09-July-2015
The Marquee
 Cork, Ireland

Brendan sent in this review
This was Van Morrison’s first concert in Cork since he played the Marquee exactly 10 years ago this week when he was promoting the Magic Time album. From the outset tonight the omens were not good as the concert was delayed for 15 minutes to allow for the majority of the audience to be coaxed from the bars. Even at that some seemed to be trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the number of drinks that one could carry into the arena with two hands. The annoyance didn’t stop there as many around where I was seated proceeded to talk and indeed laugh loudly throughout the entire concert stopping only momentarily to check Facebook or to get more drinks from the bar. True music devotees!

As for the concert itself, well it was very much the greatest hits roadshow once more but thankfully with a few sublime moments included along the way. After opening with pretty mundane versions of Celtic Swing and Close Enough for Jazz we then got a really nice By His Grace followed by an excellent Carrying A Torch with Van and Dana Masters excelling on shared vocals. Van’s only dialogue with the audience came when he introduced the rhythm and blues medley of Baby Please Don’t Go/Parchman Farm and Don’t Start Crying Now by crediting the three songwriters and informing us that he didn’t write any of them and thought we should know that. He subsequently referred to his comedic activity during the songs as “theatre”. As per usual they were all expertly delivered and got a great response.Days Like This and Enlightenment were followed by one of the few real highlights with an extended In The Afternoon. Moondance was followed by the always superb I Believe To My Soul before Precious Time brought us back down to earth with a shudder. Sometimes We Cry gave Dana another chance to shine before another raft of hits followed in Here Comes The Night, Wild Night, Whenever God Shines His Light, Brown Eyed Girl and Jackie Wilson Said.

Think Twice Before You Go and Things I Used To Do were well delivered and received and were immediately followed by the real highlight of the night in an extended And The Healing Has Begun which was a somewhat more forceful version than usual and quite brilliant with Van singing and humming relentlessly over his own guitar playing.Van departed at that stage but returned for one of the best versions of Gloria I have heard, largely after Van had departed leaving the band to cut loose which they certainly did with Paul Moore producing some incredibly intricate bass lines and Paul Moran showing all his keyboard skills on a really funky workout. Even Dana Masters got in on the act as she produced some vocal acrobatics with a somewhat primitive wailing chant to the lyrics of Gloria. It is hard to describe but absolutely incredible and fully deserving of the huge roar of approval that followed.

The concert lasted 1 hour and 43 minutes and was largely pretty mediocre fare in my view but which thankfully included moments that were magical.

-Brendan Hynes

The Irish Examiner (Source)
There's always a tinge of nervousness in the crowd in the build-up to a Van Morrison concert. Which version of the notoriously grumpy Ulsterman will take to the stage? The showman or the grouch who performs with his back to the audience.

The crowd assembled at the Marquee in Cork last night quickly realised they had struck gold.

Van took to the stage at 8.15 and laid down a marker in the early numbers to prove he was there to put on a show.

"This is show business, it's called theatre," he told the audience three songs in, as the lights and the drummer punctuated Van's hand gestures. From Morrison, that's practically banter.

It was hard to believe it was a 69-year-old man delivering the pared-back and polished 100 minute set that spanned five decades of music.

Van performed with a four man band and one backing singer forming a tight semi-circle around him on stage. He contributed himself to the instruments as well as the vocals - playing sax, harmonica and guitar during the night.

The set list was a clear crowd pleaser; 'Carrying A Torch' gave way to a mellow version of 'Days Like This', highlighting brilliant vocals from both the man himself and the backing singer.

'Enlightenment' followed, and then 'Moondance' segued into 'I Believe To My Soul', with the full house hugely appreciative of the well-known tracks.

It was a tight performance, with barely a beat between tracks. When the opening chords of 'Brown-eyed Girl' drew cheers and whoops it was hard to believe we were already an hour into the show.

Van famously doesn't appreciate sing-alongs, but his most famous hit followed by 'Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in heaven when you smile)' had the crowd ready to take to their feet.

They got their chance at the finish. Van left the stage after 'The Healing has Begun' and came back to end with a performance of 'Gloria' that came from 1965.

Kinsale musician Barry Tierney, a lifelong Van fan who has seen him perform many times, said it best after the gig.

"That was something a bit special."

Setlist (Thanks Al B.)
Celtic Swing
Close Enough For Jazz
By His Grace
Carrying A Torch
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm/Cry Baby
Days Like This
Enlightenment
In The Afternoon/Burn Baby Burn
Moondance
I Believe To My Soul
Precious Time
Sometimes We Cry
Here Comes The Night
Wild Night
Whenever God Shines His Light
Brown Eyed Girl
Jackie Wilson Said
Think Twice Before You Go
Things I Used To Do
And The Healing Has Begun
Gloria

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