YORK Barbican was the second stop on the road for Deacon Blue on their biggest tour in more than a decade.

The Scottish soft rockers have been around for a quarter of a century and drew a near-full house of 40-somethings, who enjoyed a two-hour set that encompassed the band’s full repertoire.

They opened with Laura From Memory, a poignant tribute to front-man Ricky Ross’s cousin.

After a few songs, Ricky told the audience he wanted to turn the Barbican into a cathedral of music and noise as he launched into 1991 hit Your Swaying Arms.

Ricky had the crowd in overdrive with the first few beats of Real Gone Kid, the whole hall singing along at the top of their voices.

He then slowed the tempo down with Still In The Mood, stopping after only a few seconds to reveal he had forgotten to use his harmonica, much to everyone’s amusement.

Ricky talked about life in Glasgow before bursting into song for what he described as “the National Anthem of Glasgow”, Fergus Sings The Blues.

Deacon Blue finished their set to tremendous applause and returned for encore renditions of Chocolate Girl and Dignity that again had the crowd singing and dancing.

It was now time for the last song, but first Ricky Ross asked if there was a guitarist in the crowd. “None in York?” he cajoled. Eventually one man raised his hand and was invited on stage. Step forward Jason Shearer, from York, who did a fine playing alongside the band on their 1989 single Wages Day. He even had a solo spot backed by a vociferous Barbican crowd.