THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, August 25, 1994              TAG: 9408250062
SECTION: DAILY BREAK              PAGE: E5   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Music Review 
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   49 lines

THIS IS THE STORY ON THE PROCLAIMERS: THEY'RE ROCK

THE PROCLAIMERS - the geeky, bespectacled, singing/songwriting Reid twins from Scotland - are unlikely pop stars. But Tuesday night at the Oceanfront, they reaffirmed what several hundred of their area fans already know: This ain't folk, it's rock.

Backed by a four-piece band, the duo, who came to mainstream attention last summer with their strutting, acoustic guitar-grounded hit single, ``I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles),'' reeled off a rousing set of tunes more akin to vintage rock and roll than the Celtic folk they've often been mischaracterized as fancying.

Shades of early rockers from Buddy Holly to the Everly Brothers emerged in a wide-ranging repertoire, bulleting from rockabilly stomps like ``Don't Turn Out Like Your Mother'' to the swinging sentimentality of ``Let's Get Married,'' both from new album ``Hit the Highway.''

For all of their rock and roll energy, though, a pair of unaccompanied tunes from the Proclaimers' sparkling 1987 debut LP ``This is the Story,'' proved the highlight of the evening. Obviously more comfortable with one Reid simply strumming acoustic guitar, the pair wove heartfelt harmonies on ``Misty Blue'' and proudly defended their pronounced Scottish burr on the rollicking ``Throw the `R' Away.''

Other fine moments included a cantering ``Letter From America'' from ``This is the Story,'' the predictably crowd-sating ``500 Miles,'' from second album ``Sunshine on Leith'' (and the theme song from last year's Johnny Depp flick ``Benny & Joon'') and an encore-opening rendition of chestnut ``King of the Road'' to celebrate the final date of the Proclaimers' U.S. tour, their first official concert junket in five years. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by FIN COSTELLO

The Proclaimers, twins from Scotland, have often been characterized

as folk musicians.

MUSIC REVIEW

The Proclaimers

Tuesday at The Abyss, Virginia Beach

by CNB