A sell-out South West gig ended with several empty seats as fans walked out before 70s and 80s icon Elvis Costello had finished his set. Around the halfway mark of the sell-out two-hour show, many fans were leaving their seats - at first, I thought it was for a toilet break but most simply didn't return and there were large gaps in the stalls, BristolLive's Mark Taylor writes. 'I don't think I can stand any more of this,' whispered one man as he clambered past me to make a sharp exit.
His wife looked even more disappointed. Oh dear. But at the age of 70, and with a stellar 50-year career behind him, Elvis Costello doesn't have anything left to prove.
And if, at times, this show was 'self-indulgent' and 'unlistenable' - as one fan described it to me afterwards - it was also sprinkled with some glittering jewels. Yes, it was hard work at times, but it was worth it. Taking the stage alongside long-time keyboardist Steve Nieve (an original member of the Attractions) and a young lad sporting a baseball cap behind a laptop at the side of the stage, the performance was a pared-down, dimly lit affair.
Those expecting a full-band show with polished renditions of back-to-back hits might have felt somewhat cheated. However, like his fellow veteran musicians Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, Costello has never been one to follow convention, preferring to do things his own way. Sporting his signature pork-pie hat, glasses and gap-toothed smile, punk rock's infamous Mr Angry remained seated for .