Theatre Royal, Glasgow
The stage was set with an armoury of keyboards, synthesizers and guitars Spanish and electric but this was strictly a two-man band effort with Elvis Costello joined by his longtime piano-tinkling wingman Steve Nieve to cover this musical waterfront and celebrate a personal and creative association which stretches back almost half a century.
Together, they cherrypicked from across Costello’s dizzyingly diverse catalogue of originals and covers and, in the case of 2021 album Spanish Model, covers of originals. Costello joked that they were bringing rock’n’roll back – “not that new wave music” – but they opened with a deconstructed version of Costello’s debut hit Watching the Detectives, doused in dubby resonance with Nieve demonstrating his prowess on that most toytown of keyboards, the melodica.
Costello’s voice has become huskier, more gravelly of late but he can still switch as required between that distinctive punky tenor timbre and his soulful keening croon. His intention to honour each of the decades of their partnership took him right up to the present day with new and so far unreleased song My Baby Just Squeals (You Heel) before pinballing back to the start with Red Shoes and Waiting For The End of the World from debut album My Aim Is True.
He infused the two-hour set with tales, shaggy dog and otherwise, of Top of the Pops debuts, border crossings and learning from his father, also a professional singer. As the set progressed, he dug ever deeper in his vocal delivery of Charles Aznavour’s She, a ravishing turn equalled by his own Burt Bacharach collaboration, I Still Have That Other Girl before romance gave way to intimations of war on the quietly raging Oliver’s Army, stately solemnity of Shipbuilding and upbeat plea (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.