The Divine Comedy

They opened with “Achilles,” the first track from Rainy Sunday Afternoon. Inspired by a World War I poem and filtered through the lens of classical mythology, it’s a haunting chamber-pop masterpiece that was a decade in the making — and worth every second of that long gestation.

The Brutalist exterior of the Barbican Centre may divide opinion but stepping within its walls, with its wide spaces, staggered staircases, parquet floors, and hidden nooks and crannies, it is an oasis of calm. The Barbican Hall is a charming music venue and befitting to host the equally charming Neil Hannon

The Divine Comedy are happily a band that cannot be pigeon-holed and that is maybe one of the reasons why a packed crowd turned out at the Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday night to witness Neil Hannon and his band deliver a set list that reminded them that The Divine Comedy are a jewel in the British music scene.

Thirty years is a long time to be doing anything. When it’s the length of your career in music (so far), it’s reasonable to want to mark the achievement, to take stock, to appreciate. Some bands might tour.

I Like' is a cute love song for his partner that had Hannon pogoing energetically, despite complaints about his dodgy knees

The Divine Comedy's five-night residency at the Barbican was initially billed for October 2020 to celebrate the band's 30

Frontman Neil Hannon gained confidence and swagger over the course of the night