Whilst their contemporaries in the singles chart fifty years ago were singing about Tiger Feet and the Ballroom Blitz, 10cc were delivering a more sophisticated brand of pop that came with an inventive lyric wrapped around an addictive melody; often classed as art rock, the band also had a string of albums that defined the genre.

Graham Gouldman and Rick Fenn remain the original members of the band who arrived at the York Barbican for the opening night of their Another Bloody Greatest Hits Tour—and what a stellar run of hits the band had to call upon. As the sole composer or co-writer of the big 10cc hits, including the classic I’m Not in Love, Gouldman really doesn’t need to be doing this – his royalties over the years have earned him a comfortable lifestyle.

His joy, along with the rest of the band's, was evident throughout the evening as they performed the extensive back catalogue. The band might be less of an attraction without Iain Hornall, who has also played in Jeff Lynne’s ELO and toured with Yes. The high-octane vocals of Lol Crème, now sung by Hornall, were replicated perfectly, especially on Life is a Minestrone and Silly Love.

The two-hour extravaganza of classic rock and pop wisely not only highlighted their single successes but also that of their album success: the band were unusual in the seventies for being able to appeal to teenage buyers of singles and the mature album fan; hence, The Second Sitting for the Last Supper and Old Wild Men being appreciated by the York audience equally as much as the 10cc pop hits, which were never more than five minutes away in this cavalcade of pop perfection.

“What a wonderful place to open up the tour," enthused Gouldman, who, now approaching his eighties, had an endearing enthusiasm and energy added with a lot of respect for performing a repertoire of hits that really have stood the test of time. Many a band can taint the memory by being a shadow of their former self with a lacklustre performance years on from their glory days – this was never going to happen to 10cc, who, with excellent musicianship and clarity, painted a picture that was nothing short of a masterpiece.

Donna, the band's introductory hit (initially a B-side), was reborn acapella-style with the band sounding like a barbershop quintet, though it was the inevitable inclusion of I’m Not in Love that the York audience took to their hearts. Dreadlock Holiday, the 1978 number one single from the Bloody Tourists album, concluded a night where the band shone as bright as the full moon that shined down over the Barbican. Of course, it was not goodbye just yet, as Rubber Bullets provided another reminder of how good pop music can sound – when in the right hands.

With more opportunities to catch this tour de force of pop and rock history with enduring relevance, take it while you can.

 The band will perform at the following northern dates:

7th March – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

17th March – Manchester Bridgewater Hall

18th March – Sheffield City Hall