22-September-2017
Nells Jazz And Blues
 London, England

via Matthew J.

via Matthew J.

Brendan checked in with his thoughts on gig
Van Morrison at Nells Jazz and Blues,London, 22nd September 2017

Given the release of Van's new album Roll With The Punches on the day of the show it came as no surprise that the setlist was heavily laced with songs from the album. I Can Tell got proceedings off to a pretty blistering start and was followed by the album's title track which was quite impressive and somewhat reminiscent of Hoochie Coochie Man. How Far From God featured a really fine piano solo from guest pianist Stuart Mcilroy while Lightnin' Hopkins Automobile Blues saw Van strap on his electric guitar and play some nice guitar to add to Paul Moran's great organ solo. Another cover in Teardrops From My Eyes was followed by a Van original called Too Much Trouble before Ride On Josephine brought the new album showcase to a lively close and included a nifty piece of guitar from Dave Keary. Van then brought us back in time with a most welcome and fine rendition of Warm Love. In The Afternoon was really good while it lasted but as Van took us down the ancient highway the band suddenly stopped momentarily before breaking into an up tempo rendition of a song called Don't You Get Me High which ruined the moment and if this was an experiment it certainly didn't work. Following this there was a request for The Healing Game to which Van seemed favourably disposed but unfortunately upon checking with the band to see if they knew it he got a negative response and so we were denied a chance to hear this fantastic song which Van has not played for many many years. 

via Matthew J.

Further requests for a couple of more classic songs left Van saying he was confused before he and the band launched into the Baby Please Don't Go medley which felt somewhat like a bit of a punishment. Magic Time which followed was a nice rendition with Paul Moran delivering a fine trumpet solo. Moondance contained no surprises before probably the highlight of the night followed with an extended All In The Game with Van once more confirming that there is No Plan B/No Safety Net and that This Is It. A cover of the Ray Charles song Night Time Is the Right Time was pretty incredible with Sumudu's beautiful vocal complementing Van's perfectly and deservedly getting acclaim from both Van and the audience. Help Me signalled that the end was nigh to be followed by an extended Gloria which saw the band excel for a full ten minutes after Van had departed the stage.

All in all it was a most enjoyable show which certainly went down a treat with the captive audience.
-Brendan Hynes

Telegraph (Source)
A tiny little jazz club in west London witnessed a show as great as any in his illustrious career from the legendary Northern Irish singer-songwriter. Van Morrison was on blistering form, delivering a dazzling and engaged performance that was as warm and friendly as it was bravura. Which, as long time Morrison watchers know, is not a given. He is always impressive when he plays but he doesn’t always look happy about it. Yet here he was, unleashing the full charge of his extraordinary talent to a couple of hundred fortunate fans.

With another fine new album to promote, Roll With The Punches (his 36th solo album), the legendary star could have opted to unveil it in a much grander setting. In November, Morrison tours prestigious concert halls. But he seems to like these small clubs, which take him back to his R’n’B roots. His seven-piece band were crowded onto a tiny stage, where Morrison stood like a hatchet-faced old bluesman in suit, trilby and sunglasses, inches away from the audience. His only real concession to stardom was a gold-plated microphone and stand.

The band watched their leader with nervous intensity as he called out songs, apparently making his set list up on the spot. But smiles broke out as the musicians established Morrison’s mood, as he nodded vigorously, punched the air for snare shots, and muttered “Yeah! Yeah!” at intricate guitar and trumpet solos. Most of the band played at least two instruments, Morrison himself played three: electric guitar, saxophone and harmonica, all with virtuoso fluidity and feel. But his fourth instrument is the one that still raises goosebumps: his voice.

At 72, Morrison sang like a champion. His breath blowing through the notes like cosmic ululations, swirling and eddying above the piano lines, swooping down with the bass, ricocheting off the drums with staccato repetitions. Whenever his head tipped back, the voice rose, and he embarked on an extemporaneous coda, it was astonishing to behold.

He played some R’n’B covers from the new album (“If anyone’s interested!” he griped cheerfully), some gorgeous selections from his vast catalogue (In The Afternoon from 1979 was bliss) and a smattering of hits. “This is an old chestnut but don’t hold it against me,” he quipped before 1973’s Warm Love. He tore through Baby Please Don’t Go, and whipped up an effervescent Gloria. A head-spinning Moondance was reinvented around stunning solos. “The reason we do that one is it gives the guys in the band a chance to blow, d’you know what I’m saying?” he remarked in his gruff, deadpan manner. Oh, we knew all right. “Let me explain this one to you too,” he joked before a sensual rendition of 1979’s All In The Game.

Morrison can be a legendarily taciturn and cantankerous performer but here he was, cracking jokes, asking for requests. “This is a workshop!” he announced, to much laughter. “We’re not doing comedy yet,” he mock complained, “that comes at the end.” His sound engineer was swaying and bopping at the desk, tapping controls to the rhythms of the music.

Back in the Seventies, when Morrison bore the aura of a hippy guru, his concerts were approached as spiritual experiences. These days, he seems content to offer something more prosaic. But such was the astonishing skill, soul and feeling on display, the effect remains the same: singer, band and audience lifted into the mystic realm of pure musical communion. Roll on, Van, roll on.
-Neil McCormick

via Matthew J.

via Fumiko I.

Setlist
I Can Tell
Roll With The Punches
How Far From God
Automobile Blues
Teardrops From My Eyes
Too Much Trouble
Ride On Josephine
Warm Love
In The Afternoon/Don't You Get Me High
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm/Don't Start Crying Now/Custard Pie
Magic Time
Moondance
All In The Game
Night Time Is The Right Time
Help Me
Gloria

Set Time 1h 30m

Big Hand For The Band!
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards/Trumpet)
Mez Clough (Drums)
Sumudu (Vocals)
Dana Masters (Vocals)
Stuart McIlroy (Piano)