SATURDAY night marked The Coral’s triumphant return to Fibbers, playing to a sold-out crowd after last appearing here in February 2002.

It followed the arrival of their latest album Distance Inbetween in early March, which has seen the Wirral group re-emerge from a five-year break.

Opening with songs from their newest release, they immersed the crowd in a whirlpool of American 1960s-style psychedelic rock, especially during the booming single Chasing The Tail Of A Dream with the kind of pop melody The Coral have become most known for.

The Sixties-inspired Simon Diamond, from the band’s self-titled debut, brought the first sense of nostalgia to the evening, followed by a wave of former singles, such as the unshakably catchy folk-pop tune Pass It On.

Inevitably, the height of the excitement was reached during the most iconic numbers, Dreaming Of You and In the Morning, which received the greatest response from the enthralled crowd. For a band with such a large discography, condensing their sound into one set is a hard task but they found the perfect balance of old and new.

Over the years, The Coral's shows have become more of a visual spectacle, rather than just being about the sound, with projected hypnotic backdrops reflecting the music. However, on this occasion it seemed the intimacy of Fibbers led the emphasis to return to the musical performance and this is what made the night so special.

Review by Kate Neighbour