Fans walk out as iconic singer strips down hits at beacon show

Not all attendees, who had shelled out over £100 per ticket, seemed to enjoy the performance. Around halfway through the sold-out two-hour show, a noticeable number of fans began to vacate their seats. Initially, I assumed it was for a brief comfort break, but most didn’t return, leaving noticeable gaps in the stalls. ‘I don’t think I can stand any more of this,’ one man quietly confessed as he navigated past me to make a swift exit. His wife appeared even more disheartened. Oh dear.

But at the age of 70, and with a stellar 50-year career behind him, Elvis Costello doesn’t have anything left to prove. And if, at times, this show was ‘self-indulgent’ and ‘unlistenable’ – as one fan described it to me afterwards – it was also sprinkled with some glittering jewels. Yes, it was hard work at times, but it was worth it, as BristolLive reports.

Appearing on stage with long-time keyboardist Steve Nieve (one of the original Attractions) and a young chap in a baseball cap behind a laptop at the side of the stage, this was a stripped-back, low-lit affair. Anybody expecting a full-blown band show with polished versions of back-to-back hits may have felt short-changed but, like fellow musical elder statesmen Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, Costello has never played by the rules and he likes to do things differently.

With his pork-pie hat, trademark glasses and gap-toothed grin, punk rock’s sneering Mr Angry stayed seated for much of the show. When he did stand up, he walked over to the vintage radio microphones reminiscent of those used by 1940s country singers in crumbling Nashville music halls.

Nieve also remained behind his shiny black grand piano and keyboards. This wasn’t a high-energy performance by any means and some of the songs were reworked so much that some fans may have been playing a game of ‘Name That Tune’.

Classic 70s hit (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea was barely recognisable until the end and Clubland was given a complete rewiring and ended up morphing into The Specials’ Ghost Town (no bad thing).

Ascension Day, Shipbuilding and She were far more reflective of the records and there was also a beautiful version of I Still Have That Other Girl, a song Costello originally recorded with Burt Bacharach. Oliver’s Army was patchy, with Costello’s voice showing signs of strain towards the end of the set.

But it was a sprawling Watching The Detectives with an almost drum and bass-like intensity and a belting version of (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding that were the real highlights of a show that was certainly challenging and testing for many diehard fans. By the end, there were far more empty seats than there were at the start of the show but those who stayed gave Costello a well-deserved standing ovation.