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Elvis Costello overcame a sore throat on Saturday to captivate a full house at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre with a potent mixture of style and passion.
A heavy touring schedule had clearly taken its toll, as he was forced to strain to reach the top notes in "Pills and Soap," the opening number of the show.
Centrepiece of the two-hour show was an emotional rendition of "Shipbuilding," the song Elvis co-wrote with Clive Langer for Robert Wyatt. Later on, an angry, uptempo version of The Beat's "Stand Down Margaret" was greeted with unanimous approval.
The omission of material from Almost Blue was a minor disappointment, but probably due to its indifferent reception by the fans when it was released. I still think "Good Year For The Roses" was one of the unlikely-looking star's best efforts.
Fortunately for the old faithfuls, there was room on the night for "Alison" and "Mystery Dance" from his My Aim Is True era.
Inevitably there were two encores — not bad considering he had a sore throat — featuring "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," "TKO" (unfortunately the worst track on the latest LP, Punch the Clock), and "Pump It Up."
Elvis Costello and the Attractions are the best live act on the UK circuit. Check them out — you won't regret it.
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