Just think, never again will the boys have to walk 500 miles – they can now use their bus pass.
As you know, folks, most of my musical preferences date back to the 50s (the 1850s) but I absolutely love The Proclaimers and I’ll tell you what.
Thinking back to the top popular music acts I’ve been lucky to see in the flesh – Elton John at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Sir Paul McCartney at The Hydro in Glasgow and Christian at the Miners’ Welfare in Blantyre – I reckon The Proclaimers’ gig at Motherwell Civic Centre, ooft, 30 years ago is still No1 on my list.
Yep, after getting the opportunity to play in the entertainment capital of Europe, the lads really rose to the occasion.
To be honest, the very thought of The Proclaimers – Scotland’s second-greatest double act after The Krankies – puts a smile on my face.
I’ll never forget the time they were asked by an American interviewer: “So, when did you guys first meet?”
And I love the classic joke about Craig and Charlie being unable to cut their grass as they couldn’t find anywhere selling a Flymo – Bathgate no mower, Linwood no mower, Methil no mower, Irvine no mower.
Imagine the thrill of having a great gag in your honour?
Tell you what else I love about The Proclaimers – they’re perhaps responsible for the one and only song that transcends tribal football rivalry.
OK, not too many of them will be brave enough to admit it, but even Hearts fans love the haunting Hibs anthem Sunshine On Leith.
By comparison, hands up the Celtic supporters who’d play Simply The Best or Penny Arcade on the pub jukebox?
And how many Rangers fans can’t help singing along when they hear You’ll Never Walk Alone or The Fields Of Athenry?
I’m a Motherwell fan but every time I hear Sunshine On Leith I get goosebumps like golf balls.
Can’t say the same for Jambo legend Drew Busby.
The former Hearts player now runs the Waverley Bar in Dumbarton and, according to one Off The Ball listener who emailed the show last year, he removed Sunshine On Leith from the jukebox as punters kept playing it to wind him up!
Appearing as guests on my old telly show Offside, what, 20 years ago, Craig and Charlie revealed they only write good songs when their beloved Hibs are playing well.
So let’s pray they haven’t got a new album coming out this week.
That’s three 0-0 draws for Hibs in a week (I hope they draw another blank in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Fir Park on Sunday) so I was chuckling when I saw Tuesday’s front page.
Renowned football thug Robert “Rab” Grady is heading for Ukraine to kill as many Russians as he can.
Aye, right. He’s a Hibs fan. There’s no way his shots will hit the target.
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