“We try to keep it as real as possible; we were all backstage earlier threatening to sue each other...”

Sonically there wasn’t much to quibble about with the Alter Eagles.

Pitch-perfect vocal harmonies, scorching guitar solos and rock-solid rhythms all added to a sound which convincingly recreated the litigious country-rockers.

Aesthetically, think billowy shirts, waistcoats and stonewash jeans. That was always going to be the easy part.

There was no denying the melodic strength of many of the ballads, but an insistence on playing many of them in succession often slowed the set down.

Still, it was difficult to argue with the ever-beautiful Desperado and melancholic New Kid In Town; all delivered with Don Henley’s hard-won wisdom by vocalist Sam Confrey.

When they dipped into the coarse rock and roll of the group’s hedonistic years, the very foundations of the venue shifted. Get Over It, Life In The Fast Lane and Heartache Tonight showed there was more to the back catalogue than breezy West Coast pleasantries.

The lead guitar work of Jay Stezaker often catapulted the songs into another stratosphere, guiding those in the crowd back to headier times.