Martin McAloon – Flowerpot, Derby: Live Review

By Peter Freeth on 14th October 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

Prefab Sprout’s founding brother, Martin McAloon, enthralls with a meandering journey of musical delight.

Perfecting

They say that practice makes perfect. This latest tour, ‘Steve McQueen – Slight Return’, marks Martin McAloon’s fourth run at bringing the songs of Prefab Sprout to live audiences, if you don’t count the brief and brilliant rendition of Bonny on Thomas Dolby’s recent tour.

Unfortunately, practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Perfecting means practising the right things. Luckily for us, that’s exactly what the other McAloon brother has been up to.

The point of the tour is twofold. Firstly, to celebrate the album Steve McQueen in its 40th (ish) year. Secondly, to enable Martin McAloon to get out of the house and do something that he loves. The joy of playing these songs, driving the van and selling T shirts is obvious. (Hear more about this in an interview with the man himself).

Fairground ride

McAloon ambles onto stage, his relaxed demeanour and easy humour barely concealing his feelings about the daunting task which lies ahead. With white hair and white shirt, he has the appearance of a wizard who has come to sprinkle his magic on some of the lucky people of Derby.

Prefab Sprout songs are known for their fairground ride of weaving harmonies and layered, sometimes discordant melodies. Just when you think you know where the song is going, it takes a detour. The lyrics require as much vocal dexterity as the notes demand frantic fingerwork. These compositions are not to be taken lightly.

The end result is a performance which contains all of the emotion of the originals and all of the right notes, just not necessarily when you might expect them. Some songs were stopped and restarted. There were hints at McAloon’s frustration at his own incomplete mastery, which was greatly misplaced. Nobody was in the room to hear a copy of the original. These were genuine fans, indulging in a celebration of music that is as meaningful as it is complex.

Aim high

Mistakes come from aiming high. During the last ever Prefab Sprout tour in spring 2000, Paddy stopped When Love Breaks Down after a missed chord at the start. Do it properly or not at all. A willingness to show the inner workings of the artistic process obviously runs in the family. It’s a wonderful reminder that music is human, organic and imperfect, in stark contrast to the note perfect performances from other artists that were programmed on a sequencer months before the first venue was booked.

McAloon’s confidence and competence have increased with each of these tours. What the audience sees and hears is not perfection, it is the very process of perfecting. These songs are not fixed and immutable, they change with each retelling of the story. The set list changes from moment to moment. It is an evening of playful intimacy.

Life of Surprises

Many bands have taken to the road to celebrate anniversaries, often touted as performing the album in its entirety. That sort of happens here. We get all of Steve McQueen, just not in the order that it was originally released, and not all at the same time. We get a few twists, turns and surprises along the way.

McAloon is joined on stage only by six guitars, each performing a subtly different role. At times, it actually sounds like he is playing three of them at once. I really don’t know how he manages to get his fingers to where they need to be. The songs are evolving almost in front of the audience’s eyes, retaining their essence whilst removing all but the guitar lines and of course the magical lyrics.

Hand written

The set list is a mystery tour, not just for the audience but for McAloon too. Faron young. Cowboy dreams. Moving the river. Cue fanfare. Horsin’ around. Desire as. Electric guitars. Atlantis. Johnny Johnny. Blueberry pies. When the angels.

A song which was meant to be on the album but didn’t make the final cut. I won’t mentioned the title since we were all sworn to secrecy. It’s another glimpse into the creative process, another peek behind the curtain.

After an interval, Carnival 2000. Hallelujah. Cruel. Dublin, which wasn’t on the set list but he fancied playing it anyway. I should add that the setlist was hand written, minutes before the show started. It wasn’t compiled by a PR committee based on Spotify revenue.

Wicked things. Sound of crying, a song whose lyrics are even more heart wrenching today than they were back in 1999.

Meandering adventure

Just to prove how much commitment he has made to this venture, McAloon invites requests. Name any Prefab Sprout album of the ones he originally played on, any song, and there it is. No iPad with lyrics on, no sequencer with a bass line, no stage manager frantically finding the right settings, no chorus pedals. Just one artist who loves what he’s doing so much that he is delivering it to another 26 towns across the UK from October to December 2026.

Nightingales. Golden calf. Life of surprises. Bonny. Troubled man. Couldn’t bear to be special. When love breaks down. Appetite finally sees Steve McQueen delivered. It’s not a linear path, it’s a meandering adventure which feels a privilege to be part of.

There are self-effacing jokes about Jimmy Nail, getting old and making mistakes. They’re not necessary. The way that these intricate songs have been rewoven into new tapestries is a joy to behold. Of course there will be the occasional loose thread. Nobody is counting.

The last word

Will this night ever end? The next song signals that the conclusion is in sight, it being the first half of the pair that McAloon has ended every show with. Cars and girls. King of rock’n’roll.

With a hot dog and a jumping frog, the audience, as usual, have the last word.

Albuquerque!