'˜Pocketful of Stones' tour comes to Belfast's Empire

With a reputation for reinvention thanks to a 30-year music career encompassing pop, jazz soul and swing, Platinum-selling duo Hue and Cry can be relied upon to come up with a new angle on most subjects.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Jan 2018, 12:03 BST
Updated 25th Jan 2018, 12:07 BST

And the milestone of turning 50 is one topic - along with politics, love and parenthood - which is featured in their album Pocketful of Stones which they are showcasing in a gig in Belfast’s Empire Music Hall on March 2.

But don’t expect a cliche-ridden, regretful mid-life crisis album from the Kane duo as Greg explained: “Pat and I are actually very positive people. We have been blessed so far in that we have been making music together since we were in our teens; everytime we play people still turn up to see us and Pocketful of Stones is a reflection of that, on reaching the age of 50, being half way there and summing up the past 50 years.

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“The lyrics in the title song say “one by one you are throwing away your pocketful of stones” and that refers to the fact that now you are 50, the load is getting lighter and it’s an opportunity to go on and do things in a better way in different ways.

“Over the past 50 years you might have bought your own house, witnessed the death of a parent, the birth of a child, whatever and the album is saying: go forth, young man or womnan, and carry on and embrace those opportunities.”

The holders of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Scottish Music Industry are looking forward to their March gig in Belfast: “It’s a home from home, like Glasgow, as we have been coming here for 30 years now. And what a change we’ve seen in the place! There’s all these little Bohemian places opening up in different pockets around the city. I am chuffed to bits too that we are bringing our full eight piece funk band with us.

“We love Belfast audiences as they get our wit, they get the music and complications of it. We’ve also been touring all over England and Scotland during the Scottish referendum and the Brexit vote. There’s no one better than touring musicians for picking up the vibe of feeling around the country and with SO much going on politically now, we reckon there will be lots of good banter etc. There always is in Belfast!” laughed Greg.

Booking www.thebelfastempire.com/music-hall/hue-cry/

Related topics:BelfastScotlandEngland