HIS namesake may only live on in rumours and records but the singer-songwriter with the Birkenhead upbringing appears to be immortal. And at last night's Philharmonic Hall gig, Elvis Costello demonstrated just why his 35-year career has never faltered. A consummate performer and a master-wordsmith, he mixed new material with old and other people's songs in a show that was as refreshing as the rain shower that greeted the exiting audience on this sticky June day. It was very much a homecoming gig for Costello, who managed to tuck it into his world tour at the last minute thanks to a break in his rehearsing schedule. Backed by an impressive line-up of musicians, he flew through a first few numbers that spanned his career, from Blame it on Cain taken from his 1977 album My Aim is True to the plunky Down Among the Wines and Spirits, recorded last year with American singer T Bone Burnett. His 1980 single Amsterdam was the bread in a Beatles sandwich, as Costello seamlessly moved from his own song to a heartfelt You've Got to Hide Your Love Away and back again. A request from the audience for a new tune "that's not out yet - the album's on the ship" had him checking with the band that they knew it. Within seconds they were off again, with an unplanned recital that had hints of Buddy Holly in its vocal harmonies and rhythm. Costello was a man of few words but considerable wit, making light of England's defeat in Sunday's World Cup match - "Wayne Rooney? More like Mickey Rooney" - though he had been performing with Paul McCartney in Hyde Park at the time of the game. But this acoustic set was far from a one-man show and only Costello's charismatic stage presence prevented him from being upstaged by members of his Tennessee band The Sugarcanes. Stuart Duncan drew a stunningly rich tone from his fiddle, while Mike Compton played the mandolin at such pace that his fingers appeared blurred. But even their performances were eclipsed by 12-time Grammy Award winner Jerry Douglas who coaxed an amazing range of sounds from his dobro. Their backing on a beautiful rendition of Shipbuilding made the anthem even more mournful. A double encore finished the concert with Nick Lowe's (What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding as the final song. But if Costello had chosen to play all night, the audience would have stayed to listen.