Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
To Absent Friends…
A joyful crowd, one perhaps with deep untouched feelings within their souls, people who have lost pals, friends, loved ones, in a period of time which we were collectively denied moments that bring us joy, and which, to those absent friends, their presence, their love, might have circulated long into the night as Neil Hannon, the persona of The Divine Comedy, brought a collection of songs, hits, and wonders to Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall, and revelled in the mischief of lyrical genius, and the chance to shake off, maybe for the first time in a couple of years, the pressure of an unforgiving period in human history.
It goes without saying that art keeps us sane, grounded, feeling loved, but also asks of us to fly as high as we can, especially around a crowd, for in that safety net that surrounds, that offers support, we can fly to the tune of the artist and see what lays over the border, we observe beauty, we seek acceptance and the truth in ourselves, and it was in that observance of truth as the days of May arrived with more than a fair smile upon its youthful lips, that The Divine Comedy left their mark on all who came to see the man they consider their mutual friend.
Friendship is such that some will bellow it from the rooftops, almost delivering it with a stance of arrogance as they wish to have a sense of ownership over their inner circle, and there are those who quietly observe the passion and smile, perhaps unsure of how to proceed but to say thank you and carry on with what gained the adoration in the first place.
To a trusted old friend…that is how the Philharmonic Hall greeted Neil Hannon as the large tour continued in earnest and in fun. Fun, it may be just a small part of what we expect from art, but there is no doubting that is what Neil Hannon has always set out to accomplish as his baroque pop style sets the tone of the gig; and as songs such as the evening opener, Absent Friends, Becoming More Like Alfie, Everybody Knows (Except You), The Certainty Of Chance, the updated Generation Sex, Gin Soaked Boy, A Lady Of A Certain Age, Norman And Norma, Something For The Weekend, and National Express all stood up to the time in which they have been missing from the live setting, and received the overwhelming support they deserved from a crowd relishing the opportunity, the desire to see the charming man perform once more.
Art has been an absent friend and may well again one day be missing from our lives, especially if we don’t protect it from those who seek to harm the beauty it creates, the belief in thinking it requires, but for now, art, is the most divine reason to be alive, and few capture it so succinctly, and with pomp, ceremony, and joy as Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy.
Ian D. Hall