The Peel Centenary Centre hosted a sold-out performance last week as Manx musician Davy Knowles returned to the west of the island for a new high-energy show.

Former Back Door Slam member Knowles, who now lives in the US, was named the Global Ambassador Award winner at the 2025 Media Isle of Man Awards for Excellence at the Villa Marina just days before the gig.

The evening opened with a set from island musician Mark Lawrence, whose strong musical pedigree includes family ties to Katie, Kirsty and his father Al Lawrence. Mark, also a trained luthier, performed an entirely original set on a guitar of his own making.

Before Knowles took the stage, his seven-year-old daughter, Emmy Elizabeth, delivered a confident introduction, encouraging the audience to ‘shout and applaud really loud’, a request the crowd fulfilled enthusiastically.

Knowles and the house band - comprised of Lindsay and Steve Rowe on keys and bass, with Steve Leach on drums - opened with ‘Ain’t Much About Nothing’ from his album ‘Three Miles from Avalon’.

Despite having only run through the material during the soundcheck, the band delivered a cohesive performance across a varied setlist.

Midway through the evening, the entire Knowles family joined the stage for ‘Light of the Moon’, with daughters Josie, Lily, Emmy and Amber contributing backing vocals in one of the night’s most memorable moments.

A further highlight came with Neil Young’s ‘Cortez the Killer’, revisited for the first time since Knowles’ performances at The Bay Hotel in Port Erin. The 11-minute rendition featured extended solos and improvised vocals from youngest daughter Lily.

The show closed with a collaborative performance of ‘Roll Away’, featuring Mark Lawrence and his sister Katie.

Emmy Elizabeth returned to sign off the evening with a cheerful ‘that’s all folks’, concluding what attendees described as a ‘special, family-centred night’ during Knowles’ visit home.