The Divine Comedy @ The Liquid Room

Tonight is one of those nights when Neil Hannon is in a good mood. Well, more than being in a good mood, he's pissed. Supping on a pint of Guinness that somehow never seems to get more than half drunk, he spends the show joking along with a crowd that keeps yelling for My Lovely Horse. He doesn't quite take that step, but he does play an improvised Too Young To Die, complete with plenty of "la la la's" for when he's forgotten the words, just to satisfy the possessed screeches of someone old enough to know better. It's easy to only remember the self-parodying days of Generation Sex or National Express (both of which get a run out). Tonight, however, serves as a poignant reminder of the grace and understatement with which Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy can perform their fantastic songs in the live arena. [Neil Ferguson]