It must have been a tough task to bring fans out on the night of England’s first World Cup match, but Doves were greeted by an enthusiastic audience at Thetford Forest’s High Lodge yesterday.

The forest setting proved a perfect backdrop to the group’s brand of epic rock, with lead singer Jimi Goodwin pointing out a lone star in the clear skies above – and even dedicating a song to it at one point during their set.

The Mancunians were on fine form, showcasing their hits as well as some of their lesser-known numbers with an easy stage presence that showed they were in their element.

With a raft of atmospheric songs offset by Goodwin’s honey-toned vocals, on the surface many of their tracks had a downbeat feel, but there was an underlying euphoria that had the crowd singing and dancing throughout.

Any spirits dampened by England’s disappointing result were sure to have been uplifted by the end of the night.