03-Oct-08 Liverpool Concert Review

Liverpool.com:

Van was the man last night...
"Soul is not the colour of your skin," sang Van Morrison at the Philharmonic Hall last night. And in an age where the likes of Estelle, Duffy and Adele get all wound up about what soul music actually is - Morrison proved again last night, that still nobody can touch him when singing from inside yourself.

He's taken his knocks over the years - and deservedly so, at times - but last night was a true reminder of his talent. Hope Street was touched by greatness yesterday and a sold-out crowd knew it. Sure, there had been one or two murmurs recently about Morrison banning alcohol from venues on this tour, but all that was forgotten when the music started.

Which is the whole point. Morrison is an artist who needs his audience to listen. And when they do - he delivers like nobody. He spoke to the crowd last night about "this hall being made for acoustics," and you could see him getting lost inside the sound him and his 11-piece band were making. No frills, just great songs played with a lightness of touch and a whole lot of feeling. He cajoled his drummers, pointed for solos and asked the backing singers to step back and sing off-mic to create a feeling. He got it.

We got Madame George, The Way Young Lovers Do, And The Healing Has Begun, Wavelength and St. Dominic's Preview. A set-list to please even the most battle-hardened of Morrison's fans.

Soul music? Van's still the man ...

-Alan O'Hare

Setlist:
This Love Of Mine
Rough God Goes Riding
Keep It Simple
That's Entrainment
Saint Dominic's Preview
Wavelength
Comfortably Numb
In The Afternoon >Ancient Highway >Joe Turner Sings >Raincheck
Madame George
The Way Young Lovers Do
It's All In The Game >You Know What They're Writing About >Make It Real One More Time
Ballerina >No Prima Donna
When The Leaves Come Falling Down
And The Healing Has Begun
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!
Liam Bradley
Tony Fitzgibbon
Vanessa Haynes
Sarah Jory
Katie Kissoon
Paul Moore
Paul Moran
John Platania
Bobby Ruggiero
Neal Wilkinson