Saturday 05/04/03 Aqualung @ Academy, Manchester

I read somewhere that the best frame of mind in which to enjoy Aqualung is 'jaded' and who was I to argue. They specialise in songs on a shoestring and a heartstring: simple, painfully truthful and written at the extreme end of the emotional spectrum. Tonight however had attracted an altogether happier kind of punter. This was rather irritatingly reflected in the abundance of lovey-dovey couples whose retch inducing antics made me want to poke somebody's eyes out.

I could hardly stay mad for long as all round entertainer of a man Matt Hales welcomed us to "an evening of melancholy tunes, with a few jokes thrown in." A Brian Wilson in the making, Hales wowed the crowd with his wizard like pianism which at 17, saw him compose his first symphony for a 60 piece orchestra, no less. A quite brilliant rendition of 'God Only Knows' saw them getting back to their Beach Boys roots, with the Manchester 'massive' joyfully and enthusiastically chiming in.

Saving the best till last however, a cheer went up as the first bewitching chords of 'Strange and Beautiful' ensnared an already infatuated room. The new single 'If I fall' was characteristically wistful, fragile and melodic, juxtaposed with Hales' powerfully tender vocals. When he wasn't rending and mending hearts with his voice, his subtle humour ensured that the audience were play-doh in his hands. So much so that Aqualung were brought back onto the stage twice after the gig finished on a wave of popular demand.

Matt (as I feel that I can now call him) told us "I view my songs as weakling children and I care very much about them all." This did everything to confirm my sneaking suspicions: At Aqualung headquarters, there's an incubator containing fledgling tunes which were fed, watered, nurtured and loved before being set loose on Manchester, making a lot of people very happy in the process.