Crowded House were the latest musicians to play the city's 2008 Summer Pops festival at the venue which opened in January.

Supported by fellow Kiwi Don McGleash and Liverpool's own three-piece Voo, the band kicked off a two-hour set of 23 songs with Everything Is Good For You.

Singer Neil Finn and guitarist Mark Hart alternated between various guitars and keyboards as they and bassist Nick Seymour delivered songs like World Where You Live, Locked Out and newer tracks Isolation and The Other Side of the World.

Witty banter sparked an immediate rapport with the audience who were visibly thrilled to hear their better known hits Fall At Your Feet, Pineapple Head, When You Come and Don't Dream It's Over.

It's Only Natural, a predictable crowd pleaser, led to a mass of fans gathering at the stage.

It prompted a flood of security staff whom Finn quickly reprimanded, insisting: "The show must go on. These people can look after themselves and each other."

A surprising addition to the set was Whispers and Moans, a personal favourite from their most famous album Woodface.

But the biggest surprise of all was yet to come.

Jaws dropped when none other than The ex-Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr joined the line up for a couple of numbers including a cover of The Smith's There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and Crowded House's most famous hit Weather With You.

Finn retorted: "Whenever we're within 50 miles of each other we usually play together."

The only track noticeably absent from the performance was Private Universe.

But two encores – Fingers of Love and the haunting Into Temptation - finished a fabulous set.

Stef Hall