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It was left to the legendary Elvis Costello to close the night, and he chose a selection of songs from Spike and his recent album Mighty Like A Rose along with some older classics like "Accidents Will Happen" and "Watching The Detectives." His band, The Rude 5, were session men of the first order, and their performance recalled the good old days of The Attractions. Needless to say, most of the kids never heard most of his material, so applause was polite but subdued. "Veronica" brought a spark of recognition to teenage faces, and his recent single, "The Other Side Of Summer," was a fine example of Elvis's pop songwriting skills. Elvis looks nothing like the scrawny, scowling rude boy of yore, but his singing and playing are as brilliant as ever.
As the crowd began to file out of the stadium after a long, hot day, Elvis and The Rude 5 saw them off with a lively finale that included "Oliver's Army" and "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" The answer to that last question was seen in the smiles of the punters who had enjoyed a generous helping of all three virtues.
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