19-January-2015
Gran Teatre del Liceu
 Barcelona, Spain

El Confidential
Barcelona, ​​Jan 19 (EFE) .- Van Morrison has reigned today in the majestic Liceu in Barcelona with a studded classical repertoire, he has played with depth and containment, to the delight of an audience, mostly mature, who prefers to be petted the senses that hit directly in the heart.

The Gran Teatre del Liceu, with the patina that give many years of history, has proved to be the ideal place to listen to the Irish veteran musician. Something he seems to have discovered since, after many years without lavishing for Barcelona, ​​he has performed twice at the Liceo in the last thirteen months.

As in his previous performance in this temple of opera last December 2013, the palest Van Morrison has brought out his black soul and gave a master class in soul, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock.

The concert started with the instrumental track "Celtic swing" with the Lion of Belfast on sax, Paul Moran on piano, Rubby Ruggiero on drums, Dave Keary guitar, Jez Brown on bass and Dana Masters in choirs.

This home is common in the shows of Van Morrison, which otherwise are unpredictable, as the Irish repertoire likes to ride on the fly and not even the musicians themselves know what will happen, so staring at the teacher from song and song, to know what comes next.

On this occasion, the boss has decided to offer some of his most famous songs, including "Brown eyed girl", "Precious Time", "Moondance" or "Days like this".

It is not always so. In recent concerts, all close to home in his native Ireland, the veteran performer has offered less complacent repertoires, perhaps because in those latitudes is more common to see him live, while in Barcelona, ​​a city that has visited few times over of his career, the public has had little opportunity to experience live the classics that have so often heard at home, and Van Morrison knows.

Although Van Morrison has said that present to the public in selecting the songs is just a well-intentioned impression because hidden behind his sunglasses and his hat, the reclusive artist seems to ignore these.

Throughout the hour and a half that has lasted concert Barcelona, ​​Van de Man, as some call it, has not been addressed those present even once.

Yes, we have heard him give some dried orders to his musicians, to indicate the next song, because not always been from the microphone to do so.

All this without the rhythm of the concert has been resentful at any time as Van Morrison and solvent band have managed to string together one issue after another, creating a warm and melancholic atmosphere, which have been passed down songs like "Higher than the world "," I can not stop loving you "," Open the door to your heart "," Alan Watts Blues "," Magic Time "and" Sometimes I feel like a motherless child ".

In the latter, the Showgirl Masters Dana has had a chance to shine and booted sincere applause from an admiring public.

The concert was a tour of the gentle jazz, blues depth and personal sound Van Morrison, which has reached its climax with the wonderful performance of "Gloria", the song that popularized the Doors, but nobody plays like her author.

"Gloria" has closed a recital in which teacher, at 69 years old, has made clear that the experience is a degree and that his broken and soulful voice remains strong and hondura.
-Rosa Diaz

Setlist
Celtic Swing
Close Enough For Jazz
Magic Time
I Believe To My Soul
Baby Please Don't Go/Don't Start Crying Now
In The Midnight
Moondance
Enlightenment
Open The Door (To Your Heart)
Days Like This
Think Twice Before You Go
I Can't Stop Loving You
Sometimes We Cry
Brown Eyed Girl
Precious Time
Keep It Simple
High Than The World
Whenever God Shines His Light
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Help Me
I Just Want To Make Love To You
In The Garden
Gloria

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

21-December-2013
Gran Teatre del Liceu
Barcelona, Spain

El Mundo (source - tranlslated from Spanish via google translate)
With Van Morrison never know what will happen . The odds of that are a whole concert with a scowl , exercising this gesture of indifference by what he sees before him , often quite high. But still have the nice day , it could be, and departs with the public with a rare smile : Van changes more than the weather. With their music the same occurs : there is never a clear script, you can send the blues bareback as maybe stands out with a white jazz master class . O proliferate or trusts own versions of other classics, or by reviewing almost gives the whole ' Astral weeks ' as perhaps the last album abounds in turn. That privilege granted by seniority , being an untouchable with 50 years of experience and have a band like few ductile .

In his only concert in Spain hired for his current tour - and first in Barcelona in eight years , the Van Morrison took the stage of the Gran Teatre del Liceu was a compacted mixture of several of these variables. We saw the grumpy man, who does not salute , which is hidden behind sunglasses and fedora, impenetrable and expeditious . Also the most current , who took the opportunity to remember ( without citation ) that had a recent album ' Born to sing : no plan B' ( 2012). But above all, was the ' Lion of Belfast ' more canonical, trusting all his best blows of blues and jazz.

It is easy to satisfy the public of Van Morrison : you have to give just that. The band is a powerful rhythm machine , guided notes and scores on iPads - the only concession in a purely technological classical concert - pianist led by a driver , two musicians in the brass section , two sets of percussion, elegant bassist, underground guitarist and own daughter of Van 'The Man' , Shana Morrison, accompanying choirs in addition to opening the concert with three own pieces to warm up , fifteen minutes of jazz -soul adult and has always played in house. The icing was the Van itself, with its growing but still broken voice communicator , armed with its elegant sax.

Various aspects of Morrison 's music is left out : the left section folk , Celtic effluvia nor heard . Instead, the first few minutes with 'Higher than the world' and 'Only a Dream ' established vibrant , incisive and elaborate pattern of jazz house brand . It smelled like swamp New Orleans, as the wind beat Chicago , because when one path is exhausted , the song is going to solve a simple blues chord to start over . So one after another to complete a journey of more than an hour and a half cheers followed between shy and respectful silence for Liceu almost full , despite the price of some locations - over 150 euros in stalls .

In the versions , the band was given away : 'Baby , please do not go ' ( an original John Lee Hooker usual gig ) it worked like a steamroller black roots . But in the classics, the entire structure of the song moved from skin : 'The way young lovers do' , located in the epicenter of the setlist , became a streamer be bop dress leaving her passionate folk- rock, recognizable by the chorus, but not by the agglomeration of watermarks. In contrast, another hit as expected 'Days like these ' concisely touched unadorned , going to the point. In short, Van Morrison did every song as he pleased , the ruling at will, but thoroughly engaging : more than once had to go on stage the person on your team who brought him water glasses - we three - and he removed the tissue paper to wipe the sweat .

For the final 'Gloria' , saved the great classic from his days in Them . It was the only song retained a primordial form , played as a dry and fiery blues , not so much as the version of Patti Smith , but in stark contrast to the sophistication of the other material. It was an expected time and you held with a standing ovation. Van Morrison did not disappoint anyone and the audience could go home happy , and he, too : as usual , nothing will finish traveled to his private jet to return urgently to Belfast, where he waited for dinner and a rest.

Setlist (Thanks Lola)
Celtic Swing
Only A Dream
Close Enough For Jazz
I Forgot That Love Existed
Sometimes We Cry
Enlightment
Baby Please Don't Go
Days Like This
Moondance
In The Midnight
Precious Time
Crazy Love
Retreat and View
Whenever God Shines His Light
Magic Time
Brown Eyed Girl
I Cant Stop Loving You
Help Me
Gloria

Big Hand for The Band!
Chris White (Saxophone)
Shana Morrison (Vocals)
Alistair White (Trombone)
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Jeff Lardner (Drums)
Bobby Ruggiero (Percussion)