Ian McCullough and the Union Chapel

So what's your idea of the perfect Saturday night? Clubbing? Quiet night in front of Britain's Got Talent? Well mine is probably a night out with my best mate, the odd pint in a pub, dinner out and watching a gig featuring someone I (and my companion) have loved for years. And that was my last Saturday night.

Ian McCullough is better known as the lead singer of Echo & the Bunnymen, whose heyday was in the 80s, but they still produce good albums after all these years. He has a great back catalogue of songs which he displayed in this acoustic solo set. And made the better by having Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds (a much underrated songwriter and producer in his own right.) on guitar and it was in the Union Chapel in Islington, my first visit to this curious venue. "Curious" as it is still a "working" church. But the acoustics are excellent, and this octagonal chapel designed by James Cubitt makes a fine place for acoustic gigs. Its only taken 150 years to find a worthwhile use for the building, but better late than never!

Ian was very good. He may be older than me, but doesn't look it. And he has such a brilliant voice, both singing and speaking, a deep drawling scouse voice. I did remark that I was surprised that Lips Like Sugar, which he finished on, was not better known, and hadn't been covered by anyone else, but maybe its because no one else would quite have the voice for it.