He is a genuine legend who has spanned six decades, sold hundreds of millions of records and, if his show at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last night is any indication, continues to be a potent live force.

Sir Cliff is still rocking after 50 years

Yet, because he has become so much a part of modern culture – Sir Cliff is thought of more in terms of a cultural icon than an entertainer – it's easy to forget that the tunes are what have brought him this far.

As he performed on a stage with the backdrop of a huge clock – marked out in years rather than hours and minutes – it brought home the scale of what he has achieved.

This show, part of the Time Machine Tour, jumps back and forth from decade to decade, reminding us not only of the world events at that time, but also what Sir Cliff did to soundtrack each era.

The concert is brimming with hits, as recognisable song follows recognisable song.

Bachelor Boy, We Don't Talk Anymore and Living Doll are just some of the highlights, and emphasise a career which has encompassed musical trends yet developed a style of its own.

He also dedicated Miss You Nights to the daughter of Ulster- born TV presenter Gloria Hunniford, Caron Keating, who tragically died from cancer in 2004, as well as all the other friends he said he had lost over the years.

Sir Cliff sang the song the last time he saw her alive.

Pleasant, inoffensive tunes are the order of the day for a show which is refreshingly free of rock star posturing.

The rendition of Devil Woman did seem a little risque, but that's probably because what had gone before was so unashamedly wholesome.
As history unfolds it gave a real sense of scale to Sir Cliff's achievements, and showed that musical greats aren't separate from the world around them but are very much part of it.

Modern critics tend to come to such events with a dose of
cynicism, but the show, like any arena concert these days, has plenty of costume changes, a backing band and a troupe of energetic dancers.

It probably won't outdo the younger, more vigorous stars who have performed in the Odyssey, but it showed that Sir Cliff, even at 68 years of age, is far from being irrelevant.

Such minor criticisms mattered little to Sir Cliff's dedicated audience, who were not as old or sedate as the popular stereotype would lead you to believe.

And the collective sense of wonder and awe as they watched their hero entertain the crowd for more than two hours was more than palpable.

A promised return with The Shadows next year shows that Sir Cliff has no plans to retire any time soon and, on the evidence of this concert, there'll be a warm welcome for him in Ulster.