Van Morrison came to the Sage Gateshead, ran through his repertoire... and left. And even if it was tame affair, the audience was more than satisfied.

The sellout event, comprising mainly the older generation and, dare one say, diehards fans, was treated to favourites including Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, Beautiful Vision and Brown Eyed Girl.

Morrison's audience engagement was minimal, with him proffering only one or two thank yous in response to polite applause. His music was given a distinctly more country feel, through the predominance of a fiddle and steel guitar. If anything, his voice has strengthened with age and his vocal dexterity cut to the core of his lyrics, never overwhelmed by the fine work from his backing band. His saxophone playing was a treat.

Morrison's parting shot, Gloria, really got the pulse going and a small knot of people managed to find their way to the aisle for some enthusiastic dancing. A comfortable and enjoyable evening.