Jamiroquai – The Space Cowboy rides again.

If you happen to be a fan of Jamiroquai, it pays to be patient; the band has not released a studio album for eight years or toured the country for six years. All that is about to change, however, with the release of a new album in the new year and the current Heels of Steel tour, which arrived at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester.

Led by the enigmatic Jay Kay, Jamiroquai were seen to be purveyors of the acid jazz movement when the band first emerged in 1992. Unlike their contemporaries at the time, the music of Jamiroquai has travelled well, with the band remaining popular across Europe, most notably in Italy and France, as well as further afield in Japan.

As Kay and the rest of the band arrived on stage to the familiar beats of (Don’t) Give Hate a Chance, it felt like Jamiroquai had never been away. Kay’s famous dance steps were still there, even as he joked that he was “five years off getting his free bus pass”.

Space Cowboy came as an early surprise, still as dreamlike as ever and for many the track that introduced them to the jazz-funk and acid jazz pioneers.

With the majority of the songs performed in an elongated fashion, many ended up sounding like jam sessions, with some working better than others; Alright benefited from a keyboard refrain that enhanced the track, while Cosmic Girl was initially reborn with an illusory opening. Love Philosophy, however, did not win any prizes with an almost techno workout that opened the song, which went on for far too long and was not in keeping with the ethos of the track.

With fifteen numbers performed over a two-and-a-half-hour period, maintaining the attention of the 23,000-strong audience during some of the more jazz-based interludes was always going to be a challenge, though the exemplary musicianship on display could not be faulted.

Kay’s illuminated headgear is nearly as famous as the music – tonight was no different as Kay and the rest of the band cast light on a career that has seen the band traverse genres. The introduction of a more disco-based template via the 1996 album, Travelling Without Moving, is one that seemed set to continue, as Disco Stays the Same confirmed – one of the two new tracks premiered tonight.

The track has its feet firmly on the dancefloor, its ears seemingly listening to Scissor Sisters whilst its heart pounds away to the rhythm on a cut that is unmistakably Jamiroquai.

With Kay being born in Manchester to comedian and impressionist Karen Kay, originally from Blackburn, the gig aptly gave a lasting impression. With energy and enthusiasm, where it all appeared to be fun again, the band tonight had rediscovered the joy of playing live again with a vibe that was an invitation to lose yourself in the music.

As Virtual Insanity closed the set, the hat (one of four worn tonight) still fitted Kay on a night where the Space Cowboy had sent the Manchester audience into orbit.