"I didn't always play such salubrious venues…"
The Leicester Mercury -
From the moment Elvis Costello walked on stage in a suit, tie and silver winkle picker shoes, it looked like it was going to be a night to remember.
For two solid hours, he performed almost back to back songs from his extensive back catalogue and right up to his current album, the Delivery Man. No support band, and very few breaks between songs. Just two hours of solid Costello. I had known his reputation as a prolific songwriter, but I had no idea he was such as charismatic frontman and accomplished guitarist. Stagehands brought on and took off a dazzling array of guitars as Elvis ran through a set ranging from sometimes almost discordant jamming through to quiet, intimate, acoustic songs.
The best songs from his current album, including Country Darkness, Monkey to Man and the Delivery Man itself were met with considerable applause, while older songs, such as I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea, also provoked roars of approval. Old favourites Oliver's Army, Watching the Detectives and Pump It Up formed the climax of the show, before a final, quiet acoustic tune brought the show to a final close.
It was a stunning show from one of Britain's most talented songwriters.
Someone after the show said he was like the British Bruce Springsteen, and they were not far wrong.
The classic singles steal the show as Elvis Costello plays a 150 minute marathon.
"I didn't always play such salubrious venues…"
Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall, filled with a seated audience of smartly dressed middle-aged couples, is a long way off from Elvis Costello's semi-punk beginnings, three decades ago. But he didn't have so many songs back then.
The two and a half hour performance was non-stop; not even the countless guitar changes could hold up the proceedings.
Elvis and his Imposters (including the captivating Steve Nieve on keyboards) moved from fast-paced pop, to blues, to rock and roll, and to acoustic ballads with seemingly effortless precision.
Slow and bluesy new album, The Delivery Man, provided the bulk of the set, with Nothing Clings Like Ivy and Monkey To Man being the most memorable.
But the classic singles stole the show, which really got started four songs in with Radio Radio.
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea couldn't come too soon, actually getting the surprisingly subdued crowd to tap their feet.
The set closed on a high with an unforgettable combo of Shipbuilding, Peace, Love and Understanding and Oliver's Army, which would have been worth the ticket price alone.
And finally, demonstrating that his voice has lost no power over the years, part of new acoustic song The Scarlet Tide was performed beautifully without a microphone; transforming the grand venue into a picture of intimacy and moving the audience to a standing ovation.