Elvis Costello & The Imposters

From angry young man to engaging showman, Elvis Costello’s numerous reinventions, spanning four decades, has not diminished the power of his songs. The poignancy of ‘Shipbuilding’ and ‘Alison’ still resonated through his distinctive vocals unaffected by age, while an extended walkabout during ‘Watching The Detectives’ gave Steve Nieve on keyboards the stage he deserved. An obvious crowd-pleaser, the three-hour extravaganza – complete with Spectacular Spinning Songbook, willing audience participation and go-go cage – was devoured by a crowd with expectations that revolved around a back catalogue of their particular favourites; from ‘Oliver’s Army’ to ‘Tramp The Dirt Down’ they weren’t left disappointed.

Brighton Centre, 22 June 2013

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