A MULTI-STOREY stage heralded the varied landscape ahead. The band started the rousing Love Revolution as Young burst out of a 6 foot parcel that had been on the stage as the crowd waited.

This was just for starters in an evening of theatrical eccentricity. Will Young may have shot to fame on an ITV end of a pier talent show but he is a true talent- a triple threat of singing, dancing and acting that shines through every song.

This wasn’t another gig with a setlist-this was a show carefully planned and skilfully orchestrated.

Young showed his caustic wit early doors dealing with a heckler in the more advanced stages of refreshment.

The blend of musicians and vocals had all the smoothness of late seventies Roxy Music laden with grooves at the hands of Sunderland’s finest Paul Turner on bass. Songs by Marvin Gaye and Donna Summer appeared as surprise guests weaving between his greatest hits and even Running up that hill appeared. In many ways Young’s show shares similar boundaries to Kate Bush in creativity.

Then two sets of step ladders appeared as if a homage to the Chuckle Brothers with a plank over the top-at which Young walked the plank and took a seat-here the show could have gone viral with a step out of place – instead he broke hearts with a cover of The Beatles’ Golden Slumbers. His “love” medley made every hair stand on end.

Then another curve ball as he appeared wearing a costume featuring a ship as if he had stolen it from a quirky York Marathon runner. It was reminiscent of Elton John’s Donald Duck costume in the 1970s proving nothing was off limits tonight and everyone loved it.

The finest feature of the night was the amount of space the band left for the songs to shine with Young’s pure, delicate, effortless voice never dipping below perfection all night.

Nowadays Young isn’t just a pop star, he's a spokesperson, a voice, never afraid to raise his head above the parapet but with songs like “Your Game”, “Evergreen” and the timeless “Leave Right Now” Young will always have a loyal following.

Seven albums in he clearly does what he loves and loves what he does and that infectious joy touches everybody in the audience.

Based on tonight’s boundless energetic performance “forty is the new Young!”