22-August-2016
Slieve Donard Hotel
 Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Brendan Hynes sent in his thoughts on gig
It was clear from the outset that Van Morrison’s set tonight was going to be a high powered one as he immediately launched into rip roaring versions of Wavelength and Wild Night, both of which featured great guitar and organ throughout from Dave Keary and Paul Moran respectively. A nice delivery of Magic Time was notable for a fine trumpet solo from Paul Moran and some saxophone from Van to finish.Baby Please Don’t Go went down a storm as usual and went straight into Don’t Start Crying Now thus bypassing Parchman Farm on this occasion. Here Comes The Night provided some nostalgia and was quickly followed by Precious Time before Dana Masters was afforded the opportunity to shine on vocals during Sometimes We Cry and Whenever God Shines His Light. Talk Is Cheap was strongly delivered by Van before two new songs off the forthcoming album got an airing in the form of Keep Me Singing which was pretty strong and Too Late. The latter has been released as a single presumably because of its up tempo beat but I can’t quite see it topping the charts. In The Afternoon which followed was (not for the first time) the highlight of the night as Van brought proceedings down to a whisper before repeatedly uttering the phrases “stretching out for miles and miles” and “it won’t be long child before we are sitting pretty” to a mesmerised and captive audience which almost unanimously gave Van a long standing ovation at the song’s conclusion. The rarely played Dylan cover It’s All Over Now Baby Blue was greeted ecstatically by the audience but suffered from some initial turbulence as Van barked “D” followed by “A ” at guitarist Dave Keary and bassist Paul Moore who both seemed convinced they were playing it correctly. Real Real Gone lifted the tempo again and featured Dana on extended vocals including a snatch of You Send Me. Think Twice Before You Go saw the band in full flow before we were brought back down to earth with Brown Eyed Girl. Jackie Wilson Said saw Van and Paul Moran duet on saxaphone and trumpet respectively before a welcome rendition of Did Ye Get Healed. In The Garden featured some beautiful acoustic guitar from Dave Keary but Van didn’t really get as immersed in the song as one would have hoped which was probably down to some noisy over inebriated individuals in the audience. Van departed at this stage but as the 90 minute curfew had not yet been reached he quickly returned for strong renditions of Help Me and Gloria to send the fans home happy. The latter saw the usual extended band solos when Van had departed with Paul Moore on bass getting a somewhat frenetic response to his solo as he happily took the limelight and interacted at some length with his worshipers in the audience much to the amusement of the rest of the band.

Set time was 1h 36m.

-Brendan Hynes

Set List
Wavelength
Wild Night
Magic Time
Baby Please Don’t Go/Don’t Start Crying Now
Here Comes The Night
Precious Time
Sometimes We Cry
Whenever God Shines His Light
Talk Is Cheap
Keep Me Singing
Too Late
In The Afternoon
It’s All Over Now Baby Blue
Real Real Gone/You Send Me
Think Twice Before You Go
Brown Eyed Girl
Jackie Wilson Said
Did Ye Get Healed
In The Garden
Help Me
Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Mez Clough (Drums)
Dana Masters (Vocals)

21-August-2016
Slieve Donard Hotel
 Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Setlist (Thanks Al B.)
Moondance/Look Behind The Hill
Carrying A Torch
Magic Time
That's Life
Till We Get The Healing Done
Wild Night
Sometimes We Cry
Baby, Please Don't Go/Don't Start Crying
Here Comes The Night
Let It Rhyme
Too Late
Someone Like You
Precious Time
Out in The Cold Again
Going Down To Bangor
Whenever God Shines His Light
In The Afternoon
Help Me
Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Mez Clough (Drums)
Dana Masters (Vocals)

10-August-2016
Sverresborg Arena
Trondheim, Norway

Setlist (Thanks Merete K.)
Moondance
The Way Young Lovers Do
By His Grace
Someone Like You
Magic Time
Close Enough For Jazz
Precious Time
Baby Please Don't Go/Don't Start Crying Now
Here Comes The Night
Wild Night
Why must I Always Explain
Cleaning Windows
Domino/A Shot Of Rythm & Blues
Real Real Gone
When Ever God Shines His Light
Kingdom Hall
Jackie Wilson Said
Bright Side Of The Road
Brown Eyed Girl
Help Me
Gloria

Keep Me Singing

Available 30-September-2016

Van Morrison's 36th Album

The Plain Dealer
Van Morrison was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in in 1993, a member of the same class that saw the enshrinement of such artists as Cream, the Doors, Dick Clark and Creedence Clearwater Revival, among others.

The question could be who is among the more illustrious company – them or him?

The difference is that most of those folks were brought into the Rock Hall well after their careers had peaked – and in some cases, after they had died. So it's safe to say that their best work was behind them.

Not so with Morrison, and his newest album, "Keep Me Singing,'' his first collection of new music in four years, is proof of that.

Morrison, now 70, formed his first band at the age of 12, and has been improving ever since.

His song "Brown-Eyed Girl'' is a staple for every classic rock cover band in the free world – and some bands in the not-so-free world. But as popular as it is, it's not his best tune; that would be "Into the Mystic.''

And that's why this album is so good: Every song on it, from the LP-opener "Let It Rhyme'' to the instrumental "Caledonia Swing,'' is a winner, on a par with "Into the Mystic.''

The 12 originals and lone cover – "Share Your Love With Me,'' previously covered by artists like Aretha Franklin and Kenny Rogers – allow Morrison to wrap his emotional baritone around the lyrics and give them meaning beyond the actual words.

"Too Late'' is a bit of that doo-wop skiffle sound that began his career. "Holy Guardian,'' with its "nobody knows the trouble I've seen lament,'' is a love song for the woman of his dreams.

One of the more touching songs is "Memory Lane,'' which is about exactly what it says. But it's great because it lets Morrison fans – especially those of us who view ourselves as contemporaries of the 70-year-old star – to sit back and recognize that is what's left for us, all without a trace of self-pity.

The only real hope is that this isn't the final address on any Morrison Memory Lane. Grade: A
-Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer

Keep Me Singing
Van Morrison
Caroline International

09-August-2016
Lokerse Feesten
Lokerse, Belgium

Setlist (Thanks Wim D.)
Moondance
The Way Young Lovers Do
By His Grace
Someone Like You
Enlightenment
Magic Time
Baby Please Don't Go/Don't Start Crying Now
Here Comes The Night
Precious Time
10.wild night
Sometimes We Cry
Domino
Whenever God Shines His Light
Beauty Of the Days Gone By
Why Must I Always Explain?
Cleaning Windows
Have I Told You lately?
Real Real gone
Did Ye Get Healed?
Jackie Wilson Said
Bown Eyed Girl
Gloria

06-August-2016
The Abbey Grounds
Glastonbury, England

via What's On Somerset

Setlist (Thanks Simon Gee)
Moondance > So What
The Way Young Lovers Do w/Clare Teal
Carrying A Torch w/Clare Teal
By His Grace
When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God
Precious Time
Wild Honey w/Joss Stone
Crazy Love w/Joss Stone
Wild Night
Have I Told You Lately
Baby Please Don’t Go > Don’t start Crying Now
Here Come The Night
Haunts Of Ancient Peace
Sometimes We Cry
Whenever God Shines His Light
In The Afternoon > Ancient Highway > Joe Turner Sings > Raincheck
Think Twice Before You Go
Rock Me Baby
I Believe To My Soul
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

Van Morrison: lead vocals, guitars, alto saxophone, harmonicas, tambourine, piano

The Van Morrison Band: Mez Clough : drums; Dave Keary : guitar; Dana Masters : backing vocals; Paul Moore : bass; Paul Moran : keyboards, trumpet

Special Guests: Joss Stone and Clare Teal: lead vocals