After the Fire, Holy Trinity Church, Beckenham, 27 November, 2008.

It wasn't an auspicious start. We walked in to be greeted by row upon row of that particular kind of chair that you find only in churches it seems, all fasted together with interlocking steel bands that bound them rigidly. This was the first time in over thirty years that I had ever sat down for an After the Fire Gig. A note to the vicar: Next year take out the first six or eight rows and give us room to boogie!)

Anyway, once I'd got used to that shock, fair enough, on came the band and the night was underway. A new drummer (my teenage daughter pining for the dearly departed Matt) and a new singer, Rob Halligan promised something, but I have to say in the first half, they did not deliver. They were battling against a very difficult sound environment and the new personnel seemed to be playing in two completely different bands. Pete's keyboards were barely discernible above the maelstrom and some lacklustre versions of the old hits were trotted out without much to recommend them. Was this it? Was it over for After the Fire? At that point I thought the only thing that could save them as a band would be the (unlikely) return of Andy Piercy on vocals and rhythm guitar – and if that were not possible they should quietly call it a day with good grace and thanksgiving for thirty years brilliant music. The only highlight of the first half was a technical hitch on Pete's keyboard, which we insisted he had engineered for the sake of those few audience members who still remembered the old Hammond C3 and the Leslie…

At the beginning of the second set, new boy Halligan was given the opportunity to highlight some of his own material and eventually brought the rest of the band back on to join him.

I don't know what was in the tea the band consumed during the break but it certainly worked. First Halligan was able to showcase what he brought to the lineup – an amazing voice and a powerful rock and roll performance. Secondly, the stalwarts on the sound desk seemed to have mastered the difficult environment the church presented and the sound was much improved. Thirdly the band seemed to coalesce around Halligan and became a real, working band – all of them. A swift move to the American West Coast with the new material and suddenly I was at a different concert. Johnny Russell came alive and his blistering guitar work was some of the best I'd heard from him in ages. There was fire in his belly again. Then for me came the biggest test. While I am at heart a fan of the old Prog After the Fire, the song, Billy Billy has always my favourite ATF track. Was the new lineup up to it?

Halligan took to it like it was his own, providing a searing vocal that invested the song with new power and Johnny was there giving it all he had from that newly ignited furnace in his soul. I don't mind telling you that by the end f it, I was weeping with sheer joy. A slightly faltering version of Der Kommisar (not the easiest song to sing, Rob) set the scene for a stunning finale of Laser Love and Power of a Jet and the night was over all too soon.

Bands do change and develop – those who still have something to say do anyway - and that's certainly happening with ATF. I hope Rob Halligan stays with them and they continue to allow his presence to change, challenge and inspire them. Maybe this is After After the Fire? Maybe we are looking at the development of a whole new musical group? Maybe this is something new, but they're still my favourite band.