SAY what you like about Rod but he certainly knows how to put on a show.

In Manchester he treated the fans to two hours of hits as this pre-Christmas party got everyone on their feet singing along.

Part of his From Gasoline Alley To Another Country tour, this was fun from start to finish.

At 71 the voice might not quite be where it once when it comes to the high notes but he can still hold an audience in the palm of his hand. And every credit to Sir Rod, he looks amazing. The hair is still feathered, the trousers ridiculously tight and he just looks to be having a ball up on that stage.

Although billed as having no support, Rod appeared on the giant video screens as the crowds flooded in to introduce Nashville-based duo The Sisterhood featuring his daughter Ruby. Half an hour of interesting harmonies and country pop culminated in a cover of Gasoline Alley and then, as Ruby proudly declared, it was time for the Rodfather!

He made his intentions clear from the outset - a cover of Sam Cooke's Having a Party - that this was going to be a fun evening.

Songs from throughout his career featured, although only two from the Faces era - Ooh La La and a riotuous Stay With Me, the penultimate song of the set which saw Rod showing his football skills booting signed footballs into the audience.

This was a real glitzy Las Vegas-style show, complete with several costume changes, very carefully worked out video backdrops and a Rolls Royce of a band and backing singers.

Rod's sense of humour was evident throughout. In the acoustic section in the middle as he sang Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas a two-foot plastic tree was placed in front of him and a roadie on a stepladder dropped fake snow onto his head.

The First Cut is the Deepest, Downtown Train, Handbags and Gladrags, Baby Jane and of course, Maggie May, they were all in there and went down a storm.

The night ended with a tongue in cheek Do You Think I'm Sexy which saw hundreds of balloons falling from the rafters.

The curtain fell and then rose again to show Rod, the band and singers all lying face down on the stage. They had given their all. An encore of Enjoy Yourself (It's Later That You Think) saw the curtain falling for the final time and the stage crew running on to start dismantling the set even before most of the audience realised the night was over.

Two hours of hits, fun and great musicianship had flown by. As I said at the start - Rod sure knows how to put on a show