Squeeze Honoured With Plaque at Early Venue

Squeeze have been honoured with a plaque at the south-east London venue where they played one of their earliest gigs.

The band played Greenwich Borough Halls in 1975, and Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford returned to the venue -- now a dance studio -- for the unveiling of the plaque, backed by British music rights body PRS for Music.

Squeeze are the fourth band to be honoured in this way, with earlier plaques marking gigs by Jethro Tull and Blur. The first plaque, marking Dire Straits' early days, is just a few minutes' walk away in Deptford.

Fans were treated to a short acoustic gig after the unveiling, with the venue's stage being used for percussion.


Squeeze are playing a series of high-profile US and UK dates this year, but Tilbrook -- who still lives in the area -- told Spinner that home was where his heart remained.

"I've always stayed in this area and I love this area," he said. "I don't think I'll ever leave. But I've seen it change, it's now harder for bands to get started. When we started we played pubs in Greenwich and Deptford which were all places were we could get residencies when we were coming up."

Earlier this year Tilbrook returned to the early days of Squeeze, securing a residency for his Fluffers side project at his local pub in nearby Charlton -- adding he wanted to help new bands do the same.

"Squeeze is a really well-organised band but the Fluffers are a bit more anarchic and free-spirited," he said. "I love Squeeze and I love the Fluffers - they're different entities."

Away from south-east London pubs, Tilbrook said he was looking forward to getting back on the road with Squeeze.

"It's proper, there's no animosity anymore, and it doesn't feel like a business where no-one's happy. I'm not interested in doing anything other than stuff that's really fun and good. Squeeze is back to being that, and that's such a good place for it to be."