Graham Parker with Brinsley Schwarz: The Cluny, Newcastle

AT a time when rock music was stagnant, the genius that is Graham Parker burst on the scene in 1976 with a terrific album called Howlin' Wind.

Often compared with his contemporaries Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, these three brilliant songsmiths were responsible for a dozen great albums in the late-70s, five from Parker. The difference was the must-see side of Parker's fusion of rock and roll, blues, soul and reggae, supported by one of the greatest-ever backing bands, The Rumour.

Touring with Rumour guitarist Schwarz, this was a wonderful celebration through 40 years of Parker's impressive back catalogue.

Kicking off with a slower, bluesy version of Watch The Moon Come Down the troubadours included the band's 2012 reunion Three Chords Good album tracks Stop Cying About The Rain and Long Emotional Ride. A second reunion album, 2015's Mystery Glue, was represented with Pub Crawl and My Life in Movieland.

This was no tribute night but, in a set-list of 20 songs, it was wonderful to hear the duo dip into the vast archive of Parker's great songs: Under the Mask of Happiness (from 1988's Mona Lisa's sister), Heat Treatment, Discovering Japan, New York Shuffle and the finale, the 1977 hit single Hold Back the Night; every song sounding deliciously contemporary and relevant.

And yet, there is an even deeper mine of great songs in Parker's canon that hopefully we'll hear live in the not-too-distant future.

Ed Waugh