NEIL Hannon entertained a sellout crowd for nearly two hours weaving his prolific songbook into an eclectic musical cabaret.

He entered in bowler hat and suit, strutting with an umbrella as he juxtaposed songs from his back catalogue: sparkly Down In The Street Below, bittersweet Our Mutual Friend and an amped up Generation Sex which verged on punk. 

It was only after a costume change that he turned to latest release Foreverland, singing Napoleon Complex dressed as the famous dictator. He soon discarded the hat and jacket but was stuck with the boots which proved cumbersome when he tried to perch on a high stool for an acoustic segment. The highlight of this was the return of support act Lisa O’Neill for quirky duet Funny Peculiar. 

Things didn't stay quiet for too long as Hannon strapped on an electric guitar and urged everyone out of their seats for Indie Disco and a run of high octane numbers culminating in Something for the Weekend. 

After a good 90 minutes, they still managed two encores. Songs of Love, best known as the theme tune to Father Ted, closed the night, a reminder of what a cultural treasure this eccentric Irishman has become. 

Patrick Widdess