As far as turning points in All About Eve's history go, this opening night on a fourteen-date UK tour proved one of undeniable significance. Consider these circumstances: the first date of their first full tour as an electric band in almost 10 years; a new lead guitarist, Toni Haimi, in to replace the recently-departed Marty Willson-Piper; not to mention a selection of new material to be performed here for the very first time, their first since 1992's Ultraviolet. As crossroads go in a band's career, it's a major motorway junction.

With the house lights barely registering in the tight semi-circle of the auditorium, and with a hugely atmospheric sample of Julianne's voice gradually distorting into the middle-distance, the band emerge from the black curtain backdrop to assume their positions. Almost representative of the need for a fresh direction, Julianne presents herself in gleaming white; broken by a gathering of jewellery at her neck, and off-set with jet black hair. The attention switches at once to Toni as he adjusts his guitar around himself. However futile and inconsequential they may be, comparisons between he and Marty will inevitably be drawn. Marty is a flamboyant, expressive player, courting attention and admiration in equal measures. Toni, however, with dark, vulnerable eyes peering from within the sanctuary of his fringe, possesses a more considered and reserved stage presence, a model of concentration and timing. His tight-lipped attention to detail is rarely broken. He brings to the stage a vital edge of gothic romanticism that throws the rest of the band into a different light. It's almost as if Gary Numan had joined New Order to make them seem like Joy Division again.

Let Me Go Home (new song) The Dreamer Flowers In Our Hair In The Clouds Blue Sonic Boy Dream (new song) Daisychains (new song) I Don't Know Phased Father (new song) Sodium (new song) Wishing The Hours Away Bounce (new song) Outshine The Sun Every Angel Life On Mars

And yet, as I gradually become accustomed to the sight and sound of a new All About Eve, a certain symmetry begins to dawn on me, increasingly in evidence as each new track is unveiled. As far as presenting the new material is concerned, shaping a new sound for a band who had bravely decided that past glories were no longer enough, Toni's arrival may prove one of perfect timing. With his involvement in the new material our only yardstick, we can only view them with Toni as an integral part. There is no 'Marty version' with which to draw comparison. In consequence, this only serves to reinforce the fact that this is a new approach, a new sound. This isn't merely the old line-up fine-tuning their output, but a new All About Eve for us to consider, complete with fresh ideas and personnel to harness the momentum of the last two years. And with two new tracks for openers, this is a point they clearly want to establish as early as possible.

'Let Me Go Home' and 'Dream' are songs that perfectly encapsulate two of All About Eve's distinct styles of song-writing. The former strips away the muscle of 'Phased' and dares to pick at its bare bones. It falls short of its driving momentum and enticing rawness, yet when Toni picks up the pace mid-point, the effect has the stage rocking for a moment. Harbouring more pop single potential than 'Phased,' with a subtle electronic backing and strong melodies, I am comforted by its potential to sound fantastic on record. It is so representative of the rest of the new material, that it proves an ideal, blistering opener, serving a broad hint at what the Eves have been working towards. 'Dream', however is the flip-side of their writing, a lush and unashamedly melancholic affair, all butterfly secrets and endless summer skies. Most things seem possible when Julianne is in the mood for the kind of delivery this song demands of her. It is a song lined with regret, reminiscent of some of the Mice material, yet revealing a more mature approach to the subject matter. It drifts by almost without effort, leaving us missing it the moment the stage falls into silence.

Those perennial staples of the Eves' live set, 'Flowers In Our Hair' and 'In The Clouds' seem fresher than usual due to Toni's presence, and in a way I'm glad to have a new perspective on songs we know like old friends; almost too familiar, yet sometimes only conspicuous by their absence. Both are played with the vigor and commitment we've come to expect. Certain songs deserve nothing less. They are followed by a thoroughly rousing 'Blue Sonic Boy,' perhaps the most potent and resourceful track from the Mice project. It is certainly the one which translates most successfully to a live setting, allowing the band to alternate between the weight of a middle section where Toni can fully assert himself, an unexpected passage of gentle, reflective rhythm, and a swollen ending which always seems upon us too soon. Toni then wastes no time in engaging us with his take on 'The Dreamer's opening riffs. It is precisely at this moment when I confess to comparing the playing of he and Marty. From where I was sitting, I certainly don't feel we need to harbour any concerns. He lacks Marty's undoubted stage presence, yet Toni quietly seemed to own every line he offered us, and fitted into 'The Dreamer' as though his piece of its jigsaw is the same shape as Marty's. Only the fully initiated would be able to truly notice the difference.

'Daisy Chains' begins with the kind of rhythm which would go on to become symptomatic with most of the new songs: a kind of deep, percussive loop, lowered in pitch to provide the kind of curious rhythmical backing similar to that used to great effect by Depeche Mode. It lends the tracks a textural backdrop onto which the band can lay their instruments. Conjuring sumptuous imagery of a long summer evening coming to a perfect ending, 'Chains' makes us sink into the uncharted comfort of our seat and wish we were wrapped in our favourite blanket. Julianne almost eases into the guise of a lounge bar crooner, and smiling at the thought, I imagine her draped over a piano in criminally expensive dress and diamond jewellery. This is the undemanding Eves, establishing a loving, leisurely rhythm so as not to disturb our flights of fancy. We only return when the loop fades away, and we are left to thank those who allowed us the room to imagine.

We marvel for a moment at Toni's high, hanging guitar sequence before we recognise a resurrected 'I Don't Know' one of the less remarkable offerings on 'Ultraviolet,' and yet here given an almost violent makeover, complete with eastern keyboard and a wider, fuller sound than it was given on the album. Julianne confesses to breathing life back into it, and it responds by growing more indispensable than I could have ever expected. As always, 'Phased' simply underlines All About Eve's ability to rock as long and as loud as anyone. The lunar siren seems to signify that the stage is about reach Earth orbit. Andy's feet have never appeared so wide apart as he maintains the bass rhythm, casting glances over to Toni, who by way of response at long last breaks into a brief smile, perhaps the first indication of him feeling at home amongst these strange songs.

'Father' stutters at its outset as Toni times his guitar to a computer backbeat. Yet once underway, it has all the hallmarks of soiled chrome; an efficient and polished pop song underpinned with textured guitar licks and oddly atypical structure. It surrenders it momentum mid-way, then embarks upon an instrumental tangent before Julianne brings us full circle just in time for the sudden ending. She comments it was the scariest of the new songs to perform. My only criticism is also a back-handed compliment: that it was over too soon.

'Sodium' is why I love this band; the type of mesmerisingly evocative song I want as background music when I dream to fortify whatever images are brought to me.

'Sodium' is why I love this band; the type of mesmerisingly evocative song I want as background music when I dream to fortify whatever images are brought to me. Taking up the reigns of 'Are You Lonely', and a take on the pressures of loneliness, its seductive mood is soon under our skin and stirring emotions we usually only reserve for moments alone. It's almost painful to witness the need in Julianne's voice as she delivers the chorus. All we can do is submit. It's hard to remind myself they are just lyrics, and that the emotion she is projecting is merely to convey the mood of the track. Yet the effect is so strong I can do little but empathise with her state of mind when she wrote it; a true victory for the genuine song-writer still very much alive in her. It's hard to account for the fact that 'Sodium' can be part of the same set as the innocent optimism of 'Flowers In Our Hair,' yet both are delivered with the mood they are designed to pray upon. 'Sodium' appeared to demand our attention tonight more than any other song, perhaps because we were witnessing the birth of what will surely go on to be regarded as one of the most exquisite songs they have ever recorded.

Next up is the abstract daydream of 'Wishing The Hours Away,' the opening notes of which are the musical equivalent of sleeping in your favourite bed knowing a beautiful dream awaits you. Tonight's performance of what has become a live favourite does nothing to convince us otherwise. Close on its heels is 'Bounce,' an altogether more up-tempo and commercial outing with solid rhythm, steely guitar riffs and more unusual backing percussion. As with 'Father', it arrives at an unexpected and sudden ending. The ever-monumental 'Outshine The Sun,' closes the set, at the climax of which we are treated to our first glimpse of Toni really expressing himself. With his fringe now pasted to the sweat of his forehead, he frowns and grimaces as he pours himself into the rush of guitar turmoil before bringing the set to a crashing end. He is last to leave, applauded and cheered from the stage by those already convinced of his value.

Two encores follow the band's return; an efficient and lively 'Every Angel', and a striking and bold re-working of Bowie's 'Life On Mars'. Both leave us wanting more, yet the rise of the house lights signals an end to our hopes of such.

On tonight's evidence, everything seems extremely healthy in the Eves' camp. On a first hearing, the new material is surprisingly immediate, its qualities apparent from the very outset. Subsequent hearings may reveal more, particular when we hear the planned studio album. Considering this was the first time these tracks have been performed live, this can only bode well for not only the rest of the tour, but also for the future of the band. They made a hugely promising start to the tour tonight, and after many months of anticipation and speculation, also proved that they are still capable of writing stunning songs which while seeming familiar to us, also offer us something fresh and vital, crucial attributes if the band are to progress. The true test All About Eve faced lay in the quality of their new material and the conviction in its performance, and by what we saw tonight, they have emerged from the unproductive years unscathed. I can only look forward to a future in which they surely belong.

Chris Owen