Singers sing, right? Good singers, sing ‘good’, right? So what makes the difference between a good singer and a great singer? Don’t worry, this is not a test or a heavy analysis of music where reading to the end is like knitting fog or juggling soot.
The question is one I asked myself last night as I sat in Row F in the stalls of the lovely Symphony Hall, Birmingham, as the close to capacity circa 2000 people filtered out of the bar and their comfort break to wait for the opening act to begin.
It was the night of the two Christophers! First we got Mr Chris Difford delivering an enjoyable short set on acoustic guitar and vocals, accompanied by Melvin Duffy on pedal steel and electric guitar, where we were treated to a stripped-down set of many famed Squeeze hits and some more obscure songs from Mr Difford’s song writing catalogue.
And if his music career with the legendary Squeeze ever dries up, he may be able to earn a living as a stand-up comedian, because the banter and background to the songs and his life were very funny.
He also had pockets of voice rest last night when chunks of the audience spontaneously sang along to not only the chorus, but also verses too, of many of the songs in his set.
Not raucous sing-a-long party vibes, no. A respectful and almost hushed ensemble singing, reverence and respect paid to these timeless and uniquely crafted songs from across the decades.
Like “Cool For Cats” and the kitchen-sink grit and ‘drama’ of “Up The Junction”, and the superb “Take Me I’m Yours”. Oh and “Tempted”. Distinctly English, and yes I mean English, songs of real life. [Deptford mainly!]
So I started this review, talking about voices. Singer’s voices. Is Chris Difford a good singer? Is he a great singer? Well, none of that really mattered.
You knew straight away many of those hits and the sound track to many lives of the folk sat in that venue last night. You also knew that along with his Squeeze colleague Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford’s legacy is his songs.
Those two penned those songs from when they were kids; Chris speaking about the song he wrote when he was 16 and which was recently recorded for Squeeze’s latest album “Trixies”. A song we heard last night.
Songs Chris wrote when he lived next door to an annoying guitarist who played day and night and was in a new band. Called Dire Straits, and he was called Mark Knopfler. We also heard about a young Bono asking for his band to support Squeeze.
We heard about Squeeze playing behind chicken wire in the US back in the day, because: “They are not gonna like you”, and having stuff chucked at them. Not sure if any or all of those amusing anecdotes were factual, but they were funny and delivered like a chat between old friends in the pub, reminiscing about the good old days and an array of comedic adventures.
So there is Chris Difford and Melvin (who has played with a slew of stars over the years including Robbie Williams, UB40 and Squeeze), getting us off to a lovely start with a set that most of us would have happily enjoyed another half hour of.
An interesting Squeeze memory popped up for me last night while watching Chris Difford, about the conversation I had circa 2002/3, with US band The Rembrandts’ singer Danny Wilde. The band, who of course, are heard on the catchy theme to the hit TV comedy series “Friends”, with their song, “I’ll Be There for You”, which Danny co-penned in the 90s. He told me that when he formed the band in 1989 with his mate Phil Solem, their main influence was in fact, Squeeze. So now you know!
After the’ interval’ – I am of an age where I still miss the lades and gentlemen in their “smocks” coming round in the “intermission” at “the pictures” (aka cinema) with a little tray and a light attached to it, on a strap around their neck, selling ice creams and orange juice in cartons. I can see the Lyons Maid logo in my head – we are now sat looking at the huge backdrop with pink flamingo on it and ‘the other’ Christopher’s name emblazoned across it, waiting in anticipation to see this legendary US singer and songwriter and hear his glorious voice in the flesh.
Night seven of this 14-date tour across the UK and Ireland. Christopher Cross was last on these shores in 2025 on an arena tour with Toto. This time out he is the headliner who folk have paid up to £95 a ticket to see. Some of whom may well have walked past him earlier that day when he popped over to Black Sabbath bridge at the back of Symphony Hall, to sit on the famous bench with the four cut outs of Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill.
Birmingham setlist
All Right
Never Be the Same
I Really Don’t Know Anymore
Poor Shirley
Minstrel Gigolore a
Dreamers
Sailing
Think of Laura *
Back of My Mind *
Simple *
The Light Is On
Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)
No Time for Talk
Say You’ll Be Mine
Ride Like the Wind
Christopher Charles Geppert, was born in 1951 in Texas. As Christopher Cross he burst onto the music scene with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy awards, including, for the first time in Grammy history, the “Big Four” most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also “Sailing”), and Best New Artist.
In a career spanning more than four decades, he has sold in excess of 10 million albums. His music has won five Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and five Top 10 singles.
In Birmingham, he is joined on stage by his seven-piece band of three female backing singers, who really were on-point, a pianist, drummer, bassist, saxophone player, and Christopher on lead vocals and guitars. The whole band really are top notch.
Drummer Francis Arnaud behind a big Gretsch kit encased in the plastic screens to dampen down the sound from the drums for the rest of the guys and gals on stage. Francis gets a bit of a drum solo in the very first song, “All Right”, and a longer one later on in the set.
Andy Suzuki on alto and soprano sax, and EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument aka Electric Saxophone), adding HUGE value to these songs and some with new arrangements giving more space for other flavours. He is a sublime talent and I could listen to his playing all night.
Bassist Kevin Reveyrand is also the band’s musical director. Jerry Leonide on piano had a wonderful touch and subtle flavours of jazz and gospel and soul in those gifted fingers on that Yamah digital piano. [Apologies to the three backing singers whose names I missed when Christopher announced each band member’s name. If any reader knows, drop us a line via the Contact Form and they can be added to the review].
We get 15 songs in the set, including the biggies: “Sailing”, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”, which he dedicated to the late Burt Bacharach, with whom he wrote this sparkling gem, along with writers Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen, for the Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli smash hit 1981 movie “Arthur”.
The big finale, “Ride Like The Wind”, saw the three backing singers come to the front of the stage and induce mass-clapping along, and by now everyone, including the balconies and way up in “The God’s” are up on their feet and many phones out to capture the moment on video.
This venue is world renowned for its excellent acoustics. In fact, I was there back in July 2017 when the late legendary Tony Bennett told the audience in all sincerity, that this was his favourite venue to sing in globally, after his 10th visit since the place opened in 1991. So it is pretty rare for any band or artist to have sound issues at Symphony Hall.
That said, for me and others I spoke to; Christopher’s vocals were too low in the mix for some of the set. Where I sat, for the first two or three songs he was drowned out by the drums and the backing singers. But it did improve from then on in, and was perfect on “Sailing”.
That’s the thing with such a one-off and gorgeous voice: we are used to hearing him absolutely crystal clear and “pure” due to world class production on his records. So if there is any muddiness or it is not loud enough in the mix live, that’s not gonna wash.
His voice was perfectly mixed for the three acoustic songs of the night: “Think Of Laura”, “Back Of My Mind” and “Simple”, where the band go off stage and leave Christopher sat on a chair swapping his electric guitar for an acoustic, with just the wonderful pianist. Song # 2 of this section, the sax man is added to the line-up and for song # three, the drummer returns and plays gently.
Christopher spoke about having 12 albums across his career, but admitting that many only know the first two. A lady a few rows back in the stalls called out a loud message which went on a bit, in a broad Brummie or possibly Black Country accent, and Christopher stood silent and expressionless and then said: “I thought I understood English, but now I am not so sure,” to laughter around the venue.
No one knows what that lady was telling him, but that was soon followed by another shout from the balcony of “We Love You Christopher”, and he responded with the same sentiment. While probably most of us thought, ‘Oh, just be quiet and let the man sing’.
Now, at 75-years-old – a birthday he celebrated with a surprise cake and candles on stage in Paris on 3rd May – he maybe doesn’t have 100% of the voice you hear on his best known tracks; the higher end of the register. But it is bloody remarkable that he can sing at all at 75; specially in the context of the gentleness and fragility of his songs.
I am almost a decade younger and when I even sing to stuff on the radio or in the shower, no chance for me to hit any high notes. It sounds like a burning pet shop. So at 75, what he can still do is amazing. He sounded spine-tingling on “Sailing”.
But apart from his age, get this: In April 2020 he caught Covid and then contracted Guillaine-Barre Syndrome (GBS.) As a result, he was paralysed from the waist down and in his hands and face for many months. He was in a wheelchair, slowly re-learning how to walk and re-teaching his fingers how to play guitar.
By October 2020, he was able to walk with a cane, but his memory and speech had been affected. But he recovered well and in 2021 and 2022 played his 40th anniversary concert tour, which had originally been planned for 2020.
Once you hear a Christopher Cross track on radio or on one of his albums from back in the day, there is zero chance of mistaking that voice for anyone else. I was trying to think of the perfect one word to adequately describe his voice. The first one that came to mind was “sweet”. Then “dreamy”. But none really do him justice. One of those times when you really need to hear a voice rather than read about it.
My mate who was also at this concert is a pro musician, a formidable guitarist and earlier yesterday he was talking about a player having (or not) the “feel”. I think that word gets closer as regards Christopher’s voice: he has the innate feel of someone singing from the heart, and it then makes us feel something.
As a journalist, I often ask people I interview what music makes them feel. My own answer is, “music is what emotions sound like”. And that right there nails it: Christopher’s voice will trigger emotions – and memories. Not all music can do that. Not all singers can do that. Another thought about how unique his voice is; we never hear covers of his songs, or I cannot think of any and surely that is because who else would do justice to his songs?
His guitar skills are often overlooked with the focus on his voice. But the man can play. In fact, he stepped in for rock legend Ritchie Blackmore for one gig with Deep Purple when Blackmore was ill. And music royalty Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan invited him to play on their albums, but he declined as he cited feeling intimidated and afraid to do it.
Talking of guitars; Christopher was the original owner of fellow Austin, Texas guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan’s famed “Number One” 1962/1963 hybrid Fender Stratocaster. SRV bought the guitar at an Austin music store in 1974, the day after after Christopher had traded it for a Gibson Les Paul. Last night Christopher had a rack of guitars each side of him and played a few different ones through the set.
The biggest stars of tonight are the songs; for both sets: Christopher 1 & Christopher 2. And both artists serve the songs they crafted and THAT right there separates the good and the great.
Difford is closer to a spoken word artist than a singer in the traditional sense, and that works with the lyrical content in his songs being as vital as the melody. The sound mix for his set was spot on by the way, which would have destroyed the cleverness and wit in those words of those songs such as “Up The Junction”. Who else do you know could pen and sing “telly and smelly” and put you right there in that grotty flat he sings about in “Up The Junction”?
The main man tonight, Christopher Cross, is usually filed under “yacht rock”. Nope; this is soul music. Sweet music from the soul. Written and sung by a once in a generation song writer and a singer extraordinaire at any age, but at 75 he; is a flipping marvel. One ticked off the bucket list of music artists I’ve always wanted to see/hear live.
My musician mate Keith summed up the night in one word: “Epic”. Cannot argue with that at all.
- Bristol (20th May) and Edinburgh (22nd) and then five dates in Ireland remain, before US headline shows and also dates joining up with Toto, up to to the end of August.
Words by Simon Redley
Live photos by Steve Thorne/Getty/Redferns
2 x portrait photos: PR supplied
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