Vancouver Sun: Fans Disappointed With Van & Concert

How quickly the beloved fall

It was madness. People who had been fans of Van Morrison's for upwards of 25 or 30 years were threatening to throw out every album in their Van
collection. They were threatening to relinquish their fan status. They wanted to break it off entirely with a man they once adored.

They wrote to me and phoned me (I had given last week's concert a positive review) to express their vehement opposition to my opinion. They were
furious that the Belfast Cowboy had failed to acknowledge the audience. They were outraged at the short duration of the pricey show -- angry that
"for that price" there was no opening act and that Van had opted not to give an encore performance.

And they took out their anger and frustrations on me, not because I could do anything to remedy their disappointment, but because I had been impressed by the show and because we newspaper writers are often considered absorbent sounding boards for people's vitriol.

The angry words amazed me -- not because I've never had readers disagree with me or insult me (this latest round can be considered mild) -- but because people were so quick to dismiss someone they had once held in high regard.

They were so unforgiving and so demanding of someone who was there to perform for them. And they seemed to take his behaviour personally.

I received e-mails from people who believed that because they had spent $400 on tickets, parking, and dinner they deserved more from Van Morrison.

Sorry, but Van Morrison does not tailor his shows according to ticket price, nor does he care how much parking costs in our fair city.

People were equally incensed because he hadn't greeted or spoken directly to the audience. His silence did seem a bit cold, but if the audience
were true fans, they would know that Van Morrison has the reputation of being a cranky curmudgeon.

I've only been reviewing concerts for a few months and such reactions will undoubtedly become standard fare, but for now, I remain mildly stunned that
people are so demanding of their musicians and that the love is lost so easily.

A few days after the concert, I had the pleasure of interviewing veteran performer and songwriter Rickie Lee Jones in advance of her concert here
this Thursday. I told her about the unfriendly reaction from some of Van's fans and she contributed her own two cents.

"They must know that's what he does. He always does that. That's not a surprise. It's not like, 'He treats everybody else good and treats us badly,'" she said.

"He's a musician. He's not a celebrity, he's not an entertainer."

She had been talking about her own tendencies towards stage fright and how a few harsh reviews early in one's career can haunt an artist even when
they're selling out arenas.

It can be so easy to forget that these music mega-stars are human -- that they have their own insecurities and fears and mood swings.

Faced with a sea of 13,000 people, I'm quite sure I'd be scared. I've been known to scowl at attractive men when they smile at me, mainly
because I'm scared and defensive. And my insecurities have been mistaken countless times for coldness or arrogance.

Maybe I'm being too forgiving towards Van.

But Rickie Lee Jones has an analysis I'd like to
believe for Van's behaviour.

"I frankly think Van could be more generous. I
think he's afraid and that's why he does that," she
said.

"I think he's afraid to look up and look people in
the eye. He keeps himself protected and he walks
off as quickly as he can because it's terrifying to
be up there.

"I've seen him be generous. I know it's in him to
do that, but I always feel he [gives the cold
shoulder] just because he's afraid."

We'll likely never know why Van Morrison gave us a
bit of a brush off last Monday night (he grants
interviews about as often as he smiles during a
concert), but that's no reason to harbour a grudge
against the man.

He's a legend, but he's also mortal. And if we're
going to revel in the music he's made over the
course of his illustrious career, why can't we
appreciate that it's the music of a human, not a
machine?
-Amy O'Brian, Vancouver Sun