Deacon Blue – Live Review – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
By Kirsty Masterman, July 2026
Back in the late ‘80s, when I was first getting into music, Deacon Blue were a couple of years in and a well-established band. It was a time when the likes of ‘Dignity,’ ‘Real Gone Kid’ and ‘Wages Day’ dominated the charts and were regularly heard on the airwaves. So, by the time ‘Our Town, The Greatest Hits’ landed on our CD player, they had already become the soundtrack to my youth without me even knowing it.
Back then, to a 7-year-old me, they were just catchy tunes with great melodies. Now, four decades on, I feel like I am in the right age bracket to appreciate their well-written lyrics, tight musicianship and beautiful harmonies. So, despite being almost 40 years late to the party, when I got the opportunity to see them live at Scarborough’s fabulous Open Air Theatre on what was a glorious summer’s evening, it was one concert I had no intention of missing.
“A night of two halves”
Lightning Seeds kicked off the evening – an act that could easily have been the headliners, making it feel like a night of two halves. The last time I saw this band was when they supported Rick Astley at the Piece Hall back in 2024. They impressed me then, and tonight was no different.
Originally formed in 1989, the Liverpudlian band proved they are very much still in the game as they played their way through their best-loved tracks that included the likes of ‘Sense’, ‘Change’, Sugar Coated Iceberg’, ‘Lucky You’, ‘Pure’ and ‘Life of Riley’. Every song as catchy as the next.
On the Eve of England’s World Cup match against Norway, there couldn’t have been a better time to see Ian Broudie and the gang on stage performing their 1996 hit, ‘Three Lions’. A performance that prompted a mass singalong of “Football’s Coming Home” as giant inflatable footballs suddenly appeared in the crowd to be batted about throughout the performance. This was an early highlight of the night and one that set the tone for a joyful evening of music.
“An air of nostalgia”
By the time Deacon Blue took to the stage at 9pm, the crowd were in fine spirits.
I’m down the front for tonight’s gig, in amongst a crowd that has a slightly different feel to it. It is a crowd of couples and groups of friends (all of a certain age), coming together to celebrate the music of one of Britain’s best-loved bands. They have clearly been fans a long time – evidenced by the fact they seem to know every song word for word. There’s dancing, arm waving and much hugging as an air of nostalgia sweeps across the venue.
‘Rock the Boat’ and ‘Late ’88’ kick off an impressive 18-strong set of a back catalogue of hits, some of which I know, some I didn’t know I knew and others that I wish I had known. Amongst those were ‘Wages Day’, ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘Real Gone Kid’, ‘How We Remember It’, ‘Dignity’ and ‘Fergus Sings the Blues’.
“Great night”
Several songs in, frontman Ricky Ross addresses the crowd, telling us that tonight will “see everything we expect, some things we don’t and some even they don’t”. In summary, we’re in for a great night!
Throughout the gig, footage of their earlier days served as a backdrop, reminding us of why the multi-platinum selling group remain one of the stand-out bands of the era, as well as a reminder of some of the dodgy fashion choices we may or may not have made. There was no elaborate theatrical production or unnecessary spectacle – just well-written lyrics, well-composed music and an audience keen to sing every song.
Midway through, the crowd in full voice, Ross suddenly shouts, “STOP!” An unnerving quietness sweeps across the theatre as we all look at each other wondering what is going on. A pause of mere seconds, which felt a lot longer, comes to an end as he announces, “Hydration break”. Cue a mixture of boos and laughter. World Cup fever has most certainly hit Scarborough tonight. Hydration break over and the song continues as if nothing has happened. This is one hydration break that didn’t affect momentum.
“A powerful performance”
A haunting version of ‘Your Town’ has Ricky recalling coming to Scarborough as a child. This is followed by a powerful performance of ‘People Come First’.
‘When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring) and ‘Have You Seen Her?’ lead us to a more poignant moment in the show as Ross introduces ‘How We remember It’, from The Great Western Road album, (their most successful album in three decades), which is a tribute to the missing piece on stage tonight, James Prime – keyboardist and founding member of Deacon Blue who died a little over a year ago.
As time sped on, ‘Real Gone Kid’ and ‘The Believers’ saw the show take a more upbeat turn and when the unmistakable notes of ‘Dignity’ hit, myself and my ‘plus one’ for the evening look at each other with huge smiles on our faces as we both mouth, “this is my favourite”. A sentiment that is clearly shared by many others as a chorus of “Woooah-wooah’s” reverberate across Scarborough at a tremendous volume. It’s remarkable how these songs, decades old, still sound fresh when performed with such conviction.
‘Fergus Sings The Blues’ marks what is supposedly the final song of the evening. Of course, it isn’t. That honour goes to Burt Bacharach’s ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’. A duet beautifully sung by Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh.
“Passion in their performance”
Tonight was Deacon Blue’s final gig in England on their current tour. A fact Ross was keen to point out, telling us, “we are getting out of the country before it all starts to kick off.” Judging from the smiles on their faces throughout the night, I’m sure it is up there as one they will remember. It certainly is for me.
Tonight, Ricky Ross proved that he remains a fine frontman, ably supported by ‘the love of his life,’ co-vocalist Lorraine McIntosh. They both clearly love what they do as can be said about guitarist Gregor Philp, who was so focused on strumming his guitar he seemed like he was in a world of his own, which was clearly his happy place. With timeless songs that sat comfortably alongside their more recent material, this is a band who aren’t simply trading on past glories, but one that still has plenty to give and will be around for some time yet.
They are a band that have always written songs about ordinary lives, hopes and struggles, and perhaps that, accompanied by their passion in their performance is why they still resonate today. This wasn’t simply the final stop of a tour, it was a celebration, a coming together of like-minded individuals for an uplifting, joyful night and a reminder of why live music really matters.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor
After studying English and Creative Writing at university, Kirsty started working as an editor for PA Media way back in 2003, joining On Yorkshire in 2023. With a passion for travel and writing, the chance to combine the two became a reality for her in 2010 when she was offered the chance to visit Portugal to review a new resort. Since then, she has never looked back. Live music, theatre and restaurant reviews followed enabling her to combine all her interests. Kirsty now travels the world, reviewing some of the best hotels, restaurants and travel destinations. She particularly enjoys seeking out child-friendly places so that she can showcase destinations and experiences that can be enjoyed by parents alongside their children.
