TIM FINN

TIM FINN (Midnight At The Olympia, Dublin)

IT WAS uncanny. While many people know Tim Finn only as co-founder of Split Enz and very temporary member of Crowded house, and wouldn't be able to name any of his solo albums if threatened by someone wielding a blowtorch in one hand and a can of petrol in the other, the reaction he elicited during his first official Dublin show would have done justice to Bono or Madonna. Or Elvis, for God's sake.

It wasn't even the mindless, sozzled applause of an audience who had made good use of the Olympia's late bar - this was the type of crowd who knew all the words, waved their hands in the air, and cheered so hard whenever Tim introduced any Split Enz material that at one point he stopped short, broke into a grin and, gazing at his fans, said, "You were here all the time! No-one ever told me."

An earnest, somewhat mannered performer, Tim Finn is given to bounding about the stage and throwing himself onto the floor. The antics, while possibly painful, detracted nothing from the melodic, effortlessly charming songs, although, as on his most recent album Before And After, it was the collaborations that were most effective. 'Persuasion', written with Richard Thompson, sounded simple and exquisite. 'Many's The Time', with backing vocals from Andy White, was troubled by technical difficulties, but it, 'In Love With It All', 'Funny Way', and naturally, Split Enz' near-hit 'Six Months In A Leaky Boat' stood out in a show that sagged slightly towards the middle but redeemed itself with exuberant encores.

Tim Finn's air of confidence, the sheer satisfaction he exudes at being up there on that stage, running up and down steps, crashing to his knees, revelling in his songs, could overcome any glitches. An encore of Crowded House's 'Chocolate Cake' was rolled out, but hardly seemed necessary. The audience was already his.

If Elvis had popped up, they'd probably have asked him to stop blocking the view.

• Lorraine Freeney