Neil Hannon for London

Neil Hannon is, the still young pup, celebrating his 42nd birthday on November 7 with a big blowout in the Royal Festival Hall, London.

“Of all the great landmarks in life, becoming forty-two must surely be the most daunting,” Neil reflects. “To pass from the innocence and insecurity of one's early forties into the worldly insouciance of one's early-to-mid forties; it's a very big step, and one I have been dreaming of since I was even younger. 'La Quarante Deuxiéme' – as our French cousins have it – is to be undertaken in a spirit of flippant solemnity and noisy introspection. I intend to honour this onerous rite of passage in the traditional manner; a two-hour concert of my music at the Royal Festival Hall!”

Tickets priced between £16.50 and £27.50 including booking fee are available from http://www.seetickets.com/Event/THE-DIVINE-COMEDY/Royal-Festival-Hall/646110