David Gray w/The Divine Comedy – Lincoln Castle – 28th June 2026

THE DIVINE COMEDY

The headliner for this evening is David Gray of White Ladder international fame but before we get to see Mr Gray singing some of his finest songs, along with his signature rhythmic head wobble, the Lincoln Castle crowd are treated to a generous set from Northern Irish chamber pop outfit The Divine Comedy. Formed in 1989 by singer-songwriter Neil Hannon, the band’s name comes from Dante’s epic 14th-century poem of the same name. And it’s not just the band name that comes from literature, as most of their songs have literary and classical references weaved into them as well.

Hannon, an effortlessly affable frontman with a dry sense of humour, is similar in many ways to Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. His witty observations, banter with the crowd, intelligent songwriting and distinctive delivery all point to success, and while The Divine Comedy never enjoyed the same commercial success as Pulp they deserve to be mentioned in the same conversation and with a bit more luck might have really hit the big time.

Opening with the appropriately titled Something For The Weekend, the band perform a thoroughly entertaining set that includes Becoming More Like Alfie, the tongue-in-cheek A Lady Of A Certain Age, Generation Sex, and a track from their latest album The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter which is proof, if it were needed, that this band can still write great new material.

UPLIFTING

As the 14 track set (which features songs from across nine albums) comes towards its conclusion the unmistakable jaunty opening to National Express gets a huge reaction from the crowd. It’s the band’s biggest hit for good reason and has the crowd gleefully singing along. The Divine Comedy end their set with the uplifting Tonight We Fly.

The Divine Comedy are a very welcome addition to the show this evening and I think that they have pulled in plenty of fans who might not have normally have come to see David Gray which only goes to show how much of a draw this popular band in fact are, no doubt they could easily still sell out their own tours and I would be happy to see them again.

DAVID GRAY

Before we know it David Gray and his band bound onto the stage to a warm reception. Gray opens with the beautiful number After The Harvest instantly gets the crowd excited with a string of hits including Be Mine, My Oh My, White Ladder and Please Forgive Me, all massive international hits that he released as singles, and even remixed a couple and released again. He toured the White Ladder album for three years to enormous acclaim.

Gray isn’t in an especially talkative mood this evening but he does take pause to mention how beautiful Lincoln and it’s cathedral are. From the stage and even from my own slightly lower vantage point in the crowd it does look splendid. I’ve always said – no matter the weather – be it sunny or cloudy, or even in the rain or snow the cathedral always looks magnificent.

“Any marriage proposals during this song incur an extra surcharge,” jokes Gray as he begins to play This Year’s Love. Sadly he doesn’t get any additional income from this offer tonight. Young marriages are common in Lincolnshire and the majority of the crowd are in their 40s and 50s, but they sing along enthusiastically regardless.

ENERGETIC AND TALANTED

While Gray is perhaps best known as a keyboard player, he almost exclusively plays acoustic guitar this evening, only switching to keys or electric guitar for a few tracks such as The One I Love but it really allows him to showcase his skills as an energetic guitarist which is certainly interesting to see. Of course we already know that he is also a hugely talented pianist and vocalist.

As Gray closes the main set with Babylon he encourages the crowd to sing it back to him. The Lincoln crowd takes over filling the majestic castle grounds with song. Gray and his band return to the stage for Say Hello, Wave Goodbye to rapturous applause.

“It’s difficult when you come to a castle, not to have a siege mentality. I think we’ve got time for one more,” says Gray. “It makes sense because of the illustrious maritime history of Lincoln. It’s the only way to finish.” With that they play Sail Away which brings the evening to a brilliant conclusion.

Gray is an exceptional live performer. His voice has lost none of its warmth or character, and he’s surrounded by outstanding musicians – who he clearly loves – but almost forgot to introduce to the crowd until the final moments. What also stands out is that he mixes up his set list each night, which is very welcome for fans and I imagine for Gray and the band as well. I think too many bands stick to a rigid set list.

AN EVENING OF GREAT MUSIC

Combined with an excellent support set from The Divine Comedy, this was an evening of great music. It’s the final show of the TKMaxx Presents run of shows at Lincoln Castle. I know there are a lot of fans looking forward to seeing who is scheduled for next summer already.

Photography by Francesca Eagleton courtesy of Cuffe & Taylor

David Gray: Website

The Divine Comedy: Website

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