It's been two decades since Paul Young was a famous number one singer/songwriter - and it showed in Dubai last week where his performance met with mixed reaction.
He's still got it in many respects but he's also a little rough around the edges and, after the career he's had, who can
blame him?
It's been 20 years since Wherever I Lay My Hat went to No 1 and, while Young still looks the part, a fairly tough audience at Jam Base, at Madinat Jumeirah, felt he was struggling to hit the high notes these days.
That said, he was full of chat and had great stage presence which seemed to carry the night to a comfortable climax.
Marion Tardy, 49, said she enjoyed the evening but thought he may want to hang up his hat soon.
She said: "It was great to see someone like Paul Young perform live but you could also tell he was struggling with some of the songs. Overall it was a good night and the venue and food were both well worth the ticket price alone."
Young strummed and grinned his way through all the old favourites, not to mention putting everything into that distinctive voice.
Everything from Love of the Common People and No Parlez to the hand-waving anthems, Everytime You Go Away and
Everything Must Change, were hits with the audience.
Apart from a few dud notes, Young seemed to give the crowd what they wanted - an evening of nostalgia with great food and good company.
