Duo ‘Proclaims’ themselves as more than soundtrack hit

The Proclaimers prove themselves to be more than just a one-hit wonder at the Tractor Tavern last week.

Photo by Kristin Henry

Thu, 05/02/2013

By Dusty Henry

As the crowd settled in at The Tractor and waited for The Proclaimers on April 23, a fellow attendee turned to me and asked what I assumed is a litmus test at all Proclaimers shows.

“Are you actually a fan or do you just know ‘500 Miles’?” she asked.

“I’ve actually listened to them for a while, mostly the Sunshine on Leith album,” I replied.

“Yeah that’s really the only one I know too.”

The April 23 show was completely sold out, yet it was still assumed that most were there just for the band's biggest hit: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” The song gained popularity from its inclusion in the movie Benny & Joon and went on to hit number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It’d be easy to dismiss them as a gimmick act –- especially when you tack on the fact that they are twin brothers from Scotland.

The brothers, Craig and Charlie Reid, walked onto the stage wearing nearly identical outfits. The only discernible differences were their hair styling and shoe color (one wore black shoes, the other brown). Charlie picks up an acoustic guitar and each goes to their mics before jumping into the Sunshine on Leith track, “I’m On My Way.”

25 years after the album’s release, the group’s vocals still sound the same. The brothers’ knack for harmonies is otherworldly. They rival those of The Louvin Brothers –- a comment not thrown around lightly. The brothers broke back and forth during the verses with their “uh huhs” before rising into a melancholic harmonization on the chorus -- “And now that I don’t want for anything, I’d have Al Jolson sing ‘I’m sitting on top of the world.’”

In between songs, the brothers would banter rhetoric on Scottish national affairs. Admittedly, it was a bit hard to understand with their thick accents, but when they sang, their words were easier to digest.

The duo’s third song “Letter From America” featured the two singing “I spent the evening thinking about the blood that flowed away.” It’s a line that some might expect from a group like Radiohead, not two goofy twins with glasses serenading with sweet counterpoint. Things got even more raucous with the Leith favorite, “Cap In Hand,” as they both belted, “But I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand.” Craig even brought out a penny whistle for the track.

On these political songs, and there were a handful, the band felt like it was at its best and most passionate. There's no gimmick. There are real issues out there and they’ve committed to furthering the discussion, with a few love songs along the way.

Ballad “Sunshine on Leith” marked one of the most captivating segments in the set. The song lent itself well to the acoustic setting –- the other instrumentation from the album version was hardly missed. Craig’s falsetto matching with Charlie’s wobble brought the solemnity of the song to a boil.

As if there were any question about it, The Proclaimers ended their encore with “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” They didn’t even need to hype it up. Once Charlie started playing the first driving chords, people were ready to dance and scream along. This is where everyone started to bring out their camera phones and sway their bodies.

Though clearly everything had been building up to that moment, it seems pretty clear that it wasn’t just that song would be taken away from the show. These two Scottish gentleman showed Ballard that they are experts at their craft and have a lot to say.

Set List: