Nick Harper's 45-minute opening set lit the touchpaper.

The Ropetackle was then blasted into Harperspace for two hours, flying on the ground and no one cared if we ever came down.

The songs exploded like sonic fireworks and Harper’s energy was engaging, his guitar and vocal soaring and freefalling effortlessly.

When a string broke he still wouldn't come down, meandering an a capella doodle as he changed it.

The vocal, thrown ever higher, was always under control, and the long note in Radio Silence was long.

Harper confessed to being a big Marx Brothers fan and a collaboration with Harpo would have been interesting. There was no set list, he tore it up in 1996.

Requests were taken including Monty Python's Universe Song, Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Harper, aged 9, was in the studio when the Floyd recorded it), and, let us not forget, the song for audience member Mim's dad!

Entertaining and spontaneous, relaxed and self assured, his repartee kept one foot on the ground.

But the hypnotic spell had to be broken because it was "a school night". The landing was cushioned by Mim saying what everyone was thinking: "Thank you for sharing your talent."