Got back home on the North Wales coast late last night following an arduous 7-hour multi-connection rail nightmare; this on top of a 9-hour journey to get down there in the first place (to Crawley, south of London). But, even so, every last mile spent staring into the darkness of the countryside as the miles dragged by, and every minute sitting waiting on cold and lonely platforms for my connections to arrive was worth it, because, in my humble opinion, Saturday night's gig was one to treaure in so many ways.

This is a band we all love; one who most of us thought we'd never see again. All About Eve arrived on the music scene, they entraced us for 5 years, and then they went. We thought they'd had their day. To see them back to this extent...well, I have to pinch myself sometimes. The concert at the Union Chapel was the culmination of a years' hard work on their behalf; a very special event to cap 12 months of activity few could have predicted, least of all the band themselves I dare say. To see them perform in such stunning surroundings proved a very emotional evening for myself, particularly after having resigned myself over the last 7 or 8 years to never seeing them play live ever again. Saturday night saw All About Eve back where they belong; on stage in front of their loyal fans, and in the kind of setting which transforms what would, had it taken place in a regular concert hall, have been a great gig into something entirely magical. Stepping in to the auditorium took my breath away. I had been expecting a fine-looking chapel, but this was something else. For a moment, I simply had to stand there and remind myself where I was; jaw slackened, neck creaking as I titlted my head back to take in its full extent. In the truest sense of the word, I'm afraid I'm not a religous person in any way, and yet I admit it would take a certain degree of disregard and disrespect not to be moved by the scale and stature of the Chapel's beautiful and imposing interior. Some arches were so high you had to crane your neck to see where they reached. It was hard to believe how much stained glass was in there, while the ceiling was so ornate it was hard to look away from. To have All About Eve playing here was like a dream. The two were almost made for each other.

There was also an undeniable sense of occasion in the air, and it was clear from that moment on that this was going to be something very special; surely a night to remember for everyone in attendance. And after a half-hour's waiting, the lights suddenly dimmed. Anticipating something was near, eager applause and whistles fuelled our impatience. The candles set at the front of the stage, and the delicate rows of lights to its rear, were now beacons, burning in the dark. Music lifted from the silence; familiar strains from 'Ultraviolet' stripped of their vocals. High drama, indeed; broken only when the Eves ambled onto stage as though it was nothing!

After having become so used to the acoustic versions of old favourites like 'What Kind Of Fool' and 'Wild Hearted Woman' this year, to hear full-band renditions played live was a completely new experience for me. From what I remember, those two tracks seemed more faithful to the originals than others played on the night. Maybe the rhythms were tampered with a little, but each song was received with rapturous, rather than riotous, applause. Other old favourites were toyed with to a greater extent; a curiously restrained 'December' , for instance, or the surprise inclusion of 'Lady Moonlight', with Rik Carter's piano replacing the guitar to which we were accustomed. While the former of these may have benefitted from a sense of subtelty hitherto hidden within the track, the latter was elevated to an entirely new level. This was simply the most moving section of the whole concert. The new arrangement and instrumentation of what had more-or-less previously been an acoustic guitar-and-vocal affair was a revelation, affording us the opportunity to hear a beautiful song turned into nothing short of a religous experience. Yes, I admit, there was a rather large lump in my throat! But All About Eve's music has always had that over-powering sense of emotiveness about it; I guess that's why we all still love it so much.And when placed in a venue such as Saturday night's, and added to the circumstances of having almost lost this band for good, well, it was almost too much to hold in.

It was nice to see Julianne, Andy and Marty continuing the kind of between-song banter we've all enjoyed so much this year. With this being a different kind of show altogether, I was half-expecting to see a thoroughly professional and efficient All About eve on stage. But, thankfully, they were having none of it! 'Aren't we refreshingly unprofessional?' Julianne joked as Marty delayed the start of another song by endlessly toying with his gear. She even climbed the steps of the pulpit as they emerged for the second set, raising her arms once in there as though she'd scored in the Cup Final! 'As an ex-Catholic, and still sometime-Catholic, I've always wanted to do that!' she explains herself. And even though the banter went on for far too long towards the end of the night, apart from the impatient organisers and an itching-to-get-on-with-it Julianne, no-one seemed to care too much. If they'd have gone on all night, I don't think anyone would have left!

'Are You Lonely' and 'Shelter From The Rain' both fill the Chapel with the kind of restrained power few bands have ever equalled in my book. 'Freeze' takes me back to a cold November evening in 1992, seeing them for the first time in Manchester. 'Outshine The Sun' and 'Every Angel' prove that All About Eve can fill a hall, any hall, with as much energy and sound as any band currently enjoying chart success. Performing live in this way, the band once again prove that compositions of genuine beauty and imagination will always reign supreme over plastic ballads and copy-and-paste studio dance drivel. This is what real music should be about: no pretence to impart, no image to maintain; just wonderful music played by a band who love doing what they do best: performing to the kind of audience they enjoyed on Saturday; respectful, behaved, and there to listen to a band they adore. It really will live long in the memory. Who cares if the sound could have been better from they were seated? Who cares if they played this song instead of that? Where's your sense of occasion?!

Beside which, from where I was seated at the front of the central balcony, the sound quality was never a problem. It all sounded wonderful to me. If pushed, my only criticism was that I felt Julianne's voice was a little low in the mix. Someone else commented that they couldn't make out some of the lyrics, and from my position, I could agree with that to a certain degree. That small quibble aside, I loved every minute of an absolutely fabulous, not to mention generoulsy long, show. From the moment the band walked on stage, to the moment they left, well over two-and-a-half hours had elapsed.

To finish, I just wanted to thank the likes of Howard, Derek, Matt and the rest of the I&SS crew for all the hard work, time, effort and devotion they have sacrificed this year for the cause of the band. I'm sure Julianne, Andy and Marty appreciate their sterling efforts. But we should too. Well done, guys!! It was nice to bump into you all again. Thanks also to Ian; he knows why!

All in all, a wonderfuul way to round off a memorable 12 months. The good news is there's more lined up for next year!

Have a nice Christmas everyone.

Chris Owen

Set 1 What Kind OF Fool Wild Hearted Woman Forever Freeze Miss World Are You Lonely More Than The Blues Lady Moonlight December (gorgeously reworked)

Set 2 Scarlet Marthas Habour Wishing The Hours Away In The Clouds Never Promise Farewell Mr Sorrow You Bring Your Love To Me Shelter From The Rain Encore 1 Outshine The Sun Encore 2 Share It With Me Every Angel