Live: A-Ha

MEN, Manchester

AFTER three decades of hits, Morten Harket and co are the Kings of Norway.

But they're going to split after this tour, so tonight is about an ageing crowd saying goodbye to the poster boys of their youth with a last dance to their numerous synth-pop smashes.

Or, at least you'd assume so. Just to confuse things a little, midway through the gig keyboardist Magne Furuholmen teases: "We may be back next year."

Whatever they decide to do the Scando-pop greats - including guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy - will be remembered for that Take On Me video plus 27 years of consistently stunning tunes.

Ironically, due to the modern scene's obsession with Eighties synthpop, much of the show sounds surprisingly fresh.

Perfect

Opener The Sun Always Shines On TV comes on like The Killers with added charisma, while Manhattan Skyline is that most perfect of synthpop songs, sounding like a band from the past looking boldly into the future. Meanwhile the song everybody's here for, Take On Me, is left to the second encore and brings the house down.

The trio have aged pretty gracefully. Harket especially looks a million miles from retirement age.

And, with no obvious animosity between them, a split seems premature. Let's hope it's just to recharge their batteries.

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