The Divine Comedy to play the Dublin Gaiety

Oooo, hasn't he gone posh! Neil Hannon bids adieu to grubby rock 'n' roll venues on May 2 when he brings The Divine Comedy to the Dublin Gaiety. In keeping with the posh surrounds, Hannon will be accompanied by a 15-piece ensemble.

"Tracks from his new album, Absent Friends, will be aired alongside much loved favourites," says a spokesperson. "Neil also plans to take advantage of this versatile line-up – which will include strings, brass, woodwind and more – to play some rarely heard songs taken from the Divine Comedy back catalogue."

Reviewed in the next issue of Hot Press, Absent Friends also gets a live airing on April 29 at – get him! – Bruce 'n' Tarby's home from home, the London Palladium.

Tickets for Dublin, meanwhile, go on sale next week priced €27 and €30.