The Christians, Newcastle 02 Academy

THERE'S a great thrill when one of your favourite all-time bands plays one of your all-time favourite songs; The Christians did that to end an excellent set with Hooverville, a song about believing the promises of politicians and being lied to.

The Christians are a Liverpudlian, multi-racial soul band whose lead singer Garry (Christian) has a voice of such rare beauty that he can lift a song from wonderful to sublime.

Their debut single, Forgotten Town, in 1987, was a statement of intent about Thatcher's Britain. It received a rousing welcome. Ideal World, What's in a Word, When the Fingers Point, Born Again and a host of other classic pop/soul songs followed, all of which have resonance today and all of which were greeted like long-lost friends by the enthusiastic middle-aged crowd.

Opening with Dylan's I Shall Be Released, the seven-piece band zipped through a back catalogue of classics: more gems were aired, Words and I Found Out from their number one album Colours, and then a rendition of the truly beautiful Greenbank Drive. Despite early sound problems and Garry Christian's distinct look of being somewhat ill, his higher vocal chores were shared by guitarist Joey Ankrah who, with Neil Griffiths on acoustic guitar and Cliff Watson on bass, harmonized to give these wonderful, incisive lyrics an aural sugar coating.

All too soon, the penultimate song was their top-ten hit Harvest For The World, a danceable Isley Brothers-penned number whose funky beat hides the barbs and accusations.

Ed Waugh