17-March-2013
Europa Hotel 
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Photo via Maurice K.

Brendan sent us this review

This was the second night of Van’s St. Patrick’s weekend stint in the Europa and, as on the previous night, Shana Morrison opened with a short set. This time, however, she did all Irish songs given the day that was in it and was accompanied acoustically by Paul Moore on bass and Dave Keary on guitar with Chris White joining them on tin whistle for the last number, The Blacksmith which really livened up the audience before the main event.

Bang on 9.00 pm Van hit the stage playing saxophone on Celtic Swing before doing a cover of I Get a Kick Out of You during which he gave a little kick(not of Caravan proportions unfortunately). Making Whoopee and Open the Door to Your Heart followed before Van informed us he was going to change things around a bit.What followed was (to my ears anyway) The Showstopper of the two concerts-a magnificent version of Thanks for the Information on which Van’s vocals were brilliant,  aided by Dave Keary’s terrific chunky guitar sound and the brass section coming in and out to supplement the sound beautifully. A young lady at the table who was seeing Van for the first time turned to me when the song had finished and ecstatically exclaimed that it was unbelievable. It was indeed! 

A fine duet between Van and Shana on Sometimes we Cry was followed by a country cover, Things have Gone to Pieces. Van then moved to piano to deliver a long version of Going Down to Monte Carlo. This song is developing well during the live performances and becoming a bit of a crowd favourite. 

Next up was another high point- a long version of All in the Game during which Van shared his affection for journalists and the Fleet Street Press in particular with us(very moving) before doing a monologue on famous people perceived to be grumpy who in reality are not and others who escape such perceptions but who probably are. 

Covers of I Can’t Stop Loving You and That Old Black Magic(both with Shana) were followed by the greatest hits numbers Moondance and Brown Eyed Girl. Then it was time for the blues as Van and the band ripped through Baby Please Don’t Go and Help Me (at the end of which Van exited the stage but continued to sing on in the wings for another couple of minutes as the band played on frantically, not sure whether he was coming or going). It was terrific! I was surprised that Van hadn’t included Star of the County Down (given the day that was in it) but when he returned for the encore he put things right and played it followed by an explosive Gloria with the band getting to express themselves with extended solos. The crowd had by now abandoned their tables and surged to the front of the stage to join in. Van asked for “a big hand for the band”and then he was gone after 1 hour 45 minutes of exhilarating music.

I wish St.Patrick’s Day could be like this all the time!

-Brendan Hynes


Setlist
Celtic Swing
I Get A Kick Out of You
Making Whopee
Open The Door (To Your Heart)
Thanks For The Information
Sometimes We Cry
Things Have Gone To Pieces
Goin' Down To Monte Carlo
It's All In The Game
Old Black Magic
I Can't Stop Loving You
Moondance
Brown Eyed Girl
Baby, Please Don't Go
Help Me
Star of the County Down
Gloria

16-March-2013
Europa Hotel 
Belfast, Northern Ireland

City Sound Inertia (Source)
VAN MORRISON
EUROPA HOTEL, BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
MARCH 16, 2013

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Europa Hotel. Tonight, this is the best place in the world to be.”

Truer words were never spoken. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I discovered Van Morrison would be playing a) during my trip to Ireland, b) on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, c) in his hometown of Belfast, d) in a tiny 250-seat venue and e) that I was able to get a ticket. Granted, it was £140, but seriously, was there ever a question?

It was an eclectic crowd, pretty much the norm for a Van show. Some were dressed to the nines to honor the occasion, some looked to have paid nine dollars for their duds. My hopes, though, were that they were all actual fans who would appreciate the event properly, not just there to be part of something. I guessed that I might be the only single at my table, but my seatmate was Alan, who had flown over from Denmark for his first Van concert, a definite fan. I thought perhaps I’d traveled the furthest, from Northern California, but apparently there was someone there from Australia. More fans, a good sign.

Shana Morrison was there to help out pop and she “opened” the show with an abridged version of the band, doing three quick numbers, including “And It Stoned Me” and a kickass “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” With barely a break, the rest of the band was onstage and broke into the intro for “Only A Dream.” With a simple “Van Morrison” from one of the band, the man appeared—and magic happened.

Morrison has been doing these smaller gigs for a year or so now, in and around Ireland and the UK, and they’re apparently suiting him quite well. He says he’s performing his work “as it was meant to be heard,” and tonight seemed quite comfortable and at ease with both the band and the audience. He interacted with band members, rather than just calling the tunes and pointing for solos. He introduced songs and spoke to the audience, at one point even going on a bit of a rant about how some “grumpy” people (including the Queen) manage to get away with being grumpy. In short, tonight we got the happy Van. Big bonus!

The music was nonstop. As a member of Van’s band, you’ve got to be paying attention at all times. He doesn’t work from a setlist, and when he calls the tune and counts it off, you’ve got to be ready to go—lest you get one of those “looks.”

The second tune out of the gate was “Makin’ Whopee,” with Shana adding some nice interaction to a very jazzy version of the song. He went to the new album, Born To Sing—No Plan B, for “Open The Door To Your Heart,” and a bit later for “Goin’ Down To Monte Carlo.” He introduced “Monte Carlo” by saying, “This is off the new CD. It’s not being promoted at the minute, so who cares?” Ah, Van, still at odds with the music industry…

There were classics, to be sure. After a brief discussion with the keyboard player, he introduced “Got To Go Back” by saying, “If this doesn’t work, it’s your fault!” The whole band had a part in a gorgeous rendition of “Standing In The Garden,” and the beginnings of “Beautiful Vision” got a gasp and a whoop from the audience.

There were also the covers that Morrison makes his own. His country side came out with the Don Gibson classic “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” And his introduction of, “We’re getting too serious here, I’ve gotta get back to the Las Vegas set,” preceded “That Old Black Magic.” (Glenn Miller, eat your heart out.)

There were two high points in the show for me. The first came five songs in, when Morrison did an incredible rework of “Wavelength,” dropping the speed of the original a bit, twisting it into a jazzy shuffle and mesmerizing the crowd. He followed that with “Sometimes We Cry,” from 1997’s The Healing Game. Brian Kennedy and Georgie Fame, a couple of Morrison cohorts, did some of the vocal work on the original, but Van and Shana have been performing it live together recently. I had heard about it, but never heard it. Father and daughter were never better together.

The other high point ended the show. The evening was seasoned mostly with a jazz feel, but as a lover of Morrison’s blues side, I was thrilled to hear the intro guitar licks of “Baby Please Don’t Go.” Van gave credit to Big Joe Williams, who penned the song back in the 30’s, and then tore through alternating harmonica licks and vocals with a vengeance. And with a nod to Sonny Boy Williamson, he said, “We’re gonna stay with the blues here,” and went directly into a 10-minute version of his live-show staple, “Help Me.”

Morrison left the stage, which usually signals the end of the show, but the unmistakable three-chord intro of “Gloria” brought the man back out for one more. As much as I’ve disliked the version of “Gloria” that I’ve heard at other Van shows, this one was special. Everybody got up from their tables and made their way to the front of the room, thereby decreasing the size of an already small space. It was like seeing the band at the corner pub. The fans loved it, the band members loved it, and I think I even saw Van himself smile a bit. No really—I think I did.

We got the standard 90-100 minute show length, but under these circumstances, at this venue, on this night, it seemed much, much longer.

Pinch me.
-Bob Meline

Setlist
Only A Dream
Making Whopee
Open The Door (To Your Heart)
Got To Go Back
Wavelength
Sometimes We Cry
Beautiful Vision
Goin' Down To Monte Carlo
Ol' Black Magic
It's All In The Game
In The Garden
Enlightenment
Whenever God shines His Light
I Can't Stop Loving You
Baby, Please don't Go
Help Me
Gloria