Review: Paul Carrack, York Barbican , Saturday September 14

If there's one thing guaranteed to make you feel your age it's being informed that a classic song has reached a significant anniversary. In this particular case it is How Long, a song written by Paul Carrack some 50 years ago yet which still sounds as wonderful as when first heard on the radio.

While that song may have been an early hit recorded at the start of his career with the band Ace, Carrack has also served time as a member of both Squeeze and Mike and The Mechanics - recording further classic tunes with both - and has also worked with an impressive array of artists including Roxy Music, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and The Smiths.

With a greatest hits collection released last month titled How Long - Has This Been Going On?, Carrack, a regular live performer is currently on a UK tour which visited York Barbican on Saturday.

Backed by a flawless band Carrack himself alternated between guitar and keyboards/organ as the band delivered a faultless set of songs, each hallmarked with that soulful voice which Carrack quickly proved was still in great shape.

Opening with Satisfy My Soul, Carrack then performed Tempted - the Squeeze song which producer Elvis Costello persuaded Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook to allow him to perform - and it sounded both timeless and wonderful.

The set was packed with crowd favourites. Eyes Of Blue and Bet Your Life were standout numbers and it was also a pleasure to hear Love Will Keep Us Alive, the song Carrack co-wrote with Jim Capaldi and Peter Vale and recorded by The Eagles.

Carrack’s version of The Young Rascals’ Groovin’ was gorgeous, conjuring up an image of idling away a sunny afternoon with eyes only for a loved one and his version of Springsteen’s If I Should Fall Behind from the Boss’s Lucky Town album was a surprise inclusion.

Carrack's time with Mike and Mechanics was fully celebrated with three standout songs - Silent Running, The Living Years and Over My Shoulder. Incidentally, Mike Rutherford will be bringing Mike and the Mechanics to the Barbican next March in what promises to be an excellent night too.

How Long was a fine way to close the main set and had the audience out of their seats and singing and dancing along and was worthy of its standing ovation.

Included in the encore was another stunning cover with the band’s take on Jackie DeShannon's classic song When You Walk In The Room, which Carrack recorded way back in 1987.

There are a couple of further opportunities to catch this tour in the county when Carrack visits Hull on September 20 and Sheffield for a hometown show on October 13.

Photos by Dave Lawrence from a previous show at the Barbican.