At 71, Kris Kristofferson is one of the last survivors of the great country music cross-over of the 1960s.

And it is difficult to imagine a better way to enjoy his back catalogue than the stripped-down, solo acoustic show he gave at Brighton Dome on March 31.

The combination of Kristofferson's personal charm, the gravelly warmth of his voice and the waves of goodwill from his ageing fans overcame the size of the auditorium to create a wonderfully intimate performance.

He has always returned to the same mythology of broken-hearted alcoholics, lonely troubadours and bars, sprinkled with nostalgia for lost loves and simpler times never to return.

That style has always veered between the masterfully evocative and the slightly twee. But a steelier edge comes through in more recent protest songs against US foreign policy.

The Circle and In The News, the latter from his latest album This Old Road, resonate with anger and injustice.

With the onset of age, in many ways, Kristofferson appears to have walked out of one of his own songs.

His gruff voice, silver mane and weary gait lends credibility to the degradation, loneliness and regret that haunts his music.

Coupled with his tremendous charisma, it all made for a captivating, if forgivably rough and ready, display.