David Ford's current single ‘Decimate’ is a sublime mix of pop hooks and charming lyrical couplets. It would be the stunning closer of most bands’ sets, but such is the quality of his fine canon of songs, spread across two well crafted albums, that it is allowed to be aired at the Manchester date on his latest tour second up without the slightest sniff that all that follows is an anti-climax.

Having cut his teeth in indie chancers Easyworld in the early 90’s, Ford has developed and matured as a musician and tonight, backed by an eclectic live brass section in addition to the more familiar guitar, bass and drum set up, he has an assured but humble stage persona that ear-marks him for greatness. The audience, a strange mix of young and old, straight and gay, devotees and virgins, are held trance-like through-out (save for the mouthing of lyrics to a loved one or the occasional spontaneous outbreak of moving limbs), as the realisation that something truly magical in unfolding before their eyes and through their ears.

The whole set is littered with highlights; the beautiful ‘What Would You Have Me Do?’ sandwiched between the brilliant protest rants of ‘Requiem’ and ‘State Of The Union’; a superb re-working of the Smiths’ classic ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ (introduced as “Manchester’s anthem”); a jaunty ‘Nobody Tells Me What To Do’ that leads to one man dancing like he is on 'The Muppet Show' ; the sing-a-long encore of ‘Cheer Up (You Miserable Fuck)'and the final solo return for ‘Go To Hell’.

It is, however, ‘Song For The Road’, a majestic lyrical journey of love stretched across the rich tapestry of England green and pleasant land, that manages to somehow top the rest.

Words now fail me…..that’s how good this gig was.