06-June-07 Werchter Concert Review

DE MORGEN: "MUMBLING ON ROUTINE"

Werchter : precisly 24 years after Van Morrison was the headliner,
the living legend was back on the Werchter grounds. This time he had
to warm up 30,000 people for the Rolling Stones.

It's no secret : Van Morrison (61) is one of the most grumpy people
in pop music, if he's not having his day - and that happens more
often than one would think- he doesn't mind shouting at the band
members "en plein public". Also all the most recent albums of the
Irish soul man have become very changeable; while during a concert
the clock on the side of stage tells him how much longer he has to
perform to fulfill his contract. All this didn't happen in Werchter,
but nonetheless Van the Man made a uninterested impression.
Even although he played the hits - Real real gone, Moondance, wild
night, Brown Eyed Girl and even Bright side of the road - the songs
were more mumbled than sung and you would need a translator to
understand the words. . Van Morrison as usual in suit, and to please
to photographers, face hidden behind glasses and shades , bungled
through the set and was seldom or never the performer he is at his
best. The group he had with him, played blues skiffle and jazz but
never came into fine form. Only the violin player tried with a few
interventions to blow new life in songs like Days Like This and Back
On Top, but the set itself lapped on flatly towards the end. VM
himself blew every now and than on his harp or sax, looked through
his papers (setlists), but made no effort at all to communicate with
the audience. That audience therefore clapped politely and counted
down the minutes till theStones would come on.
-Bart Steenhout


Setlist:
Talk is cheap
Stop drinkin'
Days Like This
Back On Top
Real Real Gone/you send me
I can't stop loving you
Don't start crying now/Custard Pie
Moondance
wild night
Bright side of the Road
Precious Time
Playhouse
Help me
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria