19-Jul-08 Stockholm Concert Review

Aftonbladet:
(Translated via Google)
Van Morrison is never uninteresting

Best: "Behind the ritual."
Sämst: As usual, everything he does not play.

I have seen Van Morrison quite a few times in the last twenty years, but the question is if I have ever seen the man in better mood than in this evening.

The Belfast cowboy laughs and smiles several times, yodel (!), Jokes about Clint Eastwood and becomes even really filthy when he freestyle at its best in "In the afternoon".

In addition, he, total out of the blue, in a cover of Pink Floyd "Comfortably numb" middle of the set.

It is never uninteresting to see Van Morrison.

And it is also a long time ago it was pleasant. For he has a fun, highly alert ties with them, which become infected by the main character pepper, and we may be delicate versions of the classic "Vanlose stairway" and the new album's most powerful track, "Behind the ritual."


But the focus is almost entirely on material from the last 15 years, and even if neither the "Fire in the belly" or "Magic time" are weak songs include age not to Morrison's primary and the concert sprakar rarely really seriously.

Sin. The conditions were of course.

Just a few more of the man's many classics were probably enough to make this a great evening.
-Håkan Steen

SVD.se
(Translated via Google)
Van Morrison is Jazz Festival's major attraction and fills the plan in front of the Great scene with an eager and happy audience. The man is in a relatively good mood - which means that he yodel and escape the hint of laughter - but, as usual, plays a type of music that is designed for small venue, not a jazz festival.

Van Morrison played ninety minutes, no encore. Dressed in cap and gray suit over a black t-shirt.


The first half hour is solely hubby cozy feel good-jazz of the anonymous nature. The remaining time devoted more attention to the Celtic soul he is associated. The set includes Pink Floyd Comfortably numb and as the last song he throws in Gloria.

Nice band - sometimes to an organic groove that feels a bit more engaging, especially in a long, hypnotic Mystic church. The songs garnished with short solos: Van Morrison himself is quite diligent in altsax, which is the fun - and perhaps provocative for some jazz - when he was still after all these years is an amateur, with a svajig and weak tonbildning.

It is not a bad concert, but a lot goes on routine and as I said was, Skeppsholmen is not the right forum for the introverted man with the soulful voice.
-Dan Backman


UNT.se
Shortly after the clock eight is the time for tonight's principal, Van Morrison, to show what he is going for. A few songs into the concert, it is clear that not only are the old fans who love what they hear, but that he also made an additional hundreds of new fans. Opening This love of mine is followed directly by soulballaden Magic time, where his voice falls into perfect harmony with the kompe wind. Fame has been achieved over the blues form and with the added a nice shufflegung at All work and no play. On That's entrainment heard noises from Hawaii and the longer time required, the better mood, he seems to be on. As he switches instruments from the saxophone to the harmonica to the piano to the ukulele and so on, he offers even some laughter. To many people's surprise, and delight, is also a cover of Pink Floyd's classic Comfortably numb.


Because of Wasa Express ports, I so far to one side during Morrison's concert that the only thing I can see the main character is a neddragen hat sticks up behind a hammondorgel, but apart from the Van is still in every way "The Man".
-Douglas Norström


Joseph Cooper:
On the Saturday, despite forecasts of an impending monsoon, my wife Kristin our daughter Shona and I set off to Stockholm to meet up with Paul and on to see Van and Joan. Upon arriving in Stockholm it was apparent the weather forecasters had got it wrong, and it was a fantastic summer evening. Van was in great form and performed 90 minutes of a set that broadly spanned the last 20 years of his work. This of course is the joy and pain of being a Van Morrison fan that you want to hear all the best of the past 40 years and that is just not possible in 90 minutes. However, all in all a fine performance by “The Man” and my daughter Shona’s first concert at 22 months old. Shona totally enjoyed being on her father’s shoulders dancing as Van sang a wonderful reworking of “The Healing Has Begun”.


Another review, in Swedish, can be found at DN.se

Setlist:
This Love Of Mine
Magic Time
Fame
All Work No Play
St. James Infirmary
Keep It Simple
That's Entrainment
Vanlose Stairway
Fire In The Belly
In The Afternoon>Raincheck
Help Me
Comfortably Numb
Rough God Goes Riding
Behind The Ritual
Burning Ground
And The Healing Has Begun
Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!
Sarah Jory, steel guitar
John Platania, guitar
Paul Moore, bass
Paul Moran, keyboards + trumpet
Tony Fitzgibbon, fiddle
Bobby Ruggiero, percussions
Neil Wilkinson, drums
Katie Kissoon & Vanessa Haynes, background vocals

[Images via Anna]