27-October-2021
Powerhaus
London, England

Pamela was at both Powerhaus gigs:

Having been on a high for the past few days after attending both Powerhaus gigs I thought I would write some impressions for you. The first thing to say is that Van seemed to really enjoy himself on stage both nights. I have always thought Chris Farlowe brings out the best in Van and that was very obvious this week. 

Night One 

No surprises for the first half in terms of song selection but all very enjoyable. Sometimes We Cry and Magic Time were particular standouts, the former proving an excellent showcase for new vocalist Elle Cato, who has a fantastic voice. She had been very nervous in what was, in effect, her audition to replace Chantelle Duncan and this song helped to settle her. The gig went to a different level with Chris Farlowe's introduction and a very nice rendition of the somewhat rare Transformation. As Chris left the stage, Matt Jeffrey seated next to me in the front row requested The Healing Game. Van seemed a bit worried, saying "I don't know" and Paul Moran told Van that they didn't know it. Van then asked for another request and my husband, Chris, called out for And the Healing Has Begun. Van immediately agreed, popped his electric guitar strap onto his shoulder and, to use Brendan Hynes’ expression, we needed our seatbelts for what ensued! An amazing rendition of Healing, followed by Vanlose and then a magnificent Carrying A Torch, which again allowed Elle to shine in a stunning duet with Van. It was also nice to hear the Trans-Euro train coda to Vanlose with Kilroy getting a few mentions! 

Ain't Gonna Moan was a fine version and then Chris Farlowe reappeared for the Stormy Monday medley. I have never seen Van laugh so much as he did here, especially during Take Your Hand Out of My Pocket (not included in the setlist posted earlier). At times Van was doubled up in laughter and unable to sing! Chris remained on stage for Help Me as Van joked in his intro and then Gloria featured Van once more doubled up in laughter and a lot of improvisation concerning bedsheets and laundry! Van and Chris left the stage together and an incredible band jam ended the gig. A wonderful night, made even better as I saw Van afterwards and told him what an amazing gig it was. He smiled, seeming to be pleased! 

Night Two

This gig managed to top the previous night! It really took off in Parchman when Matt Jeffrey, again sitting next to me, shouted "yeah" at the "all I did was shoot my wife “ line. Van paused and asked "who said that?" Matt replied and Van doubled up in laughter, saying “ no comment”! After that there were several broad smiles from Van and, with the introduction of Chris Farlowe, we again had to fasten our seatbelts. 

Baby Blue was terrific, and when Van invited the audience to sing the chorus we knew something special was happening. It certainly showed how much Van was enjoying himself. 

As Chris Farlowe left the stage, my husband shouted for St Dominic’s Preview. Van immediately agreed, reaching for the acoustic guitar and then switching to electric a few bars in. A transcendent delivery, and he stayed on electric guitar for Healing and Vanlose, both magnificent. Three great songs on guitar - what a treat! Torch was equally stunning. Baby What You Want Me To Do seemed to be a spontaneous choice from Van. Dave Keary was momentarily surprised (possibly by Van mumbling the lesser known title?) and Van had to add additional info, repeating "Jimmy Reed" a couple of times! A great version ensued, with Van gesticulating animatedly. 

It seemed that Van had got carried away and suddenly realised that he was out of time so he went straight into Gloria and made his getaway, leaving the band to do another wonderful jam, including great scatting and some more audience participation from Elle, who was relaxing into her role. 

All in all, two wonderful nights. We are so lucky in London to get the chance to see him reasonably regularly in small venues like Powerhouse and Nell's.

-Pamela K.

Setlist 

Latest Record Project 

Deadbeat Saturday Night 

Double Agent 

Thank God For The Blues 

Up County Down 

Days Like This 

Precious Time 

Sometimes We Cry 

Magic Time 

Baby Please Don’t Go/Parchment Farm/Got My Mojo Working 

I Can Tell 

Cleaning Windows/Be-Bop-A-Lula 

It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (w/Chris Farlowe) 

Hey Mr. DJ (w/Chris Farlowe)

Saint Dominic’s Preview 

And The Healing Has Begun 

Vanlose Stairway 

Carrying A Torch 

Stormy Monday (w/Chris Farlowe) 

Baby What You Want Me To Do (w/Chris Farlowe) 

Gloria (w/Chris Farlowe)

Big Hand For The Band! 

Dave Keary (Guitar, Banjo, Bouzouki, Backing Vocals) 

Paul Moore (Bass) 

Paul Moran (Keyboards)

Teena Lyle (Percussion) 

Elle Cato (Vocals)

Colin Griffin (Drums) 

30-October-2016
Bluesfest - O2
 London, England

Brendan Hynes review of gig
Van Morrison made what has become by now his annual appearance at this festival but as this large venue was only filled to about half capacity, saturation point appears to have been reached. Van had a hard act to follow in Jeff Beck who turned in a guitar virtuoso performance in opening the show but Van proved well up to the task. Too Late from the new album opened Van's set in lively fashion followed by an up tempo version of Have I Told You Lately which in my view detracts from the song's quality. A nice delivery of Magic Time was followed by a lively version of Wavelength. Van then announced his new single off the album as Every Time I See A River and this sounded great live and even better than on the album featuring a lovely guitar solo from Dave Keary and nice backing vocals from Dana Masters.Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm/Don't Start Crying Now raised the tempo and was followed by Here Comes The Night.Cleaning Windows was enjoyable but continues to suffer from the absence of a brass section which is such an integral part of the song in its original incarnation.

When Van announced a blues medley featuring Chris Farlowe and Jeff Beck few could have imagined what was to follow as we were taken through Stormy Monday/Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket/Lonely Avenue with Van and Chris trading vocals interspersed with searing guitar solos from Jeff.Van went into John Lee Hooker style mode during Lonely Avenue with terrific vocals answered magnificently by Jeff on guitar. This was incredible! Chris stayed onstage to trade vocals with Van on Sometimes We Cry and as usual improved Van's humour no end.Moondance was merged with Way Beyond The Hill from the new album to good effect before we reached another major highlight with In The Afternoon which again got the full treatment from Van and included a superb trumpet solo from Paul Moran and nice backing vocals from Dana.Help Me signalled that the end was nigh but Van returned for two encores in Ballerina which featured lovely acoustic guitar from Dave Keary and then Gloria which saw the band cut loose once Van had departed with Dana on vocals and Paul Moore on bass being particularly impressive.

All in all this was a fine and fitting show to conclude Bluesfest 2016.
-Brendan Hynes

Setlist
Too Late
Have I Told You Lately
Magic Time
Wavelength
Every Time I See A River
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm/Don't Start Crying Now
Here Comes The Night
Cleaning Windows
Stormy Monday/Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket/Lonely Avenue (w/Chris Farlowe & Jeff Beck)
Sometimes We Cry (w/Chris Farlowe)
Moondance/Look Beyond The Hill
In The Afternoon
Help Me
Ballerina
Gloria

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

Set Time 1H 29M

27-April-2016
Wang Theatre
Boston, USA

Long time Van fan, Dan Murray, shares his thoughts on Van's Boston gigs:

Blessed in Boston

These were Van’s first appearances in his old Boston stomping grounds since August 2009, so the pent up anticipation was keen.

The Wang Theater audience was hopped up and excited, and Van reciprocated with two beautifully paced shows that spanned all his strengths: The power and subtlety in the most enduring voice of his generation, the constantly evolving and inventive phrasing, the extended codas on the workshops, the sweet sound of surprise. The band was with him all the way in its contribution to the songs, sounding much greater than the sum of its parts.
Shana got both gigs started with 3 songs each night while the audience wandered in and settled down. She featured some of her father’s songs: Lovely versions of Angeliou and Sweet Thing. In a tribute to Prince, she offered a passionate version of Purple Rain in which she showed how far her voice has advanced in tone and expression.

The band assembled in the wings waiting for Morrison to arrive each night. On Night 2, Dana Masters was jogging in place as she worked off some nervous energy. 

The band entered the stage and Van was right behind them at the stroke of 8, possibly a minute or two early on the second night, as is his wont.

Celtic Swing, the traditional instrumental opener of late, was taken at a sprightly place and set the tone nicely for Van’s vocal entrance on Close Enough for Jazz, a smooth warmup tune. These songs have been paired for quite some time now, and there are those who are hankering for a change. But I realized in Boston how nicely they work for Van to get his bearings and get down to business.

From there, the set lists each night varied nicely.
On Night 1, we got a lovely Magic Time and In the Midnight before the first real surprise of the night.

Van’s buddy Chris Farlowe was in town, and joined Van for a rousing take on Born to Sing, much more expressive than the studio version. Farlowe, when used properly as in Boston, is an engaging and invigorating presence for Van. He knows his part well and the audience loved him. We know we can’t say the same thing about some of the hardcore fans’ attitude toward Farlowe. But in Boston it worked.

Shana then came on stage for a duet on the old chestnut That Old Black Magic, which at times seems to have run its course. Not this night. It frothed and foamed and spun and twirled and Paul Moore’s fingers were doing the tango and the jitterbug on his electric bass. 

“That was fun, that was fun,” Van said.

The lustful blues of Rock me Baby was up next, signaled by Dave Keary’s bell-like electric guitar, and Van turned this one into pure sex, cherry faced in that Hollywood bed.
“Roll-a-me, roll-a-me, roll-a-me, roll-a- me, just like a wagon wheel!” Yow.

The sets both nights featured a great mix of love songs and ballads like Someone Like You , Carrying a Torch, Into the Mystic and Enlightenment. There were also the familiar and much loved up tempo tunes such as Wavelength, Wild Night, and Brown Eyed Girl. We even got Kingdom Hall on Night 2 as a tribute to Prince.

All were expertly delivered with joy and conviction. I am not sure I have ever seen Van as energized as he was on Night 1, a little less so on Night 2 but still seriously into the music. One fan referred to Van’s body language as “startlingly animated.” He bent and swayed and reared back and sang his heart out. He made love to that golden mike stand.

The workshops on both nights were the full course. On Night 1, In the Afternoon was rich and creamy, with more sex, and lots of longing, Van ending up feeling really good rocking in that same old boat on a golden autumn day. “Feels good to me!” one audience member shouted back.

All in the Game/Burning Ground never wears out its welcome. About 12 minutes of emotional testimony on those ineffable feelings of being immersed in life and in love, ending with Van taking his loved one’s hand and going across that river of no return. No Plan B, no safety net, This is IT!

Special moments on Night 2 were a terrific blues medley with Farlowe that started with Stormy Monday and spontaneously combusted into Take Your Hand out of My Pocket, Little Red Rooster and finished up with Going Down Slow, Van pleading: “Please write my mother And tell her the shape I'm in, Tell her to pray for me, and Forgive me, and forgive me, forgive me for my sins.”

Van and Chris nailed this one. One of the most exhilarating moments of the evening.
Van also did a great duet on Rough God Goes Riding with Shana.

This provided a forum for the comedy segment of the show, with Van doing his rough god comes riding in “just like” Di Niro, Pacino, and Eastwood impersonations. 

The unexpected final name check went like this:
“OK this one is really gonna… be very difficult, but, as we’re in America we really need to know. 

“Ok, (Van extends his hand in a thumbs up and thumbs down gesture) …just like Donald Trump” (some cheers and lots of boos). “Make up your mind. If you keep going like that, it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a Clinton if you keep going like that, so. Just like Bill Clinton” (clicks his tongue a couple times). “Bill goes: A-A-A-A-A-men!”

Draw conclusions at your own risk.

Another rolling version of Afternoon had Van doing little leaps and yelps at the mike stand as he luxuriously took the song even further than Night 1. Van told the crowd that if it feels righteous, if it feels good, if it feels right, DO IT.

An authoritative version of Thanks for the Information was like hard blue crystal, Van ending with a whispered coda of : “Thanks for the information, thanks for the memories.” Over and over. Sweet sensation running across the shoulders and up the back of the neck.

There was even a new verse. It was that kind of night:
“Thanks for the information, never give a sucker an even break.
Thanks for the memories, whenever I’ve had all I can take .
Thanks for the warning -- up front, up front -- there’s a danger sign in the road.
Thanks for the meditation, just have to keep on rolling along.”
Game on Night 2 gave us a new twist, with September Song taking over the middle portion of this epic. 

“On a high and windy hill, two lovers kissed, and the world stood still. It’s a long, long way from May to September, and the days grow short, when you reach, when you reach September, and the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame, and I ain’t got time for the waiting game.”

Making it real one more time, again and again.

Both shows ended with a joyous version of Stand by Me, Farlowe assisting, before the band took the show out with an extended instrumental raveup.

Big hand for the band!
It’s easy to take Paul Moran for granted on the keys and the trumpet. His playing is so virtuosic and integrated into the music. He is spot on, always. 

Dave Keary on guitar can play gentle and rough and has the perfect tone for every solo.
The rhythm section of Bobby Ruggiero on drums and Paul Moore on bass anchor the proceedings. Bobby’s drumming is cracking and precise; Moore appears much more relaxed on the bass and was even playing strong melodic lines at times.

Dana Masters on background vocals got to shine by taking verses on some of the ballads and a very nice one on Symphony Sid. She got to scat ecstatically on Stand By Me and the audience loved it.

It was great to hang with the gang, as always, faces both new and familiar.
Boston is one boss town. Even if the lighters at the local convenience story had only two choices: Patriots or Red Sox. Not even a solid color available. A totalitarian sports town.
What a week to see a master at work and at the very top of his game, vital and engaged. It can’t always be that way, for Van or me or anybody. After all, as Van’s song says, we’re only human. How can we not be attached. 

At these shows, Morrison's commitment was total.
Even if he never did pick up that guitar.
-Dan Murray

Setlist (Thanks Mike S.)
Celtic Swing
Close Enough For Jazz
Symphony Sid
Magic Time
By His Grace
Carrying a Torch
Rough God Goes Riding w/Shana Morrison
Stormy Monday/Blues Medley w/Chris Farlowe
Thanks For The Information
Kingdom Hall (Prince dedication)
Wavelength
Someone Like You
Wild Night
In the Afternoon
Whenever God Shines His Light
Help Me
All In The Game/September Song/Burning Ground
Stand By Me w/Chris Farlowe

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

26-April-2016
Wang Theatre
Boston, USA

Long time Van fan writes:
Powerful performance tonight in Boston from Van and band. Supreme confidence from Morrison, whose body language was riveting in its energy. Swaying back and forth, side to side, rearing back and wailing. Nothing was held back by anybody. Balanced set list with everything performed impeccably with a very deep groove. Audience reaction was a state of constant euphoria. The workshops ornate and brilliant. A well-earned "A" all the way. Healing power.
-Dan M.

Music-News
Irish troubadour Van Morrison, now in his sixth decade as a performer, may be 70 years old, but performed the first of two sold out shows at the Citi Performing Arts Center in Boston, MA on April 26, 2016, as if time has not passed him by the at all.

Looking very dapper in his now trademark hat, Morrison leaned more toward a jazz-ish feel at times during the night. Starting with the tour standard instrumental opener (which Morrison played saxophone on), "Celtic Swing, followed by "Close Enough for Jazz, it was clear this was going to be an eclectic Morrison event.

With a jukebox of hits in his repertoire, Morrison does not need to delve into other material, but he did a smooth take on Johnny Mercer's "That Old Black Magic" and gave a nod to the late B.B. King with a killer "Rock Me Baby".

The adoring crowd was well rewarded with a raucous "Wild Night," which led into a slight turn to his gospel side, when Morrison pulled out his late 80's track “Whenever God Shines His Light,” which was originally a duet with Cliff Richard, but was smoothly executed with tour vocalist Dana Masters.

For all his seven decades on earth, Morrison's voice has not appeared to decrease at all and sounded as robust as ever. Breaking into his most famous track "Brown Eyed Girl," which went into full swing when the crowd sang along ardently to the “Sha la la la” refrain, which led into a stellar version of his iconic "Into The Mystic."

The show ending cover of Ben E. King's “Stand By Me” was an alluring choice for the concerts coda. Obviously “Moondance” or “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” would have made for a better closer for the Morrison faithful, but his passionate “Stand By Me” did provide a compelling end to the show.

With all the recent passing of so many classic rockers lately, it was great to see an icon in the genre as Morrison still as virile and on the top of his game.
-John Reed

Setlist (Thanks Mike S.)
Celtic Swing
Close Enough For Jazz
Magic Time
By His Grace
In the Midnight
Born to Sing w/Chris Farlowe
Old Black Magic w/ Shana Morrison
Rock Me Baby
Someone Like You
Wavelength
Sometimes we Cry
Enlightenment
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm/Don't Start Crying Now
In the Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Burn Baby Burn/Raincheck
Wild Night
Whenever God Shines His Light
It's all In The Game/Burning Ground
Brown Eyed Girl
Into the Mystic
Stand by Me w/Chris Farlowe

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