The Daily Telegraph from London, Greater London, England • 31

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007 31 Purple reign Read our reviews of every Prince gig at the 02 telegraph.co.uk/music The sun is shining again on the Pr Proclaimers Twins Craig and Charlie Reid are back in the spotlight- and their new songs are as good as their old. They talk to Craig McLean t's a late Sunday evening in south London in this dismal summer of 2007 and the sun, remarkably, is shining on a British pop festival. Perhaps the elements are doing their bit to recognise the most remarkable comeback of the year. Maybe the geeks really are inheriting earth. Whatever it is, the Proclaimers are headlining the Clapham Common Ben Jerry's Festival under glorious skies.

As identical speccy twins Craig and Charlie Reid, backed by a four-piece band, tear through their amped-up set, everyone is swept along. Letter From America, their breakthrough hit from 1987; I'm On My Way, which introduced the Proclaimers to a new generation when it appeared on the soundtrack to Shrek their signature ballad Sunshine On Leith, now the title of a musical based around Proclaimers songs which recently had sold-out run in theatres across Scotland; I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), the late-'80s anthem that became a phenomenon all over again in its guise as this year's Comic Relief single these huge songs secure a roaring response at Clapham Common. More interestingly, their new single sounds like an instant classic, too. Life With You, the title track from the Proclaimers' seventh album, (Having the success with the charity single gave us a lift. It makes you up your game a little bit is a rip-roaring roc number.

After longstanding supporter Chris Evans unveiled the song on Radio 2, excited listeners lit the switchboard. Evans promptly had the twins in as special guests for the entire two-hour duration of his drivetime show. "I think we have been re-energised," says Craig Reid. "Having the success with the charity single gave a lift to everybody around us. It makes you up your game a little bit." Of all the bands hitting the comeback trail this year, the Proclaimers are the only ones not relying on former glories.

They're the "heritage" act who sound fresh, vital and now. Such, I suppose, are the benefits of being a thickly-accented folk(ish) band forever adrift of musical trends. Except that the Proclaimers never split up (it's hard for twins to split up). They kept making albums, albeit with gaps of six and seven years between them, and with fewer people noticing. But this year, 20 years since the Is the Story a debut of spartan but polemical cabbie pop-folk songs that got them on to the cover of the NME things have come good for them on myriad fronts.

It was comedian Peter Kay's idea to use I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) as the Comic Relief single. He was inspired after sharing a bill the Proclaimers at the Edinburgh leg of the Live8 concerts. He put it to Little Britain's Matt Lucas, unaware that Lucas was already a huge fan (he wrote the sleevenotes to their 2002 Best Of). A comedy cover version was duly recorded. Did Craig and Charlie, who appeared in the video alongside Kay, Lucas and a menagerie of oddball celebs (and David Dr Who Tennant, another huge fan), worry about the song being reduced to the status of a "novelty" song? "There was a little bit of that," says Charlie when I meet the brothers, now 45, in a London hotel.

"The song has got bigger and bigger worldwide over the last few years, and everybody knows the original version," adds Craig. "So we didn't have any worries at all." This is a typical Reid brothers exchange: they're fiercely opinionated and, like any siblings, merrily diverge and bicker over the most minor points. I know this because a long time ago, I was their assistant manager. And when I went to see the Sunshine On Leith musical in Edinburgh, I was powerfully reminded of Craig and Charlie's political, social and cultural convictions (they're socialist republicans who believe in an independent Scotland). The musical, which may well play in English theatres next year, is nothing like the Queen, Madness or Boney theatrical Back on top: 'I think we have been says Charlie Reid (right) 'Tony's self-belief made him loveable' Friends pay tribute to the vision of music mogul Tony Wilson ony Wilson, who died this week, once cheerfully called me a fool on a live BBC news broadcast.

I had been railing against poster bandits who demand money from rock bands for the right to advertise concerts on city walls. Tony suggested that if my band couldn't find fifty quid to grease see the appropriate palms, then didn't deserve to have anyone at our gigs. All I could do was laugh, because I knew he was right. Grumbling about the unfairness of life was of no got things done. They were man whose robust spirit and daring practical characteristics use.

imagination that Wilson made was actually a him one of the most significant figures British in musical the post-punk landscape. -HOWARD "You can have all the musical and artistic talent in the world, but nothing happens without these iconoclastic, inspirational and above all practical characters whose passion and commitment actually get musicians out of rehearsal rooms and into the world." Neil McCormick was slightly terrified of Tony at first; he was easily the most informed person I had ever had no hesitation showing off his formidable knowledge, be it of literature, politics, or rock bands. When I started working with Tony (and Judy) on Granada Reports in the early '80s, he was fully established in his -ego as one of the biggest names in counterculture music. "I can still see him sitting at his desk in the newsroom, doing deals over the phone with and on behalf of his bands. He would slip effortlessly from a furious, expletive-littered row with some promoter or other to a furious, expletive-littered row with our producer about that night's show.

Sometimes both exchanges took place simultaneously. "Tony was invariably late in to the studio, even if he was down to open the programme. This was because he'd be on the nearest phone outside in frivolities. It tells the story of two soldiers rebuilding their lives after returning from Afghanistan to Leith, the port area of Edinburgh to which the teenage Reids relocated after leaving their home in the Fife village of Auchtermuchty. "Hearing your own songs being sung by different people was the most surreal thing I've ever experienced," says Craig.

"And it was emotional a couple of times, thinking about writing the songs. But I genuinely thought it was On Life With You, easily the best Proclaimers album On Leith, twins' lyrical brio is undimmed. In Recognition lays into supposedly Leftleaning artists who accept honours from Queen or government. Craig doesn't want to name any names, but then can't help himself: "Harold Pinter. Says he takes it because it's off a Labour government what difference does that make?" he spits.

"A Labour government that went to war." Charlie adds: "And he already called Tony Blair a war criminal, which I think is legitimate to say, and he takes an honour!" Iraq also looms large on S.O.R.R.Y. (a disgusted reflection on a warmongering media) and The Long Haul (a rejection of the idea that "the war on terror" has to last for decades). But Life With You is no dour polemic: the tunes are as robust and inspirational as the Proclaimers ever were. hen I worked for them all those years ago, Craig and Charlie didn't care if they were derided as uncool or unfashionable. Teenage disciples of the punk ethic, and adult enthusiasts for classic American soul and country legends such as Merle Haggard, they wanted to do their thing their way and build a career that owed more to such decade-spanning talents as the Everly Brothers than the Gallagher brothers.

Twenty years since their debut, they've managed just that. "We're different," nods Charlie, "and it'll always be off-the-wall thing. And we'll always have minority appeal. But we can still develop it and get better. "That's why touring was always important to us," he adds, as he and his brother limber up for another world tour that will carry them through, more than likely, to next summer.

Their wives and seven children, they say, are well used to it. "It's a Scottish thing as well, going travelling, trying to put your songs over to people all over the world. We thought, 'If we could get a minority And that's what we try to do still to this day." The Proclaimers' single 'Life With You' is out on Aug 27, the album of the same name is released on Sept 3. to 27, WATCH Videos for the Proclaimers' new single Life With You and the classic Letter From America telegraph.co.uk/musicvideos Drive: Tony Wilson with his partner, Yvette Livesey the corridor (this was before mobiles) trying to close a deal. Sometimes he wouldn't make it to his chair until the show's opening titles were rolling, and while that made producers' hair fall out, Tony relished the drama of a lastmoment arrival in front of the cameras.

He was a nerveless performer, too I don't think I've seen any presenter so utterly relaxed on air, except perhaps Chris Evans. "It was his unshakeable self-belief that made him so loveable, because it allowed him to bypass the jealousy and competitiveness that so often poisons our profession. Tony didn't feel threatened anyone or anything so took a benign and relaxed view of the success of others. We will miss him so much." Richard Madeley, former colleague of Tony Wilson at Granada TV the summer of 1979, along with every London scout, I beat a path to Manchester to pay homage at the court of the young king Tony and his highly coveted Factory Records roster. He struck me as an irrepressible, almost puppy-like desperate to be liked and admired, yet he was sure enough of himself and his vision to resist all bribes the beginning I was a fan of Tony's: I loved Factory Records and I started going to the in the acid house days early 1990s.

When my career took off with Trainspotting, he was really supportive and organised my first tour starting at the I was overwhelmed by the crowds; so many people had turned up to see me. I came on to rapturous applause after being introduced by him, so I said. everyone put their hands together for I The room fell into embarrassed silence. I felt awful for exposing him to this apathy from the city he loved so much, but he didn't care. He said, 'I'm on the telly, and everyone on the telly is a A drunken Scots guy got on stage and started slagging off the audience for the heinous crime of being English in Manchester.

I was mortified. I didn't know how to handle it but Tony sweettalked him off the stage. He guided and protected me. "We kept in touch and he would send me music. Some of the stuff was rubbish but he was so enthusiastic about it that it made you wonder if you were missing something.

He was a visionary. "Money for him was just an opportunity to do something. He was never bitter that Factory and the didn't make money, but it seems so sad that he didn't have enough to pay for his cancer drugs. "He could mix with anyone. He would talk to scallies about post-structuralism because he believed that if one person picked up a book, he had achieved something.

Characters like Tony don't come through in the arts any more. You can imagine he would have lain dormant like a virus for 10 years but then he would have risen up again with some new idea. It feels like we are going to miss out." and entreaties to part with the mesmeric Joy Division. 'Will I be the saviour of the music business or just of he chortled. "In an upstairs room, boxes of A Certain Ratio singles jostled for space with rolls of sandpaper.

he bubbled, 'that's for a brilliant new album, The Return of the Durutti Column. We are getting an old people's home to stick sandpaper on to plain sleeves. I just hope they understand exactly what they are supposed to being he fretted. Alas some didn't and the sandpaper ended up on the inside of many of the vinyl albums. "For a moment there, Tony seemed to achieve both his ambitions, an independent music mogul presiding over a radical and vital recalibration of the British scene, his energy and inspiration helping to make the city of Manchester a music brand to rival Liverpool and London.

"From the Northern bleakness of Joy Division and New Order to the party madness of the Hacienda and Happy Mondays, the music that poured out of the city reflected his energy, his vision, his ego, his passion." Nick Stewart aka The Captain, former head of at Island Records richer souNds THE UK's HI-FI, HOME CINEMA FLAT PANEL TV SPECIALISTS! LG LCD TV HITACHI 37" LCD TV SONY 32" LCD TV digital HD HD HD ready ready ready This screen is not only fully HD Ready but also equipped The 37LD8500 isn't just about size; il's about A stylish 32 Sony Digital LCD TV for under with LG's famous XD Engine. The 26LC2R provides quality, too. This Hitachi boasts a picture that's full £450, we must be crazy. With both Freeview and another lesson in LCD from LG. TSP £499.95 of life and vitality.

TSP £699.95 analogue tuners built-in. TSP £699.95 £200 299. 0.95 £300 399.05 £250 0.95 SAVE SAVE SAVE -449. 5YR P.PROTECTION ONLY £29.95 MODEL: 26LC2R 5YR P.PROTECTION ONLY £39.95 MODEL: 37LD8500 SYR P.PROTECTION ONLY £44.95 MODEL: KDL32U2000 HITACHI 7" PORTABLE DVD CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MORDAUNT-SHORT SYSTEM BUY THIS CD PLAYER CD AMP Cambridge Audio TOGETHER GET Azur 640C v.2 THESE MORDAUNT-SHORT 902i SPEAKERS, Usual Price £249.95 LESS THAN WORTH £150 AMPLIFIER PRICE FREE Cambridge Audio Azur 540A v2 This top brand player offers crisp and bright images Usual Price £249.95 from its 7 LCD screen. Equally impressive is the SYSTEM USUALLY £649.85 PDV313's playback flexibility.

TSP £119.95 £70 43.95 SOUND WHAT HI- VISION F17 Hi-Fi VISION World 0: IN AMP 65WPC £150 .95 SAVE SAVE MULTI REGION AWARDS 2005 0 0 2 SPKS 100WPC -499 MODEL: PDV313 5YR SUPERCARE £49.95 5YR WARRANTY ON ALL LCD TVS ONLY OF THE PURCHASE VALUE COMPARE OUR PRICES INCLUDING WARRANTY WITH THE COMPETITION ALL THESE PRICES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE -STORE SO PAY US A VISIT WE'LL EVEN PAY YOUR PARKING SIMPLY ASK IN-STORE WE'LL BEAT ANY PRICE 'TIL IT HURTS FREE MX300 SENNHEISER HEADPHONES 16.8.07 GIVE YOU UP TO :100 WITH ANY PURCHASE OVER £10 BRING THIS VOUCHER IN -STORE TO CLAIM BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR VIP CLUB FOR FREE! per customer. First come, first served basis subject to availability. take advantage of a selection of even better prices (Not in conjunction with any other SEE -STORE OR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS Visit richer SoUNDS.COM or call 0845 900 1230 for details of our 43 stores nationwide Prices may be cheaper than in store, please mention this ad. Offers only valid until 23.8.07 subject to availability. All trademarks acknowledged.

TSP Typical Selling Price are based on information supplied by WHF? Magazine, Manufacturers, HI-Fi Choice, Home Cinema Choice, T3. What Video. What DVD, Digital Home, Total DVD, DVD Buyer Pricerunner, Further information available on Irvine Welsh WATCH Tony Wilson being interviewed in Hulme, Manchester telegraph.co.uk/musicvideos.