Wednesday 21/05/03 Grand Drive @ The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

Grand Drive rise up the respectable alternative rock band progression scales by playing an exclusive one-off gig with a live string orchestra. Although not quite the Albert Hall, the Lyric Theatre ups the gig grandeur stakes with its plush velvet seating, lavishly decorative panelling and lush acoustics. The Dublin Castle this is not.

Following in the footsteps of The Delgadoes and also their ex-Loose records labelmate Howe Gelb, Grand Drive play as part of a mini-series of specialist concerts at the Lyric. The full house that's brimming with hardcore Grand Drivers plunges into silence when boyish lead-vocalist Danny Wilson scurries onstage and croaks out his introduction to the evening.

Wave after wave of sun-kissed, high-class melody is to be expected with this lot, as they barrel-roll out elegant piano and guitar driven songs, one after another. 'You and I' supersedes 'Track 40', "a song about where we grew up" that helps us muscle in on their seemingly idyllic countryside upbringing. An awestruck crowd sits gawping, wondering how such a performance can ever be improved - that is, until they begin third single 'Wrong Notes'. Wistful and elegant, its woozy slide guitar is like a relaxing massage for the senses. Fittingly, the lights go down to a dusky haze for a noteperfect rendition of 'Firefly', a dotty soundscape of busy, gentle guitar and rich harmonies, with lyrics that melt on the tongue - absolutely refreshing and loved by all.

The strings don't hold back in 'Last Train To Heaven' a song that's gigantically sexy and encompasses all that is glorious about Grand Drive? tender vocals, delicate drum patting and a whole heap of gurning, a cheerfulness that just oozes from these polite men. A cover of Kieran Kane's country beauty 'Harmony' really does take a lot of beating, including a surprise debut outing from Siobhan Parr, who adds her pure vocal to Danny and younger brother Julian's mixing pot.

'A Ladder to the Stars' provides every last puff of honeysuckled harmony, the band sporting constant infectious grins and Ed Balch doing a valiant job with the bass rawk poses. A disappointingly sped up (yet still sublime) ballad 'No Doubt About It' is a welcome opportunity to hear Julian's brooding, creamy croon. After a weepy Bruce Springsteen and a lively Tom Waits' cover, they opt for a bad choice of encore track in 'Hey Little'. Despite its string-accompanied rebirth it seems far too subdued, when the audience is secretly screaming out for a belter like their first single 'Tell It like It Is'. However, 'Wheels' - ah 'Wheels' - lets just call it an aphrodisiac; a bit like the entire Grand Drive sound, a band that you'll never want to let hold of once you've got them in your grip. Magic.