Marc Almond marked his 50th birthday here and, five years on, he's back to commemorate his continuing longevity with a night of nostalgia, drama – and celebratory self-indulgence.

More than most, the former Soft Cell singer has earned the right to party, having survived both substance abuse and, in 2004, a serious motorcyle accident. Since his early days as a sleaze-obsessed synth-pop progenitor, Almond has become an adventurous troubadour with an eclectic back catalogue and recent forays into opera in Edinburgh and Paris. Tonight, he's turning the spotlight back on himself, with a selection of self-penned "kind of autbiographical" songs, chosen, he says "for their meaning".

Accompanied by a seven-piece band, Almond takes us on a sentimental journey from his Southport childhood, remembered in Sandboy, to the sweet taste of success savoured in the triumphant Vanity, Poverty, Revenge. For almost two and a half hours, he entertains in flamboyant, theatrical style. He debunks myths – the haunting Waifs and Strays isn't an ode to serial killer Dennis Nilsen – rediscovers lost gems such as Your Aura, which leaves him visibly moved, and explores his passion for Northern Soul in a 10-song sequence that sees him shimming as the three-part brass section return his 80s hits Tainted Love and What? to their dance floor-filling roots.

Aside from a few forgotten words and missed top notes, Almond remains enthusiastic and exuberant company, his ability to turn small heartaches into grand melodrama undiminished. The encore is a nostalgic one, featuring a gloriously over-the-top Jacky, a rowdy rendition of Happy Birthday and a cover of T Rex's Hot Love accompanied by a blizzard of gold confetti.

Despite wallowing in the past, Almond's already thinking about another bash in five years' time. "What's the concert gonna be like then? What's the audience gonna be like?" he shrugs with a smile. "We're all in it together, dear."