WHO said the Eighties were all bad? Merseyside band China Crisis, for instance, were largely considered one of the better musical things about that much maligned decade, and their smooth, cerebral pop style gave them a string of British hits between 1982 and 1987. Time, however, is no longer on their side, and their tunes now sound like well crafted relics from another pop era.

That didn't stop the audience at Whelans of Wexford Street from welcoming China Crisis like old friends, and the duo of Garry Daly and Eddie. Lundun still seemed to, relish the joy of connecting with the crowd. Backed by a full band, Garry and Eddie delivered streamlined songs like Christian, Wishful Thinking, Black Man Ray and In A Catholic Style, as fresh and vibrant as the day they were written.

An easy comparison to make would be Steely Dan, especially since Walter Becker produced the band's 1985 album, Flaunt The Imperfection, but China Crisis have never been lazy with their influences, treading their own path slightly left of the obvious.