THE first concert I ever saw was Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel at Leeds Grand Theatre around 1975 or 1976. The band was then at the height of its commercial success, the music was great, the light show was outstanding and Harley was the supreme showman. It made a big impression.

Thirty or so years later I travelled to Carlisle Sands Centre on Friday to see the band again. I've seen Harley perform live a few times in the intervening years but was delighted that Friday's gig matched that early 1970s' gig for energy, style and star quality.

Harley has a superb new album The Quality Of Mercy out and reckons it is his best yet. Some of its tracks were showcased at Carlisle and slotted perfectly into an outstanding performance, which also mixed the big hits and some album track gems.

There was a blistering opening of The Last Goodbye (from the new album), Mr Soft and Audience With The Man, from 1979's The Candidate. The well-balanced opening half of the gig also featured Judy Teen, Psychomodo, Sling It! and Mr Raffles, which included Harley playing homage to his musical hero Bob Dylan with an extract from Mr Tambourine Man.

The second half kept up the pace with Here Comes The Sun, a terrific Mirror Freak and Sebastian from Cockney Rebel's first album The Human Menagerie, plus anthems like Best Years Of Our Lives, The Last Feast and, of course, Make Me Smile (Come up And See Me), Harley's famous number one hit single from 1975.

By that time a sizeable portion of the crowd was on its feet, dancing at the front or clapping a performer who, more than 30 years into his career, is clearly enjoying himself immensely and who knows how to work a crowd to perfection.