ELO 2016 tour at the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham: review and set list

Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra was a "show to remember" at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham

This gig was astonishing. There's no other way to describe the spectacle that Nottingham witnessed.

This wasn't the last vestiges of a rock dinosaur looking for an elephantine graveyard.

This was a breath of life, fresh air on an evening that might just herald the start of summer.

Jeff Lynne brought his new incarnation of ELO to the Arena filled the place.

Big music, big crowd – huge talent.

From the off the man behind some of the biggest sounds of the 70s and 80s showed us exactly why he's regarded with such reverence.

It was astonishing because some of us younger ones never thought we'd get to see one of the biggest bands in rock history in the flesh. Jeff managed something new with the Travelling Wilburys but this was a welcome return what he does best. Singer, composer, songwriter, arranger, musician and producer – no one could deny he's got the lot.

And it was a sell-out crowd. I've never seen the Arena packed to the rafters like this and if you closed off one ear, the knowledgeable and appreciative audience could be heard echoing every syllable of every song,

Yet this was more than a love-in. Each and every number was a hit… a tune we knew, a lyric we love and a riff to grasp hold of.

The new album Alone in the Universe brings something fresh to the perfectly-executed back-catalogue. You may have heard When I was a Boy on the radio, and it's one of the strongest tracks on his latest release.

But of course, it's those hits from Radio 2 of days gone by that really get the crowd moving.

We worked our way through a couple of tunes from Discovery, Out of the Blue and Eldorado, and then Rock Aria sets the Arena alight. With its rock opera overtones, it took the concert to a new level.

The string trio brought an authentic touch, along with original keyboard player Richard Tandy in the mix as well as talented backing singers and a band that really cut the ice.

ELO has a distinctive blend of rock, pop and classical music, and enjoyed 26 UK Top 40 singles and sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

Living Thing, Turn to Stone, Sweet Talking Woman and Mr Blue Sky may have been the best-known tunes on the night but every song was a hit, each tune highlight. 

Wonderful images on the big screens and an amazing light show, particularly during Secret Messages, from the album of the same name, made this a show to remember,

Jeff Lynne may have achieved fame for landing a UFO at venues in the 70s and 80s, he's enhanced his reputation with this retrospective.

JEFF LYNNE'S ELO UK TOUR 2016 SET LIST FROM NOTTINGHAM CONCERT

Tightrope
Evil Woman
Showdown
All Over The World
When I Was A Boy
Living Thing
Ain't It a Drag
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Rock Aria
When Night Comes
Secret Messages
Steppin' Out
Shine a Little Love
Wild West Hero
Telephone Line
Turn to Stone
Don't Bring Me Down
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Mr Blue Sky
Roll Over Beethoven

Roy Wood live in concert, Albert Hall, Nottingham

Waiting for a breather between the hits was always going to be a tough job at this gig as veteran rocker Roy Wood rattled through his extensive and wide-ranging back catalogue.

Battling a sore throat he bravely battled on to the end with the amazing Shell Naylor taking on more work as the gig progressed.

We were treated to just over an hour from the musical maestro and his nine-piece band but you can't begrudge what these days most likely passes for a short set: every track's a winner.

From 60s numbers from The Move to 70s Wizzard and more recent solo projects, the repeated message from the stage was "this was number one", "this was a number two" with a big, big wall of sound pretty much from start to finish.

It's a good job Roy gets the royalties every year from that long-lived Christmas number, as playing to crowds of 300 or so at venues like the Albert Hall won't pay many bills.

Our own voices took a pounding too, during the evening as we couldn't help but join in with Angel Fingers, I Can Hear the Grass Grow, See My Baby Jive, Flowers In The Rain, Fire Brigade, Blackberry Way, a bagpipe-blowing Are You Ready To Rock, kicking off with Ball Park Incident and finishing with… well, you can guess.

"Political" disagreements may have led to his departure from ELO in its formative years and while former The Move collaborator and ELO founder Jeff Lynne plays the Arena next year Roy's doing jobbing gigs at pubs and clubs around the UK.

That's a blessing for his fans. Up close and personal is what he does best and there was real warmth both ways between the stage and the audience for the duration of this rock and roll feast as we headed off into the rain a little earlier than we might have expected.