25-September-2014
University Concert Hall
 Limerick, Ireland

Via Salvatore Conte

Brendan sent in this review
It was over 10 years since Van Morrison last played Limerick but sadly this was not quite the triumphant return I had hoped for. Given that this concert was part of the Limerick Jazz Festival it wasn’t too surprising that many of the numbers were of the jazzier variety but add in the fact that Van decided to play just about every one of the crowd pleaser ‘greatest hit’songs in his catalogue and you ended up with a pretty disappointing show.

The show opened as usual with Celtic Swing which was followed by a quite jazzy arrangement of the seldom played You Make Me Feel So Free with backing vocalist Dana Masters making a significant contribution. Lost John from the Skiffle Sessions followed and quite honestly I would have been quite happy if John had stayed lost. The sublime Someone Like You followed and again featured Dana Masters prominently as she swapped verses with Van. A jazz infused Only a Dream featured the brass section prominently in a nice arrangement. The wonderful Queen of the Slipstream followed and this was one of the few real highlights of the concert. Baby Please Don’t Go/Parchman Farm really brought the crowd to life although I felt the delivery lacked some of the power of previous renditions. A pleasant Magic Time was followed by the old standard Who Can I Turn To which, while emphasising Van’s continued vocal prowess, did not do much for me on a personal level. At this stage Van went firmly into coasting crowd pleasing mode with Moondance, Enlightenment (a temporary respite), Days Like This, Whenever God Shines His Light and Precious Time following in quick succession. It was back to the blues then for Help Me after which Van’s sole interaction with the audience followed as he acknowledged Sonny Boy Williamson before introducing the John Lee Hooker song Think Twice Before You Go which seemed to catch some of the band by surprise. I thought this version was really good and Van and the band fairly motored throughout it’s delivery. 

It was back to jazz then with New Symphony Sid which featured Dana Masters prominently again. Two rarities followed in renditions of Glad Tidings (the crowd got quite involved in hand clapping at appropriate stages during this on the promptings of band members) and Joyous Sound. Finally the concert was brought to it’s conclusion with an extended version of Brown Eyed Girl as the band played on long after Van had exited the stage and no encore to follow. It was the last way I would want a Van Morrison concert to end but it was consistent with the nature of the show that had been delivered on the night. When measured against the quality of many of the shows this year(particularly the magnificent Hampton Court and second night at Orangefield) this concert pales into insignificance with a total absence of the extended transcendental moments where Van really immerses himself in the songs and brings proceedings to a level that inspires his musicians and audience alike.

-Brendan Hynes

Setlist (Thanks Hilary)
Celtic Swing
You Make Me Feel So Free
Lost John
Someone Like You
Only A Dream
Queen Of The Slipstream
Baby Please Don't Go
Magic Time
Who Can I Turn To
Moondance
Enlightenment
Days Like This
Whenever God Shines His Light
Precious Time
Help Me
Think Twice Before You Go
New Symphony Sid
Glad Tidings
Joyous Sound
Brown Eyed Girl

Big Hand for The Band!
Chris White (Saxophone)
Alistair White (Trombone)
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Bobby Ruggiero (Drums)
Dana Masters (Vocals)

Lit Up Inside
Selected Lyrics
 Van Morrison

Introduction by Eamonn Hughes

Foreword by David Meltzer, Ian Rankin

Van Morrison selects his best and most iconic lyrics, spanning 50 years of writing and representing his entire creative journey.

Van Morrison is one of a handful of truly iconic twentieth century artists. Along with Bob Dylan, he was one of the first contemporary lyricists to infuse a serious poetic sensibility into popular music. A colossal influence on a wide range of fellow musicians, he has been a singular beacon of artistic integrity, soulful conviction and musical excellence.

One of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time, Morrison has been following his muse in an uncompromising way since the early Sixties. He has explored soul, jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, rock and roll, Celtic folk, pop balladry and more, forging a distinctive amalgam that has Morrison's unvarnished passion at its core. He has referred to his music as "Caledonia soul," reflecting his deep immersion in American roots music and Ulster-Scots.

This personal selection of what Morrison himself has judged to be his most important and enduring lyrical work will stand as a landmark public statement from an otherwise intensely private artist, an intimate and very intentional view onto what Morrison himself esteems as his creative contribution.

The introduction by Eamonn Hughes, of Queen's University Belfast, gives a career-long overview of the creative influences Morrison has absorbed and channeled through the years, and the forewords provided by poet David Meltzer and novelist Ian Rankin provide an appreciation of the writer's craft demonstrated in Morrison's evocative, timeless lyrics.

A must for any fan, and a solid introduction to this singular, iconic talent.

*A UK edition of Lit Up Inside will be released simultaneously by Faber and Faber.

"Tupelo Honey has always existed and Van Morrison was merely the vessel and the earthly vehicle for it."–Bob Dylan

"I know of no music that is more lucid, feelable, hearable, seeable, touchable, no music you can experience more intensely than this. Not just moments, but extended . . . periods of experience which convey the feel of what films could be: a form or perception which no longer burls itself blindly on meanings and definitions, but allows the sensuous to take over and grow . . . where indeed something does become indescribable."–Wim Wenders, filmmaker

"No other Irish poets–writing either in verse or in music–have come within a Honda's roar of Patrick Kavanagh and Van Morrison"–Paul Durcan

Available Mid-October. Sign up for alert about the book’s release at City Light's link below.

Publisher City Lights Publishers
Format Hardcover
Nb of pages 230 p.
ISBN-10 0872866777
ISBN-13 9780872866775