PERHAPS it was a move designed with Austerity Dave's Big Society in mind, or maybe it was just so bitter that the heating in this wonderful old venue couldn't cope with the chill.

To say it was cold, would be like calling the retreat from Moscow a ride on the Ice Blast at the Triangle. Seventies superstar and timeless songwriter Steve Harley asked for his coat three songs in and things started warming up.

Backed just by keyboards and the fantastically sensual Barry Wickens on violin, Harley took the crowd on the crest of a swell, cherry picking tunes from some of his finest moments. Highlights included Mr Soft and Sling It from 1974's The Psychomodo, but Harley's grasp of masterful writing is still very much evident with newer works from his latest album Stranger Comes to Town. Recent songs like Baby Shoes are right up there with big hitters Judy Teen and Make Me Smile.

You get the feeling with Harley that despite having a wonderfully rich vocal and being an incredibly gifted lyricist, there is just a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Announcing he has played to bigger crowds at a folk club raised a chuckle, but there appears to be a little bit of bitter somewhere in his soul.

World famous for one song can't be such a bad place to be, can it? Especially when gifted with countless finer if not so famous tunes. Just to mention that song again, turn on the radio and somewhere in the world chances are that it will be playing. Steve Harley is known for his love of horses and Make Me Smile must buy an awful lot of hay.

Meanwhile back in the Big Society, maybe Steve could supply the theme tune to Mr Cameron's happiness census, but what to chose - Make Me Smile or Mr Soft?