There were times one missed the softer touch of former partners Nic Dalton and Juliana Hatfield (especially on My Drug Buddy, which needed Hatfield s harmonies). But the quality of Dando s songwriting shone through, and new tunes from last year s self-titled album showed he hasn t lost the knack. Older rockers such as If I Could Talk I d Tell You were well-suited to the heavier treatment.

And Saturday offered 90 minutes worth of evidence that Dando s reputation as a likable screw-up has denied him proper credit as a master songwriter.