Glenn Tilbrook: Don't Squeeze the Charmer.

Glenn Tilbrook of the band Squeeze playing a few songs at Pints Pub, an English pub in Denver. The voice behind majestic pop tunes like “Pulling Mussels from a Shell,” “Black Coffee In Bed” and “Another Nail In My Heart.” (Although not “Cool for Cats”—that was Chris Difford on vocals on that Squeeze number, a favorite of mine.) April 25, 2002.

Judging by his solo performance the previous night at the Bluebird Theater, the term “English eccentric” fits Tilbrook to a T. Although hobbled with crutches, Tilbrook led the audience out of the club (in order to take them, he said, to a bar across the street for a drink), before he returned again to the Bluebird’s stage. I was amused at Tilbrook’s antics, but planted and content sitting at the Bluebird’s bar while Tilbrook went M.I.A. However, the manager of the Bluebird was none-too-happy about his clientele having temporarily vanished at the behest of the act performing at his establishment, and he bought a free drink (a kamikaze, I seem to recall) for those of us who remained.

Thanks for generating the free drink, Glenn, and for the musical memories.