30-October-2013
Royal Albert Hall
London, England

The Telegraph (Source)
Legendary grump, Van Morrison, was in unusually jovial spirits as he lit up the Albert Hall with a stunning performance

One can never be sure quite what to expect from a Van Morrison performance. Will it be the blues Van? The Celtic soul Van? The mystic Van? More crucially, will it be the committed Van - or, has as often been the case in recent years - the perfunctory one?

One thing that can usually be safely predicted is a self-absorption, a reluctance to acknowledge the audience on any level as befits a performer who in one of his most recent songs expressed the sentiment that "Sartre said hell was other people/I believe that most of them are". But remarkably - delightfully - that is precisely what we did not get.

Midway through this performance Morrison was joined on stage by the redoubtable Chris Farlowe, for a series of blues standards - fittingly enough, given that this was part of the week’s Blues Fest. Trading phrases during Rock Me Baby, Farlowe did something that probably no-one else has ever accomplished on stage with Van Morrison - breaking him up in laughter. The Albert Hall lit up in surprise.

Morrison is an artist who has always pleased himself. With a repertoire going back more than 50 years to draw upon, this performance included relatively few of his own songs, and most of those lesser known ones. Instead we had the blues, standards torn from the Las Vegas songbook, tributes to his favourite singers, and a couple of Morrison classics, all superbly crafted by an 8-piece band.

The evening began at a measured pace; a warm alto-sax instrumental, a couple of songs from his more recent albums - Open The Door To Your Heart and Sometimes We Cry - and a lovely, gently swaying version of Ray Charles’s I Can’t Stop Loving You, where Morrison seemed to be both warming up his vocal chords and lubricating them with copious amounts of water swigged from a pint glass.

The arrival on stage of Farlowe, a man who evinces all the barrel-chested bonhomie of a pub landlord, trading phrases on Rock Me Baby, Hoochie Coochie Man, and Boom, Boom, turned up the temperature.

By now it was apparent that something remarkable was happening. Van Morrison was visibly enjoying himself.

Then came an excursion into standards - a warm, finger-snapping reading of the Bricuse and Newley song, 'Who Can I Turn To’, was followed by 'That Old Black Magic’ in bossa nova time. Into The Mystic was recast in a mellow, jazzy mood, while a glorious version of Moondance emphasised its cool, bop qualities, quoting phrases from the Miles David copybook.

What all of this affirmed is what a supremely commanding singer Van Morrison is, a man who does not so much perform a song as take possession of it, bending and pushing its shape in a series of growls, cries, slurs and moans.

The end piece of this performance was All In The Game , with Morrison’s scat vocals fluttering around the melody like a butterfly, seguing into You Know What They’re Writing About - "the poetry section" as he gruffly announced - its stream of consciousness phrases "meet me down by the water... I’ve got no safety net... going to the burning ground’, building to a thrilling climax.

Artistry at work. And - astonishingly - with a smile.
-Mick Brown

Setist
Celtic Swing
Open The Door (To Your Heart)
Sometimes We Cry
I Can't Stop Loving you
Fire In The Belly
Baby, Please Don't Go
Early In The Morning
Rock Me Baby
Hoochie Coochie Man (w/Chris Farlowe)
Dimples/Boom Boom
Who Can I Turn To
Old Black Magic
Philosopher's Stone
Saint James Infirmary
Celtic Excavation/Into The Mystic
Moondance
Jackie Wilson Said
All In The Game/Burning Ground/No Plan B
Stand By Me (w/Chris Farlowe)
Gloria

22-October-2013
& 23-October-2013
 Europa Hotel  
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Photo via Pablo G.

Our man in Ireland sent in this review of the gigs
Van returned to the Europa for two more dinner concerts this week. The first night was very disappointing with Van coasting through a festival type set with few highlights. Consider that the set included Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance, Days Like This, Choppin Wood Jackie Wilson Said and Gloria and you will get the picture. The highlight for me was a fine rendition of the rarely played I Forgot That Love Existed which was a new arrangement of the song. Van told us he nearly didn’t make it to the concert but didn’t expand other than to say it was one of those days (not to be confused with Days Like This).

The second night by contrast was much more uplifting. Starting with Celtic Swing Van then moved into a rarely played Come Running To Me from the Moondance album. When Van then produced a terrific version of You Gotta Make It Through The World If You Can from A Period of Transition it was obvious this was going to be much more like it. And it was! In the Midnight was well received with percussionist Bobby Ruggiero getting to do his high pitched vocal contribution twice at the end because Van reckoned he did it so well the first time. Other highlights included Celtic Excavation which merged into a beautiful version of Into the Mystic, thunderous versions of Baby Please Don’t Go and Early in the Morning/Rock me Baby and a very impressive re-worked version of Fire in the Belly. The concert finished with the usual high tempo Help Me and Gloria.

The concert was not without it’s disappointing moments however as a 100 mile per hour rhythm and blues version of Philosopher’s Stone(also played the same way the previous night) did a huge disservice to such a wonderful song. The general consensus among fans afterwards was that it would have been much better not to play the song at all than to play it like that.Sacrilege! A further low point was the abandonment(for the second time in recent shows) by Van of the magnificent In the Garden after a few seconds resulting in the audience’s shouts of exultation being quickly replaced by groans of disappointment. It was quite ridiculous really and very annoying for those of us who paid such premium. prices to attend.

Overall though it was a very enjoyable show and the couple of rarities included in the set certainly added to the occasion.
-Brendan Hynes

Setlist: 22-Oct-2013
Celtic Swing
Only a Dream
Days Like This
New Kind of Man
The Mystery
Stranded
Magic Time
Chopin' Wood
I Forgot That Love Existed
In The Midnight
Philosopher's Stone
Early in The Morning
Baby Please Don't Go
Brown Eyed Girl
Moondance
Jackie Wilson Said
Gloria

Setlist: 23-Oct-2013
Celtic Swing
Come Running To Me
You Got To Make It Through The World
In The Nidnight
A New Kind Of Man
Days Like This
Philosopher's Stone
Celtic Excavation/Into The Mystic
Got To Go Back
Fire In The Belly
Baby Please Don't Go
Early In The Morning
Whenever God shines His Light
Bobby Bland Tribute Song
Help Me
Gloria

Van Morrison Returns To North America  

San Francisco and New York Dates in November Announced

 22-Nov-2013 Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco
 23-Nov-2013 Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco
25-Nov-2013 The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York
26-Nov-2013 Beacon Theatre, New York

On sale from Ticketmaster