Neil Hannon doesn’t do things by halves. The man who gave us satirical serenades about office life and Eurovision dreams is back—older, moodier, and still maddeningly melodic. And this October, The Divine Comedy rolls into Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall (October 6th), opening a tour that promises more than a nostalgia trip. It’s a full-blown orchestral intervention for the anxious and the heart-heavy.
This gig kicks off the UK leg of their 2025 tour, celebrating Rainy Sunday Afternoon, Hannon’s 13th studio album. It’s being talked up—possibly even by Hannon himself—as their best yet. Recorded at Abbey Road and steeped in wit, melancholy, and orchestral grandeur, it’s a record forged in the fallout of pandemic disillusionment, post-Brexit blues, and personal reckonings. Yes, it’s pop, but not the kind that flinches from the mess of life. More like chamber pop with bruises—and brass.
Liverpool’s Philharmonic is the ideal setting. Grand, intimate, and acoustically lush, it’s the sort of venue where The Divine Comedy’s wry lyricism and lush arrangements can stretch their legs. Expect a setlist that swings from the charmingly absurd (“National Express,” obviously) to the soul-piercingly tender. And with new single “Achilles” already showing off Hannon’s gift for weaving ancient tragedy into modern malaise, you can bet there’ll be a few emotional sucker punches among the punchlines.
There’s a reason The Divine Comedy has endured while many of their Britpop-era peers faded into ironic playlists. Hannon has always known how to make clever sound sincere and sorrow sound stylish. Liverpool’s got a soft spot for storytellers, especially the ones who aren’t afraid to admit when things get a little bleak.
So turn up, lean in, and let the man work through his stuff—because chances are, it’s your stuff too. And like Neil says, “Everyone should get to make an orchestral pop album once in a while.” Failing that, we can all go see one live. It might just be the cure we didn’t know we needed.
