Mesmerising pop classics worth the wait for old romantics
Thursday November 23rd 2006 
 
SCOTSMAN Paul Buchanan's original band, the Blue Nile, were one of the leading lights of adult alternative pop music in the '80s.

Indeed, it was once famously said that either you owned every single one of their records, or else you'd never heard of them.

But for a small but feverishly committed fan base, they were responsible for at least a pair of certifiably classic albums, 'A Walk Across the Rooftops' and 'Hats'.

They have a reputation for taking their time over recordings and it's been said they only manage to produce something special every two World Cups.

While Buchanan's band are still semi-operational, they haven't toured outside England or their native Scotland since their heyday.

However, they played a one-off world exclusive at this year's Electric Picnic which was one of the festival's many highlights.

Tonight, Paul was back for the first of two solo shows in the far more intimate environs of Vicar St.

The mood in the auditorium is initially so reverential that you'd be forgiven for thinking that this gig was on in Lourdes.

Buchanan breaks the worshipful ice with a few good-humoured quips about Glasgow Celtic beating Manchester United earlier that night in the so-called "Battle of Britain".

After a series of beautifully executed lost classics, the crowd go completely wild. "You old romantics," Paul jokes.

After debuting an excellent new composition, a member of the audience asks for its title. "Oh, I can't commit myself to that yet," he teases.

Renditions of 'A Walk Across the Rooftops' and the gorgeous 'Tinseltown in the Rain' are nothing less than mesmerising. While the performance as a whole lacked the pleasant surprise and exclusivity factor of the Electric Picnic, there are few artists in the world today who can make a bitterly cold night in Dublin sound so romantic.

EAMON SWEENEY