There was no lack of an audience for Elvis Costello at the Hammersmith Palais this week when he played a quick return date in London. The unbeatable combination of clever publicity and talent have moved Costello remorselessly to the very top, and this was a kind of thank you from the new superstar.
You could tell it was meant to be a party because Costello, notoriously rude, was actually talking to the audience which had waited from eight until almost eleven to see this small sensation perform. There is no denying the power of Costello's songs as he raced through old and new, fast and slow, drugging the weary mass with the clever insistent rhythms which underpin quirky lyrics and subtle melodies. Elvis Costello is bold in relying on his music to make up for the man, but judging by the enthusiastic scenes at the Palais he could easily become the biggest British export since Elton John.
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