THE long blast of a locomotive steam whistle heralded the arrival of San Francisco trio Train at a packed Civic.

They did not waste any time, launching straight into 50 Ways to Say Goodbye, the Mariachi-style more bitter than sweet lament for lost love in which convoluted attempts to contrive reasons for a relationship breakdown avoid the unpalatable truth that something is simply over.

Tracks from Train’s most recent album, California 37, abounded, several of them having been released as singles during the past year.

The most recent, Mermaid, prompted the band to invite females from the audience to join them on stage to participate in a calypso-y singalong.

The band, with Pat Monahan’s vocals to the fore, delved into their recent archive for Hey Soul Sister, perhaps their biggest global hit, which proved a particular favourite, melding into the chorus of Fun’s We Are Young and following on seamlessly into Drive By as the tempo was stepped up.

Train’s support, Gin Wigmore, had delivered an impressive set before the headliners took to the stage and she joined them to sing the woman’s lines for the ballad, Bruises, another song of what might have beens among life’s disappointments.

If ever a song recaptured the West Coast sound the 1970s it is This’ll Be My Year, the lyrical construction of which pays its respects to Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire.

Like Joel’s earlier effort, Train’s song recalls significant world events over the past few decades but interwoven with more personal recollections of the band’s lives, as they reflect on their journey to where they are now.