An English institution, this band is the very epitome of what a rock ’n’ roll outfit must endure to sustain a fifty-year career in recording and live performance. There have been many highs, but also some spectacular setbacks, as record labels and shifting musical trends pushed the band out of the mainstream—only for them to be drawn back in, time and again, on the strength of their body of work.
As far back as the late seventies, early eighties, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were hailed as the new John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Some scoffed; others nodded in agreement. What’s remarkable—and something I’ve only just realised—is that in the forty years since, this comparison has not been bestowed on anyone else. No other songwriting partnership has been spoken of in quite the same breath, measured against Lennon and McCartney.
Squeeze are now in Italy for a single show as part of their European tour, with Chris and Glenn joined by their six-piece band, here to promote their excellent new album, Trixies. The record features material written by Difford and Tilbrook in 1974, when they were just 19 and 16, respectively. Trixies revolves around a fictional Soho nightclub, offering a tantalising glimpse into a grittier, pre-gentrification London. It brings to mind David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World—not quite prog, but certainly complex, moody pop.
They’re playing Santeria Toscana 31, a fantastic venue to catch a band like this—holds close to 500 people at most, all standing, up close and personal. I just hope it’s full; they deserve to be celebrated and applauded.
The touring band consists of Stephen Large on keyboards and backing vocals, a role he has held since 2007, alongside Simon Hanson on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, also with the group since 2007. Steve Smith joined later, in 2017, contributing percussion, rhythm guitar, and vocals, while Melvin Duffy has been part of the line-up since 2019 on pedal and lap steel guitars, as well as dulcimer, after previously working with the band in a session and touring capacity from 2015 to 2019. Owen Biddle has handled bass and backing vocals since 2020, and most recently, Danica Dora joined in 2024, providing backing vocals and keyboards. They bring both pathos and verve, and Glenn and Chris have openly stated that Squeeze has never been better.
Tonight there is the added bonus of Glenn’s son, Leo Tilbrook, on stage as guitarist and singer. What is clear from the off is that they want to have fun—and even if the venue ends up only two-thirds full, the intent is for the crowd to enjoy the show just as much. There are lots of smiles and knowing glances among the band, one reason being that the setlist is simply brilliant. The first three songs are ‘Pulling Muscles (From the Shell)’, ‘Another Nail in My Heart’, and ‘Is That Love?’—one banger after another.
The band then play Trixies in its entirety. The best album of the year so far, it translates perfectly into a live setting, and even on a first listen it is appealing and approachable. Another reason for the band’s obvious enjoyment is that they are backing Glenn Tilbrook. He is a very fine musician, but for me it has always been about the voice. He sings everything in the same key as recorded, in that boyish-sounding way, delivering the incredible vocal melodies he created to Chris Difford’s inimitable lyrics. The band revel in playing with him as team captain.
They close the set with many other hits, including two of my personal favourites—two of the greatest British pop singles ever—played one after the other: ‘Up the Junction’ and ‘Tempted’. If I wasn’t having so much fun along with my fellow punters, I might have been choked up. I have seen Squeeze many times over the last forty-odd years, but they have never been better.
They close the gig with ‘Take Me I’m Yours’, where each band member gets to shine in an impromptu way, the electronic-driven beat of the song never sounding better. Difford and Tilbrook share vocals, giving it their all. I’m left flabbergasted and delighted.
The band take their bows while the crowd cheer in appreciation, knowing they could step onto any festival bill and more than hold their own.
With dates in the US this summer and a British tour coming up in November, it’s a no-brainer to get tickets and prepare to sing your heart out. If you buy a vinyl copy of Trixies, you will hear a band very much alive and motivated. “The gift that keeps on giving” is a well-worn phrase, but when it’s as pertinent as it is in the case of Squeeze, it deserves to be said.
Setlist: Milano 27/03/26
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Another Nail in My Heart
Is That Love
Trixies Album
What More Can I Say
You Get the Feeling
The Place We Call Mars
Hell on Earth
The Dancer
Good Riddance
Don’t Go Out In The Dark
Why Don’t You
Anything but Me
It’s Over (Come Back to Me)
The Jaguars
Trixies Part One
Trixies Part Two
Hourglass
Up the Junction
Tempted
Goodbye Girl
Slap & Tickle
Cool for Cats
Take Me I’m Yours
