Friends Again & Lloyd Cole, Celtic Connections, Glasgow review: 'Strathclyde sophistication'
The years have been kind to the songs of short-lived Glasgow band Friends Again, writes Fiona Shepherd
Friends Again & Lloyd Cole, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow ★★★★
This reunion of a much loved but short-lived Glasgow band proved to be one of the hottest tickets of Celtic Connections 2026. Friends Again formed in Glasgow’s post-Postcard Records season of possibilities, released one album and enjoyed a “near chart experience” before splitting in 1984. Founder members Chris Thomson and Paul McGeechan joined forces with guitarist James Grant to revisit their compact catalogue in front of an audience of their peers but not before a treat of a set from worst kept secret special guest Lloyd Cole, their contemporary in Strathclyde sophistication.
Accompanying himself on lush, twanging guitar, Cole confined himself to a set of songs he wrote while living in Glasgow in the early 80s - happily, this meant a set comprising much of Lloyd Cole & the Commotions’ classic debut album, Rattlesnakes, and some hit selections from its follow-up Easy Pieces. Singing along was encouraged, clapping was kiboshed as he revisited Scottish torch songs Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken and Forest Fire, and gorgeous vignettes from 2CV to Brand New Friend before ending on the droll misadventures of Lost Weekend.
Friends Again floated on to the sound of Brian Eno’s Another Green World but their own sound was more in thrall to their contemporaries Orange Juice, or perhaps simply to the same soul influences as interpreted by a bunch of serious and dapper young Scottish men. Grant’s urgent jangly guitar on Lucky Star was allied to McGeechan’s rollicking piano, while Thomson's distinctive crooner vocals were expertly embellished at points with falsetto call-and-response backing.
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Covers of Bowie's Kooks, dedicated to their kids, and The O’Jays’ Love Train were eloquently dispatched while their own Sunkissed was wreathed in Chic guitar. Tomboy diverted into country rock testifying while bassist Douglas MacIntyre added some mean railroad harmonica to acoustic country number Dealing In Silver. The years have similarly been kind to the epic roots riffola of State of Art and their debut single Honey at the Core, greeted like old friends by a delighted audience.
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