Last night I saw Alison Moyet in concert in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, on the second European date of ‘The Other Tour’ (She was at the Cork Opera House the day before.)

The Olympia is such a beautiful venue – designed in an ornate and tacky 19th century, old time music hall style. While it holds an audience of about 1300, it feels very intimate. The best type of venue for a gig – you can actually see the artists, rather than some big, screen above their heads.

Despite the fact that it was renovated quite recently, it still maintains a glamourously, seedy atmosphere. It was almost disappointing that the grimy and sticky floor which has been marinated over the centuries, by spilled drinks, had been cleaned.

There was an air of anticipation throughout the room. There was an offstage, spoken word intro.

The show began.

It featured many songs from Moyet’s new album ‘Other’. All were lovely – slightly melancholy, but very moving.

When she said that she had found home and community again, in Brighton, and how happy she was to live in a town where gay people – young and old – can be free, the audience erupted with joy. So it wasn’t my imagination the crowd had seemed to feature a large contingent of people like myself. She launched into the beautiful song ‘Other’. We all roared in appreciation.

Her song ‘The English U’ was an ode to her mother. She told us of how Alzheimer’s had taken her, but not her grasp of grammar. It was desperately funny and sad to hear how, despite her illness she maintained her dislike of the Americanisation of the English language. It reminded me of my own Dad, who in his later years became ever more enraged by what he saw as the bastardization of language.

Like father, like son.

I hissed at my local ‘eatery’ on the way home.

The old classics were performed of course. All received a rousing reception. The Yazoo hits – ‘Only you’; ‘Don’t go’; ‘Situation’ – all went down a storm.  She seemed quite alarmed that ‘Nobody’s diary’ is now forty years old – she wrote it as a teenager.

Solo classics were also featured – ‘All cried out’, ‘Whispering your name’; ‘Love resurrection’, ‘When I was your girl.’

I’ve seen Moyet perform before – in Paradiso in Amsterdam, four years ago, so I knew this was going to be a special concert. Her voice remains stunning. And she herself  seems like an incredibly warm, funny, charismatic, and downright lovely person.

Having arrived late on the scene in my Alison Moyet fandom, I think it’s true to say that I’ll be seeing on her next tour.

It was only bloody marvelous.