Dave Dobbyn and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Aotea Centre

Dave Dobbyn's musical enthusiasm is infectious

Even before the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra started ladling the strings on to the collected works of Dave Dobbyn, there was a worrying attack of cheesiness.

Even if the concert's promotional material started "Dave Dobbyn truly needs no introduction" he got a fondue-strength one anyway by an announcer who couldn't restrain himself from using "legend" and "slice of heaven" in the same deep breath.

And with a suit'n'tied Dobbyn opening with the Footrot Flats valentine Oughta Be In Love in a squiffy arrangement, there came the worry that this was going to be an evening of buttoned-down kiwipop nostalgia.

Fortunately it didn't turn out that way.

That was less to do with the APO who sat out about half the numbers as a solo or band-fronting Dobbyn carried on with the infectious spirit and performance of the legend-who-needs-no-introduction.

He did look tentative at the beginning, a little out of his comfort zone with no guitar to hide behind, as he cradled his microphone and paced the front of the stage.

But soon enough - and for the rest of the night - he sounded like a singer relishing the sound of his voice against the richness of the orchestra.

Or being able to sing his heart out in a civilised setting for his mum (80 last Sunday, he told us), wife, sister and daughter, all in attendance and getting song dedications.

Those older songs with orchestral arrangements delivered a mixed bag.

Slice of Heaven started off sounding like the theme to a long-lost TV Western and had conductor Marc Taddei karate-chopping the air, while the magnification of the original lone violin in Whaling made for too much of a good thing.

Ditto the extra-hearty brass in Outlook for Thursday.

However, there were inspired touches and surprising moves. Among them were Dobbyn's cover of Leonard Cohen's (via Jeff Buckley) Hallelujah and Neil Young's Like a Hurricane sounding as it had been strained through Eleanor Rigby.

Great, too, was Dobbyn on the grand piano, making for a gospel-concerto version of Guilty, as well as his Catholic shaggy dog tale Hallelujah Song and, back on guitar, his old but newly politically poignant ballad Don't Hold Your Breath.

While the likes of old chestnuts such as Loyal were dutifully rolled out with extra strings, the evening also reminded that Dobbyn hasn't stopped adding to that legend with a fair dollop of last year's great Available Light album peppering the set.

That included two takes on Welcome Home, which, with Oughta Be In Love was offered again in the deserved multiple encores - and made one wonder if they were second takes for a live recording.

Yes, it did deliver the required amounts of buttoned-down kiwipop nostalgia.

But with Dobbyn happily unable to contain his musical excitement throughout, it also made for a special night.