Published: Tuesday, 17th November, 2009 2:15pm

HAY FEVER ... Men at Work star rolls back the years

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In something of an Ayrshire homecoming this year, Men at Work lead singer Colin Hay put in a barnstorming performance two nights running at the Victoria Hotel in Largs, writes Calum Corral.

Born and bred in Saltcoats, Colin headed to Melbourne with his family as a youngster at 14 in 1967 and emerged with a worldwide hit "Down Under" which hit number one in 1981.

The strong resonance of Colin's voice was immediately recognisable from his first song as he belted out some of his own tracks which had catchy melodies from a mellow tune about California to a song dedicated to his parents, which had added poignancy given the death of his father a week before.

Colin was joined by his wife Cecilia Noël as he performed the great hit "Down under" in an understated but magical way. He also performed big hits "Who can it be now" and "Overkill" to rapturous receptions.

Now living in the States, Colin was an entertaining raconteur and discussed many great stories about his past, including anecdotes about supporting Fleetwood Mac on tour and his collaborations with Ringo Starr. It was an unmissable performance. The good news is that Tam Skinner, who has brought a lot of class acts to the Victoria, is hopeful of Hay returning next year. Captivating stuff.