29-Dec-07 Dallas Concert Review

Dallas Morning News:

Van Morrison cuts loose at the Meyerson Symphony Center

CONCERT REVIEW: Aloof soul legend connects with Meyerson audience

There's only one way to enjoy a Van Morrison concert:

Check your expectations at the door and accept the show on his terms.

If you went to the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Saturday craving his hits, you probably left sulking. He played just one during the 95-minute show –"Moondance" – and he acted so bored during it he shouldn't have bothered.

But if you were willing to indulge his fancy, you got a thrilling journey through sock-hop country-soul, gritty funk-blues and wherever else he felt like taking you. Mr. Morrison has a rep for being a cold performer, but by the end of Saturday's show, he was clearly having a ball – taking requests and making up funny expletive-laced lyrics on the spot.

I'm not positive, but at one point, it almost appeared as if he cracked a smile.

Performing only his second North Texas show in 30 years, he took the stage looking awkward and aloof – his face obscured by a fedora, his body stuffed uncomfortably in a gray suit that seemed two sizes too small. Whenever he wasn't singing or playing sax, he disappeared into the shadows with his back to the crowd.

But slowly, song by song, the ice started to thaw.

He jolted "Magic Time" with a playful sax solo and scatted up a storm in "I Can't Stop Loving You." He reclaimed "Have I Told You Lately" from Rod Stewart (who had a hit with it) and transformed it into furious ska-jazz. By the time he lit into 1999's "Precious Time," he was bleating like a lamb and leading his band with an imaginary whip.

His 10-piece group was stellar – especially fiddler Tony Fitzgibbon and pedal steel player Sarah Jory, who made the stately Meyerson feel like a campfire hootenanny. During several tunes, the group swung hard like a '50s dance band. But since the Meyerson isn't built for dancing, none of the fans got the nerve to stand up and cut a rug.

As top-notch as the band was, Mr. Morrison was the unmistakable leader. At 62, his voice has grown lower and more nasal than in his "Tupelo Honey" prime. But when he started growling and scatting and ad-libbing through "Georgia on My Mind," he was still the greatest blue-eyed soul singer alive.

The unannounced show-opener, Bobby "Blue" Bland, was a welcome surprise. At 77, the blues legend is getting frail – he had to be helped onstage – and his once mighty voice has grown soft (a poor sound mix didn't help).

But he persevered, filling "Every Day I Have the Blues" with an unearthly falsetto and spicing up "Stormy Monday" with his famous guttural "love snort." Mr. Morrison has been known to emulate Mr. Bland's trademark sound, but his snort has nothing on the master's.
-By THOR CHRISTENSEN

Stare Telegram:

Morrison cedes spotlight

DALLAS -- Most of music's old lions rightfully want their moment in the spotlight.
Saturday night at Dallas' majestic Meyerson Symphony Center, Irish iconoclast Van Morrison almost pathologically avoided it, frequently ceding the stage to his mesmerizing 10-piece band.

Content to function more as a bandleader than the main attraction, Morrison nevertheless captivated an appreciative crowd with his intoxicating baritone -- as smooth and well-aged as top-shelf bourbon.

Kicking off a two-night stand, the veteran troubadour nimbly evades a signature sound, instead relying on a pungent stew of musical flavors, ranging from lilting folk and dirt-smeared country to searing jazz and supple funk.

The career-defining hits were missing in action live (no Brown Eyed Girl or Domino to sing along with, sorry) but what was offered up (reimaginings of canonical works like Georgia on My Mind or his own Have I Told You Lately) dazzled with its interpretive grace.

The airtight 90-minute set left scant room for the singer/songwriter to engage the audience verbally (he uttered perhaps three words all evening) but in letting his music do the talking, the 62-year-old Morrison spoke volumes.

As strong of voice as he's ever been, scatting and twisting verses with calculated abandon, "Van the Man" also hopped on his trademark tenor saxophone and harmonica, blending seamlessly with the polished professionals behind him.

"I don't fade away unless I choose," Morrison sang toward evening's end. He repeated the verse from 1995's Raincheck, and heedless of irony, slipped from the spotlight's soft glow and off the stage, as the audience rose to its feet and delivered a richly deserved ovation.

Frequent Morrison guest and one-time collaborator Bobby "Blue" Bland opened up, leaving a considerable impression despite his set's brevity (less than 30 minutes).

With a gripping voice that evokes the Neville Brothers, Bland provided a through line to some of Morrison's more sultry artistic impulses.

The 77-year-old Tennessee native knows his place in the pantheon: "We don't have much time, but we're gonna make Mr. Morrison wait until we do these blues," Bland said before ripping into a riveting, extended medley.
-By PRESTON JONES

Setlist:
This Love of Mine
Magic Time
Bright Side of the Road
I Can’t Stop Loving You
Talk is Cheap
Dead or Alive
Stranded
Have I Told You Lately
In the Midnight
Stop Drinking that Wine
Rough God
Moondance
Georgia
Playhouse
Precious Time
In the Afternoon
Help Me

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

28-Dec-07 San Francisco Concert Review

It was a different show from Thursday from the start. The energy on
stage, especially from the band, was palpable. I had some
trepidation as the setllist started out like the night before,
but even HITYL sounded fresh (I can still do without it,
thanks). The crowd got into the show early to, with lots of
applause at songs, good solos, all at the right time to feed a
little energy back onstage. The concert was staying at a pretty
high level, and LIttle Village launched it ever higher. Fabulous
solos, including a knockout solo by Sarah Jory, who has been just
great at every show. She is a consummate ensemble player. Every
time she enters with a solo it's a little surprise and exactly what
the song needs. Despite her virtuosity on steel guitar, dobro,
bottleneck guitar, banjo, etc, her work is all about the song and
not about her. John Platania had his best night of the three I saw,
fitting in to his role without standing out too far. Anyway, this
song was where the band reached the "Good Body Music" stage,
thinking back to Kingdom Hall. Then Van capped it off with a long,
fascinating sax solo, evoking all sorts of Celtic pipes over the
band's groove. This was a top rendition of one of his greatest
songs. The next highlight was Shana's entry for a duet. As others
have said, she really stood her own on this and pushed the whole
song higher each time she sang. Their harmony was so good it got a
separate cheer.

Surprisingly, Playhouse was another highlight. This song gets
played a lot, but not often with the energy and spirit of last
night. In the Afternoon also went really well, with Van turning
his back to audience and closing the song with a big, arms-up signal
to the band. There was actually a pretty bad screwup on Geneva, as
the band missed the quick cut to "Brand New Cadillac" , and had to
play a bunch of meaningless bars to bring the song around again and
do it over. Fortunately, that didn't seem to bring down the high
spirits on stage. Celtic New Year/Healing Game.. drinkin' wine in
the alley closed down the show.

As some pointed out, a lot of Thursday's crowd went home
happy. They just didn't know how much more there was to see and hear.

Setlist:
This Love of Mine
Magic Time
Have I Told You Lately
Stranded
Bright Side of the Road
St. James Infirmary
Moondance
Little Village (van on acoustic/electric guitar)
Whinin' Boy Moan
Beautiful Vision (duet with Shana Morrison)
Playhouse
In the Afternoon/Ancient HighwayRaincheck
Stop Drinkin'
Goin Down Geneva/Brand New Cadillac
Celtic New Year/Healing Game

Once again, thanks to Art for great photos & setlist.

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

27-Dec-07 San Francisco Concert Review

Van's set -- after a short one by Shana and her band, Caledonia --
got off to a rough start during the opening and never really
recovered. At the end of This Love of Mine, a horrible feedback from
Van's mike took over. Van said something like, "I'm not too happy
with that. You shouldn't be either." Various smaller problems seemed
to crop up the rest of the evening, maybe because Van was
hypersensitive and it made everyone else on the stand uneasy.

Van's singing voice seemed clear and strong, but he suppressed a
cough several times and broke off his vocals early sometimes. He
drank water during and between every song. He pretty much stayed in a
pretty narrow vocal and dynamic range. There was no way, for
instance, that he was going to attempt "Satchmo" during Bright Side
of the Road, and the scat at the end of Precious Time was minimal.

Other little things didn't seem to go right. Sarah Jory's chair
seemed to break in mid-tune and had to be replaced while she half-
stood and played. The band didn't seem to be picking up on all of
Van's cues either. One time he poined to John Allair to take a solo
but John Platania started up instead. The group sound often didn't
seem to quite gel and Van seemed a little frustrated with them at
times. There was also more discussion between songs than usual. Of
course, Van's normal pacing is probably a little TOO fast.

After one fan yelled something between songs, Van said "What?!"
Then, "Who the fuck let you in?" That's a line that could either
break the ice on a chilly concert or signal that it's going to
be "Mr. Grumpy" all night long. It was grumpy night.

In any event, nothing remotely meditative tonight. He finished with
both a perfunctory Brown Eyed Girl and a perfunctory Gloria (although
the latter had the novelty of Shana returning to the stage to provide
some vocals). He was thoroughly professional, though. 20 years ago,
he might have left the stage in mid-song and never returned. Tonight,
BEG and Gloria had the audience standing, howling (mildly) for more.
I heard some people behind me, attending their first Van show, remark
that it was all they expected and more. They went away happy.

Setlist:

1. This Love of Mine
2. Magic Time
3. Have I Told You Lately
4. Too Many Myths
5. They Sold Me Out
6. Playhouse
7. Talk is Cheap
8. Stop Drinking
9. In The Midnight
10. Moondance
11. Back on Top
12 Precious Time
13. Help Me
14. Baby What You Want Me To Do?
15. Don't Start Cryin' Now/Custard Pie
16. Brown Eyed Girl
17. Gloria

Thanks to Art for photo & setlist.

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

Sinéad O'Connor Discusses Veedon Fleece

Listen to Sinead O'Connor on The Dave Fanning Show.

Everyone has their favourite album and on tonight's show we're joined by Sinéad O'Connor to discuss hers: Van Morrison's 'Veedon Fleece'.

"It is far superior to Astral Weeks. This is the definitive Van album with the definitive Van song, 'Who Was That Masked Man?'

Van is a singer's singer. I listen to Veedon Fleece just before I go on stage."

Perfect Christmas Gift For Van Morrison Fans

What is the best gift for the Van Morrison fan that already has every Van CD & DVD?

Wavelength Magazine is the answer! This is the ultimate resource on Van's music and concerts.

Subscriptions can be made here. Become a Supersub and get special access to brand new SetLists, reviews & news.

As a Supersub you'll also receive a 10% discount on any item purchased from the Tripe For Sale catalogue on the website.

Wavelength is now accepting pre-orders for the VAN REMASTERS on cd.

21-Dec-07 Reno Concert Review

Reno Gazette-Journal:

Van Morrison returned to the Grand Sierra (formerly Hilton) Theater for the third time since 2000, and not much has changed about him since that post-Millennial performance. He's still a sullen performer who spends most of the show out of the spotlight, letting his band do the heavy lifting.

He may have even been wearing the same boxy gray suit.

Morrison addressed the audience exactly twice, once to reply "Oh, oh?" to a man who yelled "I love you, Van" and once to say "Thank you" to a round of applause. That was it. He wandered off stage twice during the 98-minute show. He'd sing a bit then sit behind the keyboardist as most of his superb 10-piece band took a solo turn,
working hard to put some showmanship into the show.

It was classic Van behavior, and if you expected that going in, you
probably weren't disappointed. Morrison was in full voice, scatting
and growling, working his brassy vocal instrument like the saxophone
he added to the ensemble.

If, however, you thought that for $99 to $250 a seat you were in for
more, well, it was a pretty disappointing evening.

The common complaint about Morrison live held here: He barely dipped
into his catalog of old favorites, instead pulling heavily from the
past three or four albums. Since his three most recent releases are a
couple of best of's and a collection of songs from movie soundtracks,
he has no compunction about making money off his golden oldies. But
he tends to be stingy with them in concert.

He gave up a bit of "Tupelo Honey," and "Moondance" got the biggest
response from the audience, naturally, but the band and backup
singers performed about 85 percent of it, sans Van. None of the songs
reached that transcendent state that Morrison can achieve when the
mood hits. At his Reno show in 1998, he did a version of "Send in the
Clowns" that to this day sends prickles up my arms just thinking
about. There were no prickles on Friday.

And speaking of stingy, those expensive floor seats were lashed together with not an inch of personal space on either side. It was like flying center-seat coach to Albuquerque. I spent the show pressed thigh-to-shoulder with a stranger on one side. That my husband was pressedagainst my other side didn't make it any less uncomfortable or distracting. (Note to Grand Sierra Resort: Baby Boomer audiences take up more space.) There was no drink service on the floor, that I could see, and not enough aisles built into the arrangement to let people step out without climbing over dozens of others in the row. It made me as cranky as a certain Irish singer-songwriter. Those in the "cheap" seat banquettes got a better deal.

At Morrison's show seven years ago in that same room, I sat front-row
center at a roomy table, so close I could rest my elbows on the stage. The ticket was $65. For his upcoming shows in San Francisco and Texas, those seats are selling online for as much as $650. Are they going to get 10 times the show? I'd say no.

-Peggy Santoro


Art says: I'm still sorting out my thoughts on this show. There were some sublime moments and some truly plodding songs, too.

Troy says: My thoughts about Reno. Van failed to keep mediocrity at bay.

Setlist:
This Love Of Mine
Magic Time
Whinin' Boy Moan
Too Many Myths
All Work and No Play
Rough God Goes Riding
They Sold Me Out
Playhouse
Stranded
Tupelo Honey/Why Must I Always Explain?
Stop Drinkin'
Keep Mediocrity at Bay
Precious Time
Don't Start Crying Now/Custard Pie
It's All In The Game
Baby What You Want Me To Do
In the Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Raincheck/Mystic Church

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

Thanks to Art for setlist.

20-Dec-07 Minneapolis Concert Review

Star Tribune:
Rock's Irish bard played sax and sang a lot of favorites, but the concert fell short on the passion Van the Man fans remember from the day.
Five days before Christmas, the brilliant but mercurial Van Morrison could have shown up at sold-out Northrop Auditorium as either Santa Claus (he's got the requisite physique) or Scrooge (he's notoriously cold, cantankerous and curmudgeonly in concert).

Well, rock's most confounding performer confounded once again on Thursday. He wasn't Scrooge, like he was at Northrop in 2004, but Santa didn't really
put any big presents under the tree either. It was a night of stocking stuffers. In other words, the 95-minute performance was good but never great; it was crowd-pleasing but never transcendent in the way Van the Man is at his best.

Even though he said little, as usual, to the audience, Morrison, 62, seemed in good spirits. Taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. sharp, he came out
blowing his alto saxophone on "Domino," one of his signatures from the 1970s. When he sang, he sounded a bit stuffed up but there was still undeniable passion in his voice.

But with Morrison, you want fire in his belly, you want him to rock your gypsy soul, you want him to take you into the mystic. That's what Van the Man did back in the day. On Thursday, however, he mostly came across as a mellow lounge act, with one foot in jazz-blues and the other in country-soul.

Half of the songs came from albums recorded since 1999. But even oldies were recast to fit the lounge vibe. "Moondance" was sophisticatedly soulful
late-night jazz, and "Jackie Wilson Said" was perfunctory hep-cat swing.

The tune that perhaps best typified the night was the slow jam "In the Afternoon," which started as more sleepy than seductive (it's about daytime
loving) but Morrison woke up near the end, riffing sexily about rocking on a golden autumn day in a mystic church.

The Irish bard's 10-member band was consistently strong, following cues from the bandleader, either with a nod, a pointed finger or a verbal shout.
Things felt alluring, organic and spontaneous, and all the instrumentalists (save for trumpeter/backup singer Crawford Bell) got solo opportunities, with standout turns taken by guitarist John Platania,
fiddler/mandolinist Tony Fitzgibbon and organist John Allair, who danced delightedly on his stool.

Morrison himself played more saxophone than usual, showing expansive expressiveness. But the 4,600 fans wanted to hear the expressiveness in his
voice. To be sure, there was a bit of a Dylan-like growl, an emphatic R&B shout and some fine riffing at the end of songs, including one about "Paul
McCartney singing money can't buy you love." But the Rock Hall of Famer never reached those fantabulous heights in which he got lost in his
song with his impassioned, involving and invigorating voice.

Well, Santa doesn't always deliver all the things on your wish list.
-Jon Bream

Pioneer Press:
Once, a Van Morrison concert was a rare event in these parts. But the veteran of four decades of musical and spiritual wandering has become a fairly frequent visitor in recent years. Does that mean that tickets to his shows aren't as valued as they once were? Well, Thursday night's concert at
Minneapolis' Northrop Auditorium argues otherwise. Despite tickets ranging from $86 to an eye-popping $211, there were still 4,574 eager buyers filling the hall.

What the enthusiastic crowd received for its investment was a frontman in fine voice and a well-rehearsed band that could nevertheless change gears at the bidding of the boss. Morrison seems to be having more fun playing his music than he has in some time, but Thursday's concert was merely a
pleasant performance that could have been considerably more exciting.

If you go to a concert wanting to hear the artist's songs performed as you remember them from the original album, then Van's not your man. He and his
current 10-piece band changed up the styles on almost every song on the call-it-as-he-goes set list, fashioning hybrids of multiple genres, sometimes a few within the same song.

When Morrison emerged with an alto sax in hand, it may have hinted that he would lend the show the kind of big-band flavor he favored a few years ago.
But strains of fiddle, dobro and pedal steel made this swing more of the Texas variety pioneered by Bob Wills. Roots reggae morphed into sunny CW on
"Bright Side of the Road." "Jackie Wilson Said" became a breezy blues shuffle. "Stop Drinking" was boogie-woogie Bakersfield country.

The challenge of these changeups seemed to keep everyone on stage engaged, as did arrangements that allowed each member of the band to shine on solos.
Standouts among them were organist John Allair, stylistically flexible fiddler Tony Fitzgibbon, and pedal steel and dobro diva Sarah Jory.

Clad in a gray suit and fedora, Morrison seemed at his most comfortable when assuming the persona of an old-fashioned bluesman on "Too Many Myths" and "Help Me." His growling voice was admirably expressive all evening, especially when he used extended quiet jams at the end of "In the
Afternoon" and "I'm Not Feeling It Anymore" to improvise lyrics, tossing in snatches of songs from throughout his expansive canon.

But Morrison and company still only played for a little over 90 minutes, doubtless leaving some wondering if the exorbitant outlay was money well
spent.
-Rob Hubbard

Setlist:
Domino
Magic Time
Playhouse
Stranded
Have I Told You Lately
In The Midnight
Moondance
Bright Side of the Road
Too Many Myths
Jackie Wilson Said
In the Afternoon/Raincheck
Precious Time
Stop Drinking
Little Village
I’m Not Feeling It Anymore
Help Me
Encore
Celtic New Year

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

19-Dec-07 Providence Concert Review

Providence Journal:

Audience treated to eclectic, spiritual mix
The words “spiritual” and “mystical” get tossed around way too much in discussions of Van Morrison’s work, but there’s a generosity of spirit in his best stuff that you don’t get many other places, and last night at the Providence Performing Arts Center it was on full display.


Sure, he came out swinging with his 1970 hit “Domino,” and they probably wouldn’t have let him go home without “Moondance,” but in between Morrison covered the bases from various eras in his long career, and overall the mood was soothing. Only on the finale, the blues classic “Help Me,” did Morrison’s excellent 10-piece band kick up any real clangor, but that wasn’t the aim.

The band included trumpet, fiddle, steel guitar, electric guitar, electric and acoustic bass, drums and percussion, with Morrison taking turns on sax, keys, guitar and harmonica — enough variety to cover almost anything. And while the bodhran on stage never got used, and Celtic references were few, Morrison and band went through a trademark mix of soul, R&B and country that represented his best.

The lush soul-pop balladry of “Magic Time,” with the excellent Sara Jordan’s seemingly incongruous steel guitar like a sigh, set the tone early on — the usual musical categories don’t apply. Whether it was the soul-with-fiddle of “In the Afternoon,” the laid-back Stax of “Cleaning Windows” or the mix of country shuffle with elegant Hammond organ on “Bright Side of the Road,” it all ended up in the same place when Morrison was through with it.

It’s a fine line between hypnotizing and boring, and you wouldn’t have wanted the show to go on much longer than its hour and 45 minutes, but it was a show of warmth and coolness rather than high heat and icy cold, and with the help of the excellent, muted sound mix the emphasis was on the songs and the singer, who more than held his own with his distinctive blend of power, swoops up to and down from the melody, occasionally ridiculous scatting and more.

Morrison’s voice ranged from the hornlike blare on “Stranded” to the breathiness of “In the Afternoon” to the romance of “Meet Me in the Indian Summer,” from 2002’s Down the Road album, and just when you thought he maybe didn’t have the steam on the old fastball, he cut loose with serious power on his cover of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” the song of course made famous by Ray Charles, also known for his ability to slip between genres and still sound like himself.


But the highlights were the simplest moments, such as the quiet, forlorn “In the Midnight,” from 1999’s Back on Top album, and the mantra-like “And the Healing Has Begun,” with its simple, ascending chord pattern, its lyrics about drinking wine in the alley and the mantra-like repetition of the title. Spiritual? Can’t think of a better word, actually.
-Rick Massimo

Setlist:
Domino
Magic Time
Have I Told You Lately
It Once Was My Life
In the Midnight
Cleaning Windows
Stranded
Talk Is Cheap
In the Afternoon>Ancient Highway>Joe Turner Sings
Choppin' Wood
Moondance
St James Infirmary
I Can't Stop Loving You
Bright Side of the Road
Celtic New Year>Crazy About You
And the Healing Has Begun
Help Me

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

07-Dec-07 Inverness Concert Review

Highland News:
A FROSTY Friday and a marvellous night for a moondance, something almost pagan about the way we lifted our faces up to worship legend Van Morrison as he started bang on the minute of eight, as threatened.

The Ironworks bar had been shut, the late were barred until a suitable break in the music and drinkers had been herded behind a yellow and black emergency tape on the floor of the Ironworks.

Van the Man had gone all diva on us, laying down the law and not being daft. Of course it all added to the feeling that this gig was something special and we just had to behave to deserve it.

The venue was full to the rafters with your more mature fan, as excited as a busload of teens on a school trip. And throughout the 90-minute set, there were constant pinch-me moments as you looked up into the blank mask under the hat and the closed eyes behind the tinted specs and said to yourself: "That's Van Morrison, here in Inverness. Van the Man. The real one. Here."

A stage bristling with the world's finest musicians added to the sense of occasion, though truthfully, the musicians veered from looking as if they were having a great time playing with the honoured genius or dreading that they were going to fail to please him.

Trombonist Chris Barber, a band leader and veteran maestro in his own right, was caught on the hop a couple of times when Van pointed the "your solo now!" finger. And you felt the pain of the guitarist who muffed a couple of notes, as we all looked at Van to see if he'd get mad.

He didn't. Nor did he get wild or smiley or crazy or sentimental or emotional or animated – or grumpy. He blinked, breathed, sipped from a constantly-replenished cup and did a lot of pointing at his band members when he wanted a solo or up to the soundmen when he wanted more volume.

But he did play a mean sax, a fired-up moothie and played havoc with your sense of reality, as that voice – the one you know so well from pub jukeboxes, bedroom record-players and iPod playlists – came at you, live.

As predicted, the set majored on the 37 tracks compiled by the man himself for Still On Top, his third greatest hits collection. Back On Top opened the show.

And with everything from the classics such as Have I Told You Lately, Moondance, Days Like This, Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile), Brown-eyed Girl, Tear Your Playhouse Down and Gloria, to slightly more obscure ones such as Magic Time and Sold Me Out for the real fan, it was a set packed with treats.

But we didn't get much light and shade or much of a change of pace. The whole thing rattled along with barely a break between songs, the musicians swiftly turning to the right page in their music before the next one began.

From a bluesy beginning, it was on to a jazzy treatment for the rest of the numbers. Even the aching love ballad, Have I Told You Lately, was turned into a trotting style workout and drew a testy order "Shuffle!" from Van, as the keyboard player failed to get the feel just right.

With no communication whatsoever between Van and the crowd, you felt ridiculously grateful when he rewarded our singing on Jackie Wilson... Heaven When You Smile with "You did really well!".

And when we joined in on Brown-Eyed Girl, he gave us a quiet "Just like that!", to show we'd met his approval.

There was little dancing, even down the front, as though none of us wanted to break the spell – or make fools of ourselves in front of the great man.

One tanked-up bloke with a blissful smile pushed down the front to take some camera phone pix and make us all wince at his irreverence – and got yanked out for his trouble.

By finisher Gloria, Van had turned in a value-for-money set, no sign of the dreaded huffy walk-off, band-slagging cringer or failure to play everybody's favourites. He did forget to introduce his band, something he apparently rectified on Saturday, his second sell-out night.

As he waddled off like The Penguin off Batman, probably with the tired bones of a sixtysomething man who had turned in a marathon, non-stop performance, there's no doubt his fans were happy.

But as someone who had never seen Van before and had hoped to be touched by the live magic so many of his fans had promised me, the legend left me cold.

The gig was one of the most soulless experiences I have ever had.

The night before, in a warm, intimate gig a few minutes away in Hootanannys, Scotland's own answer to Van, Jackie Leven, had taken the simple man and guitar format to perform stunning songs, witty stories for a gig with a heart and a guaranteed place in the memory forever.

Though I could have listened to the delights of Van's ace musicians forever – the emotional pull of Sarah Jory's pedal steel just one – for me the mystery of Van's live genius remains just that.
-Margaret Chrystall

Press & Journal:
Hundreds of fans packed into an Inverness venue to see legendary singer Van Morrison perform at a charity concert at the weekend.

The multi-award winning singer performed two sell-out shows at the Ironworks, on Academy Street.

All the profits from the shows are going to Cancer Research UK. The charity's Black Isles branch was closely involved in organising the concerts.

Originally the Grammy award-winning artist was lined up to play just one gig in the Highland capital.

But after tickets sold out in just over 24 hours, another concert was organised for the fans who had missed out.

And on Friday and Saturday night "Van the Man" did not disappoint, belting out some of his best-loved hits to audiences of around 750 people.

Van Morrison's career has spanned five decades. He first became known as the lead singer in Northern Irish band Them and wrote their most famous hit, Gloria. He is due to return to Britain early next year where he will perform gigs in England, including London and Manchester.

Robert & Norm gives a brief take on the show:
Van Morrison at his most charming. Rapport with the audience impeccable. A set list packed with greatest hits from his recently released best of cd. The place was one huge party. The bar has never been busier.... actually, not a word of that is true!!!!

No artist/audience interaction. The hits that were featured had a jazz arrangement that's not to everyones taste. No refuge at the bar... it was closed "at the artists request" and heaven help you if you needed the toilet. Allowed out or in between songs. Just like being back at school!!!

The show WAS for a terrific cause but the money raised was the only plus for me.
-Robert U.

Both nights pretty average. The highlight of the Friday was "Irish Heartbeat" and also a nice "Georgia On My Mind" - otherwise it was the usual stuff Van peddles these days. Saturday had an amazing "St James Infirmary" and was the better of the two nights, I thought - if for no other reason than the Friday had more lows. Chris Barber was a guest. In such an intimate venue, I was expecting a lot more - always a problem on the Van front this century, I've found.
-Norm

Setlist:
Back On Top
Goin' Home
All Work And No Play
Talk Is Cheap
Playhouse
Moondance
Days Like This
They Sold Me Out
Magic Time
Have I Told You Lately [Las Vegas version]
Georgia On My Mind
Stop Drinking
My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
Don't Start Crying >Custard Pie
Jackie Wilson Said
Precious Time
Irish Heartbeat
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

01-Dec-07 Harrogate Concert Review

York Press:
NOW into his 60s, music legend Van Morrison shows no sign of slowing down, with his current tour schedule taking in Britain, Europe and America.

He is one of the most prolific and eclectic artists of his generation, being inspired by his Celtic roots, jazz, blues and soul.

On Saturday, his excellent band played their first note at 8pm, while their last note rang out with Morrison walking off the stage at 9.30pm sharp after performing a show-stopping trio of Bright Side Of The Road, Moondance and Brown Eyed Girl.

Some of his fans in the capacity audience tried to get him back on stage for an encore.

But, knowing Van as they do, it was a half-hearted attempt and many were already heading for the exits as the lights went up. Morrison knows his mind.

His band hardly paused between numbers as they worked hard to pack as many songs into the 90 minutes as possible.

Morrison's saxophone playing was strong and clear - his dialogues with the trumpet player were delicious. To add variety, he also played harmonica and acoustic guitar.

A marvellous mix of fiddle, mandolin, steel guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion and electric guitar decorated the songs.

Even more sound textures were created when the electric bass player switched to double bass and the keyboard player moved from organ to piano.

Morrison's voice was as soulful as ever, his singing lifted to another level by the wonderful ensemble playing of his band who responded to their leader's every instruction. Great stuff.
-Richard Foster

Setlist:
This Love Of Mine
Magic Time
Talk Is Cheap
Reminds Me Of You
Playhouse
Beautiful Vision
It Once Was My Life
There Stands The Glass
Goin’ Down Geneva > Brand New Cadillac
Little Village
Have I Told You Lately [Las Vegas version]
Saint James Infirmary
Wild Night
Precious Time [scat ending]
Vanlose Stairway
Bright Side Of The Road
Days Like This
Moondance
Brown Eyed Girl

Big hand for the band!
Paul Moran, Crawford Bell, Katie Kissoon, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sarah Jory, Paul Moore, Neal Wilkinson, John Platania, Bobby Ruggerio

30-Nov-07 Gateshead Concert Review

Dail was at last night's show:

Well after Norwich wonderful concert....I guess I was hoping for a great concert at Gates head, not to be...very avenger show mostly of the greatest hits that didn't sound so great on the night. Ned Edwards was absent from last night show..

Van and the Band lack commitment.., the concert started of well with Back On Top and Stranded..into Don't Look Back this was Brill.. and very good version When Then Leaves Come Falling Down...Playhouse not that impressive.. .. we heard Magic Time..All Work No Play. Van did not seem to be in a great mood (the don't want to be here moods)...didn't give any feeling into the songs..The band were told off several times...Van said he could not hear the piano..and even Sara was given a cross word from Van..and The Crawford Bell Singers were told to back off from mike, the Band did not blend well last night.

The highlight of the night was Help Me...only then did the band come together..towards the end of the show.. Van did Here Comes The Night...Wild Night which wasn't that Wild Brown Eyed Girl...and ended the show with G-L-O-R-I-A...and Crawford Bell...did the bit that Ned would have done (she was knocking on mine door)...it didn't really work out...and Van did grin at this point. My last review I said there was no room for the horns in this show (Norwich) but that was Norwich......whoops! The show last night too many solo's for Sara....and not enough good old Bluesy stuff..that Van is so good at, more mediation journeys needed...we were almost there in Norwich. I missed Ned last night..maybe because he is that familiar face we have seen in the last 7 years ( Simon Says that how long he has been with Van) I don't know about his musical talents because I am no musician but I liked him......Van did not get his Mr Vaaaaaaaan Morrrison send off.
Oh well on to Harrogate tonight.....
-Regards Dail

Setlist:
Back On Top
Magic Time
All Work And No Play
Stranded >Don’t Look Back
Whinin’ Boy Moan
Playhouse
When The Leaves Come Falling Down
Bright Side Of The Road
Here Comes The Night
Stop Drinking
I Can’t Stop Loving You
Moondance
Precious Time [scat ending]
Wild Night
Help Me
Don’t Start Crying Now >Custard Pie
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria