The Proclaimers If You Re Going To Propose At Our Gig Make Sure You Re Sober Enough To Get In Civilization

Craig Reid: Probably about 15 miles. I have never met anyone I would walk 500 miles for. Charlie Reid: The Song [(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles] it is a matter of devotion as to how far you would walk for the love of a woman. I have walked eight or nine, but I climbed a Scottish slope, so many vertical miles. Who were your biggest influences? Bob Woodturn Craig: Our mum and dad were listening to Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis, so that happened at a very young age. Then the Beatles, the Kinks and the Stones and, later, the Clash, the Pistols, the Jam and the Dexys Midnight Runners. Charlie: Kevin Rowland paid for demo time for us and I know he helped other people out too. He is someone I admire a lot. The Proclaimers on stage in 1989. Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns Is it true that Cap in Hand was banned from airwaves by the BBC ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum? Hotsot Craig: I don’t know if it was banned, but it certainly wasn’t played. When you have something political on your record, you think, “Well, that’s not going to be on the playlist!” Did you find it strange or flattering that the BBC got Sir Tom Devine to refute the ideas of your new album, Dentures Out? Cleggatemyhamster Charlie: He’s a great historian, so it was flattering, but a little weird. I’d rather have a pop than many others. The theme of the album is people dreaming of an England that is gone or maybe never was. Craig: Sir Tom said that Britain was not unique in being homesick, but we had actually said that Britain was the worst country for it. It has become so pervasive. possibly a symptom of a broken country. Do you think an independent Scotland is possible in your lifetime? BeachedShrek Charlie: Yes, but it depends on the timing. I think there will be a general election before we get another independence vote, but I just read that half of Tory voters want energy renationalised, which would never happen before. So we’ll see what happens. The brothers in 1986. Photo: Mike Prior/Redferns You told me I was the first person to ask for an autograph, outside the House of Fraser department store in Edinburgh the day after you appeared on The Tube. do you remember Rangers 1 Craig: I remember doing The Tube in Newcastle, getting off the train in Edinburgh and walking down George Street with my guitar. People came up to us, but I don’t remember signing autographs outside House of Fraser. How did you feel about the film Sunshine on Leith and would you be open to doing an original film soundtrack? NoShamus Charlie: I thought it was great, with the women singing Letter From America and stuff. It’s not our film – it’s a film using our songs – but I’m proud to be associated with it. As for creating a soundtrack, the snail’s pace we’re ending at means it may never happen. Do you start with the melody and then add the harmony parts, or do you “hear” them together from scratch? I love the way the harmony seems to go above and below the melody and the two often overlap. Twinkle Charlie: That analysis is correct, but it shows the lack of musicianship between Craig and me. Everything we’ve been told to do since we were kids, we’ve been doing it the wrong way. The Proclaimers sound is a driving guitar and our voices. You have to be able to hear the lyrics, because they matter more than anything else. Did an interviewer really ask you where you met? TooMuchSpareTime Craig: That happened a few times, but a DJ interviewed us face-to-face and then asked, “So, where did you meet?” The record company guy turned to the wall, biting his hand, crying with laughter. Craig Reid on stage at Edinburgh Castle in 2019. Photo: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns Is The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues based on a true story? blinddale Craig: Hibs [the Scottish fooball team Hibernian] had been relegated and I ended up at Kilmarnock. The game was shit. I got a lift back to Edinburgh from a Canadian who asked where he should go to pick up a woman. I told him to go to the old nightclub next to the Playhouse Theater – not because it was the best place to pick up a woman, but because it was only half a mile from my house. Do you regret not being at the greatest game in your club’s modern history, the 2016 Scottish Cup Final? How did you feel when the fans sang Sunshine on Leith? Fran2016 Craig: We had booked all our gigs, including one in Salisbury on the same day as the final, thinking Hibernian would never make it. Charlie: We watched the game on a crappy computer in the dressing room that was a few minutes late, so we found out Hibs had scored before we saw it. It felt unreal. Of course I regret missing it, but if I had been there I would have had a heart attack. Two of my sons told me that after they played the song and the fans started singing along, some guys we knew who are now dead had their faces covered in tears. This is the reality of what it meant to people. It had been 114 years since they won it. I saw you at Wychwood festival in 2015 and someone proposed on Let’s Get Married. Do you have a lot of suggestions? Prestonian79 Craig: Heck, a lot of them! There was a guy who took a baby out of his arms, gave it to his possible mother-in-law, and knelt down on one. Charlie: We get a request to announce: “The other person wants to ask a question…” A man got so drunk that he was denied entry, leaving the woman alone to wonder what to ask her. If you’re going to use the Proclaimers to propose, make sure you’re sober enough to walk into the concert. Have you ever dropped Letter from America from a live set? virgin power Craig: Never – and we couldn’t throw 500 Miles, I’m on My Way or Sunshine in Leith. We’re lucky we had a few familiar songs, but not many, so in an hour and a half we’ll have to play maybe eight and we’ll rotate everything else around them. Charlie: If we dropped 500 Miles, we’d be playing with our lives. In the US, when we played Letter from America early in the set, a guy came up and said, “How come you didn’t do Letter from America?” We told him we had and he went, “Oh. I didn’t get in until halfway.” Dentures Out is out on Cooking Vinyl on September 16th. The Proclaimers UK tour kicks off at the O2 City Hall Newcastle on September 8th

title: “The Proclaimers If You Re Going To Propose At Our Gig Make Sure You Re Sober Enough To Get In Civilization Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-16” author: “Kenneth Frerichs”

Craig Reid: Probably about 15 miles. I have never met anyone I would walk 500 miles for. Charlie Reid: The Song [(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles] it is a matter of devotion as to how far you would walk for the love of a woman. I have walked eight or nine, but I climbed a Scottish slope, so many vertical miles. Who were your biggest influences? Bob Woodturn Craig: Our mum and dad were listening to Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis, so that happened at a very young age. Then the Beatles, the Kinks and the Stones and, later, the Clash, the Pistols, the Jam and the Dexys Midnight Runners. Charlie: Kevin Rowland paid for demo time for us and I know he helped other people out too. He is someone I admire a lot. The Proclaimers on stage in 1989. Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns Is it true that Cap in Hand was banned from airwaves by the BBC ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum? Hotsot Craig: I don’t know if it was banned, but it certainly wasn’t played. When you have something political on your record, you think, “Well, that’s not going to be on the playlist!” Did you find it strange or flattering that the BBC got Sir Tom Devine to refute the ideas of your new album, Dentures Out? Cleggatemyhamster Charlie: He’s a great historian, so it was flattering, but a little weird. I’d rather have a pop than many others. The theme of the album is people dreaming of an England that is gone or maybe never was. Craig: Sir Tom said that Britain was not unique in being homesick, but we had actually said that Britain was the worst country for it. It has become so pervasive. possibly a symptom of a broken country. Do you think an independent Scotland is possible in your lifetime? BeachedShrek Charlie: Yes, but it depends on the timing. I think there will be a general election before we get another independence vote, but I just read that half of Tory voters want energy renationalised, which would never happen before. So we’ll see what happens. The brothers in 1986. Photo: Mike Prior/Redferns You told me I was the first person to ask for an autograph, outside the House of Fraser department store in Edinburgh the day after you appeared on The Tube. do you remember Rangers 1 Craig: I remember doing The Tube in Newcastle, getting off the train in Edinburgh and walking down George Street with my guitar. People came up to us, but I don’t remember signing autographs outside House of Fraser. How did you feel about the film Sunshine on Leith and would you be open to doing an original film soundtrack? NoShamus Charlie: I thought it was great, with the women singing Letter From America and stuff. It’s not our film – it’s a film using our songs – but I’m proud to be associated with it. As for creating a soundtrack, the snail’s pace we’re ending at means it may never happen. Do you start with the melody and then add the harmony parts, or do you “hear” them together from scratch? I love the way the harmony seems to go above and below the melody and the two often overlap. Twinkle Charlie: That analysis is correct, but it shows the lack of musicianship between Craig and me. Everything we’ve been told to do since we were kids, we’ve been doing it the wrong way. The Proclaimers sound is a driving guitar and our voices. You have to be able to hear the lyrics, because they matter more than anything else. Did an interviewer really ask you where you met? TooMuchSpareTime Craig: That happened a few times, but a DJ interviewed us face-to-face and then asked, “So, where did you meet?” The record company guy turned to the wall, biting his hand, crying with laughter. Craig Reid on stage at Edinburgh Castle in 2019. Photo: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns Is The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues based on a true story? blinddale Craig: Hibs [the Scottish fooball team Hibernian] had been relegated and I ended up at Kilmarnock. The game was shit. I got a lift back to Edinburgh from a Canadian who asked where he should go to pick up a woman. I told him to go to the old nightclub next to the Playhouse Theater – not because it was the best place to pick up a woman, but because it was only half a mile from my house. Do you regret not being at the greatest game in your club’s modern history, the 2016 Scottish Cup Final? How did you feel when the fans sang Sunshine on Leith? Fran2016 Craig: We had booked all our gigs, including one in Salisbury on the same day as the final, thinking Hibernian would never make it. Charlie: We watched the game on a crappy computer in the dressing room that was a few minutes late, so we found out Hibs had scored before we saw it. It felt unreal. Of course I regret missing it, but if I had been there I would have had a heart attack. Two of my sons told me that after they played the song and the fans started singing along, some guys we knew who are now dead had their faces covered in tears. This is the reality of what it meant to people. It had been 114 years since they won it. I saw you at Wychwood festival in 2015 and someone proposed on Let’s Get Married. Do you have a lot of suggestions? Prestonian79 Craig: Heck, a lot of them! There was a guy who took a baby out of his arms, gave it to his possible mother-in-law, and knelt down on one. Charlie: We get a request to announce: “The other person wants to ask a question…” A man got so drunk that he was denied entry, leaving the woman alone to wonder what to ask her. If you’re going to use the Proclaimers to propose, make sure you’re sober enough to walk into the concert. Have you ever dropped Letter from America from a live set? virgin power Craig: Never – and we couldn’t throw 500 Miles, I’m on My Way or Sunshine in Leith. We’re lucky we had a few familiar songs, but not many, so in an hour and a half we’ll have to play maybe eight and we’ll rotate everything else around them. Charlie: If we dropped 500 Miles, we’d be playing with our lives. In the US, when we played Letter from America early in the set, a guy came up and said, “How come you didn’t do Letter from America?” We told him we had and he went, “Oh. I didn’t get in until halfway.” Dentures Out is out on Cooking Vinyl on September 16th. The Proclaimers UK tour kicks off at the O2 City Hall Newcastle on September 8th

title: “The Proclaimers If You Re Going To Propose At Our Gig Make Sure You Re Sober Enough To Get In Civilization Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-01” author: “Jane London”

Craig Reid: Probably about 15 miles. I have never met anyone I would walk 500 miles for. Charlie Reid: The Song [(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles] it is a matter of devotion as to how far you would walk for the love of a woman. I have walked eight or nine, but I climbed a Scottish slope, so many vertical miles. Who were your biggest influences? Bob Woodturn Craig: Our mum and dad were listening to Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis, so that happened at a very young age. Then the Beatles, the Kinks and the Stones and, later, the Clash, the Pistols, the Jam and the Dexys Midnight Runners. Charlie: Kevin Rowland paid for demo time for us and I know he helped other people out too. He is someone I admire a lot. The Proclaimers on stage in 1989. Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns Is it true that Cap in Hand was banned from airwaves by the BBC ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum? Hotsot Craig: I don’t know if it was banned, but it certainly wasn’t played. When you have something political on your record, you think, “Well, that’s not going to be on the playlist!” Did you find it strange or flattering that the BBC got Sir Tom Devine to refute the ideas of your new album, Dentures Out? Cleggatemyhamster Charlie: He’s a great historian, so it was flattering, but a little weird. I’d rather have a pop than many others. The theme of the album is people dreaming of an England that is gone or maybe never was. Craig: Sir Tom said that Britain was not unique in being homesick, but we had actually said that Britain was the worst country for it. It has become so pervasive. possibly a symptom of a broken country. Do you think an independent Scotland is possible in your lifetime? BeachedShrek Charlie: Yes, but it depends on the timing. I think there will be a general election before we get another independence vote, but I just read that half of Tory voters want energy renationalised, which would never happen before. So we’ll see what happens. The brothers in 1986. Photo: Mike Prior/Redferns You told me I was the first person to ask for an autograph, outside the House of Fraser department store in Edinburgh the day after you appeared on The Tube. do you remember Rangers 1 Craig: I remember doing The Tube in Newcastle, getting off the train in Edinburgh and walking down George Street with my guitar. People came up to us, but I don’t remember signing autographs outside House of Fraser. How did you feel about the film Sunshine on Leith and would you be open to doing an original film soundtrack? NoShamus Charlie: I thought it was great, with the women singing Letter From America and stuff. It’s not our film – it’s a film using our songs – but I’m proud to be associated with it. As for creating a soundtrack, the snail’s pace we’re ending at means it may never happen. Do you start with the melody and then add the harmony parts, or do you “hear” them together from scratch? I love the way the harmony seems to go above and below the melody and the two often overlap. Twinkle Charlie: That analysis is correct, but it shows the lack of musicianship between Craig and me. Everything we’ve been told to do since we were kids, we’ve been doing it the wrong way. The Proclaimers sound is a driving guitar and our voices. You have to be able to hear the lyrics, because they matter more than anything else. Did an interviewer really ask you where you met? TooMuchSpareTime Craig: That happened a few times, but a DJ interviewed us face-to-face and then asked, “So, where did you meet?” The record company guy turned to the wall, biting his hand, crying with laughter. Craig Reid on stage at Edinburgh Castle in 2019. Photo: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns Is The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues based on a true story? blinddale Craig: Hibs [the Scottish fooball team Hibernian] had been relegated and I ended up at Kilmarnock. The game was shit. I got a lift back to Edinburgh from a Canadian who asked where he should go to pick up a woman. I told him to go to the old nightclub next to the Playhouse Theater – not because it was the best place to pick up a woman, but because it was only half a mile from my house. Do you regret not being at the greatest game in your club’s modern history, the 2016 Scottish Cup Final? How did you feel when the fans sang Sunshine on Leith? Fran2016 Craig: We had booked all our gigs, including one in Salisbury on the same day as the final, thinking Hibernian would never make it. Charlie: We watched the game on a crappy computer in the dressing room that was a few minutes late, so we found out Hibs had scored before we saw it. It felt unreal. Of course I regret missing it, but if I had been there I would have had a heart attack. Two of my sons told me that after they played the song and the fans started singing along, some guys we knew who are now dead had their faces covered in tears. This is the reality of what it meant to people. It had been 114 years since they won it. I saw you at Wychwood festival in 2015 and someone proposed on Let’s Get Married. Do you have a lot of suggestions? Prestonian79 Craig: Heck, a lot of them! There was a guy who took a baby out of his arms, gave it to his possible mother-in-law, and knelt down on one. Charlie: We get a request to announce: “The other person wants to ask a question…” A man got so drunk that he was denied entry, leaving the woman alone to wonder what to ask her. If you’re going to use the Proclaimers to propose, make sure you’re sober enough to walk into the concert. Have you ever dropped Letter from America from a live set? virgin power Craig: Never – and we couldn’t throw 500 Miles, I’m on My Way or Sunshine in Leith. We’re lucky we had a few familiar songs, but not many, so in an hour and a half we’ll have to play maybe eight and we’ll rotate everything else around them. Charlie: If we dropped 500 Miles, we’d be playing with our lives. In the US, when we played Letter from America early in the set, a guy came up and said, “How come you didn’t do Letter from America?” We told him we had and he went, “Oh. I didn’t get in until halfway.” Dentures Out is out on Cooking Vinyl on September 16th. The Proclaimers UK tour kicks off at the O2 City Hall Newcastle on September 8th

title: “The Proclaimers If You Re Going To Propose At Our Gig Make Sure You Re Sober Enough To Get In Civilization Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-22” author: “Lloyd Banks”

Craig Reid: Probably about 15 miles. I have never met anyone I would walk 500 miles for. Charlie Reid: The Song [(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles] it is a matter of devotion as to how far you would walk for the love of a woman. I have walked eight or nine, but I climbed a Scottish slope, so many vertical miles. Who were your biggest influences? Bob Woodturn Craig: Our mum and dad were listening to Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis, so that happened at a very young age. Then the Beatles, the Kinks and the Stones and, later, the Clash, the Pistols, the Jam and the Dexys Midnight Runners. Charlie: Kevin Rowland paid for demo time for us and I know he helped other people out too. He is someone I admire a lot. The Proclaimers on stage in 1989. Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns Is it true that Cap in Hand was banned from airwaves by the BBC ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum? Hotsot Craig: I don’t know if it was banned, but it certainly wasn’t played. When you have something political on your record, you think, “Well, that’s not going to be on the playlist!” Did you find it strange or flattering that the BBC got Sir Tom Devine to refute the ideas of your new album, Dentures Out? Cleggatemyhamster Charlie: He’s a great historian, so it was flattering, but a little weird. I’d rather have a pop than many others. The theme of the album is people dreaming of an England that is gone or maybe never was. Craig: Sir Tom said that Britain was not unique in being homesick, but we had actually said that Britain was the worst country for it. It has become so pervasive. possibly a symptom of a broken country. Do you think an independent Scotland is possible in your lifetime? BeachedShrek Charlie: Yes, but it depends on the timing. I think there will be a general election before we get another independence vote, but I just read that half of Tory voters want energy renationalised, which would never happen before. So we’ll see what happens. The brothers in 1986. Photo: Mike Prior/Redferns You told me I was the first person to ask for an autograph, outside the House of Fraser department store in Edinburgh the day after you appeared on The Tube. do you remember Rangers 1 Craig: I remember doing The Tube in Newcastle, getting off the train in Edinburgh and walking down George Street with my guitar. People came up to us, but I don’t remember signing autographs outside House of Fraser. How did you feel about the film Sunshine on Leith and would you be open to doing an original film soundtrack? NoShamus Charlie: I thought it was great, with the women singing Letter From America and stuff. It’s not our film – it’s a film using our songs – but I’m proud to be associated with it. As for creating a soundtrack, the snail’s pace we’re ending at means it may never happen. Do you start with the melody and then add the harmony parts, or do you “hear” them together from scratch? I love the way the harmony seems to go above and below the melody and the two often overlap. Twinkle Charlie: That analysis is correct, but it shows the lack of musicianship between Craig and me. Everything we’ve been told to do since we were kids, we’ve been doing it the wrong way. The Proclaimers sound is a driving guitar and our voices. You have to be able to hear the lyrics, because they matter more than anything else. Did an interviewer really ask you where you met? TooMuchSpareTime Craig: That happened a few times, but a DJ interviewed us face-to-face and then asked, “So, where did you meet?” The record company guy turned to the wall, biting his hand, crying with laughter. Craig Reid on stage at Edinburgh Castle in 2019. Photo: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns Is The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues based on a true story? blinddale Craig: Hibs [the Scottish fooball team Hibernian] had been relegated and I ended up at Kilmarnock. The game was shit. I got a lift back to Edinburgh from a Canadian who asked where he should go to pick up a woman. I told him to go to the old nightclub next to the Playhouse Theater – not because it was the best place to pick up a woman, but because it was only half a mile from my house. Do you regret not being at the greatest game in your club’s modern history, the 2016 Scottish Cup Final? How did you feel when the fans sang Sunshine on Leith? Fran2016 Craig: We had booked all our gigs, including one in Salisbury on the same day as the final, thinking Hibernian would never make it. Charlie: We watched the game on a crappy computer in the dressing room that was a few minutes late, so we found out Hibs had scored before we saw it. It felt unreal. Of course I regret missing it, but if I had been there I would have had a heart attack. Two of my sons told me that after they played the song and the fans started singing along, some guys we knew who are now dead had their faces covered in tears. This is the reality of what it meant to people. It had been 114 years since they won it. I saw you at Wychwood festival in 2015 and someone proposed on Let’s Get Married. Do you have a lot of suggestions? Prestonian79 Craig: Heck, a lot of them! There was a guy who took a baby out of his arms, gave it to his possible mother-in-law, and knelt down on one. Charlie: We get a request to announce: “The other person wants to ask a question…” A man got so drunk that he was denied entry, leaving the woman alone to wonder what to ask her. If you’re going to use the Proclaimers to propose, make sure you’re sober enough to walk into the concert. Have you ever dropped Letter from America from a live set? virgin power Craig: Never – and we couldn’t throw 500 Miles, I’m on My Way or Sunshine in Leith. We’re lucky we had a few familiar songs, but not many, so in an hour and a half we’ll have to play maybe eight and we’ll rotate everything else around them. Charlie: If we dropped 500 Miles, we’d be playing with our lives. In the US, when we played Letter from America early in the set, a guy came up and said, “How come you didn’t do Letter from America?” We told him we had and he went, “Oh. I didn’t get in until halfway.” Dentures Out is out on Cooking Vinyl on September 16th. The Proclaimers UK tour kicks off at the O2 City Hall Newcastle on September 8th