words: Raquel Pinheiro
photos: Telma Mota
Flying With Friends
The Divine Comedy made a stop on their current tour at Casa da Música, in Sala Suggia – the orchestra room. The band is promoting their latest, beautiful album Rainy Sunday Afternoon, one of my favourite records of 2025.
If I was asked to describe them to someone who has never heard them, my first description would be baroque pop, which fits particularly well with Victory For The Comic Muse (2006), from which they played my beloved A Lady Of A Certain Age. Baroque pop can also be applied to Achilles, the concert opening song. But, The Divine Comedy are more than that.
Neil Hannon took to the stage in hat, sunglasses, jacket, fronting the band, and it was the beginning of a wonderful musical evening that started with Achilles.
By the end of the third song, When The Lights Go Out, off go the hat and the sunglasses. “I got to take this off”, says Hannon, and removes the glasses. Quickly and playfully questioning the audience: “Are you sleepy?”; Audience: “No.”; “Are you drunk?”; Audience: “No!”
I Want You sees him crouched between the keyboards and the drum kit. The elegant Lady Of A Certain Age, here faster than on record, follows, with me singing along, then “And now for probably my most intellectual song” introduces the upbeat, danceable At The Indie Disco. Neapolitan Girl sees me dancing on my seat.
Mar-A-Lago is lounge hour. Neil has a bar/cocktail station, prepares cocktails for the band, and a glass of wine for Tim Weller, the drummer, while introducing his extraordinary fellow musicians (I’m still marvelling at Simon Little): Andrew Skeet (keyboards), Ian Watson (keyboards, accordion, backing vocals), Simon Little (bass, backing vocals), Tosh Flood (guitar, backing vocals), Rosie Thompson (violin) and the aforementioned Tim Weller (drums).
The audience claps enthusiastically every time a drink is delivered to a band member. For himself, Neil pours red wine. From here onwards things become even more enthusiastic.
There will be Neil on his knees on stage; Neil stepping out of the stage walking in front of the front row, falling to the floor, seating up, sitting on the front row – during Our Mutual Friend – and lots of talking: “Thank you front row. If I ever go too far just call me out. You’re free to dance if you want, to move around, I don’t care. It’s more fun”.
And a dancing party starts by the stage, that will end up fully crowded. I’m the only person dancing in the press/guests box, perched on the heights of a wall. Which is a ton of fun, matching what is going down below.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, a beautiful romantic song, calms things down a little, and there are now people seated between the front row and the stage: “It’s good you’re sitting down there. It’s like Woodstock”. It kind of is. 🙂
Absent Friends is raising his glass to the audience time and to call on us: “Come on everybody, let’s share the experience.” Down there everyone stands up and dances. Generation Sex not only has an incredibly more partying audience, but the band sound getting louder. Which continues with National Express, the end of the main part.
For the encore we’re treated to To The Rescue, the poignant Invisible Thread, and a delirious finale with Tonight We Fly. And, indeed, flew we did.
The band:
Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar, tambourine
Andrew Skeet – keyboards
Ian Watson – keyboards, accordion, backing vocals,
Simon Little – bass, backing vocals
Tosh Flood – guitar, backing vocals
Rosie Thompson – violin
Tim Weller- drums
Setlist:
Achilles
The Last Time I Saw the Old Man
When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe
Assume The Perpendicular
Rainy Sunday Afternoon
I Want You
A Lady Of A Certain Age
At The Indie Disco
Neapolitan Girl
Mar-a-Lago by the Sea
Bang Goes The Knighthood
Our Mutual Friend
I Like
Bad Ambassador
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Other People
Absent Friends
Becoming More Like Alfie
Generation Sex
National Express
To The Rescue
Invisible Thread
Tonight We Fly
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 