03-February-2012 Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Andrew at the Double Usefulness blog wrote this review of tonight's gig in Belfast

Its not often that I get to go to a live concert, but a friend of my brother had tickets for Van Morrison at the Odyssey Arena, and this evening he and I went along. I, for one, was very glad I did. What follows are some impressions and highlights from the evening:

The Playlist
The evening kicked off with a jazz (bordering on calypso) version of Brown Eyed Girl. This oldie from his earliest days set the tone for the evening, with fresh renditions, and at times studio perfect performances of songs from across his 40 years plus performing history. The audience were treated to such varied tracks as The Way Young Lovers Do, In the Garden, Moondance, Real Real Gone and covers of some blues standards such as Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Help Me'. There was little or no new material on offer and the concert was all the better for it.

The Performance
I used to go to every Van Morrison concert that was put on in Northern Ireland. I saw him play Killyleagh Castle, and enjoyed him in Botanic Gardens headlining with Bob Dylan. In the last couple of shows at the Grand Opera House, however, the singer and his songs seemed tired, the presence of Georgie Fame and Brian Kennedy overwhelmed any potential immediacy or intimacy that the audience may have enjoyed, and Morrison seemed to treat some of his own material with disdain.

None of this was evident tonight. Morrison was warm with the audience (well as warm as he is going to get!) and consummate in his arrangement and performance of every track. Vocally, his range was astonishing, managing to give an authentic growling bluesman sound to his covers, but reaching the high and sweeter notes of Astral Weeks and early career tracks. He was engaged with the material, and meticulously attentive to the dynamic of his band. Those on stage with him didn't disappoint, either. A small jazz feel to the group in no way inhibited the range of material that could be covered, and at times the synergy of backing group and singer lent the performance something very special indeed. To convey intimacy in an arena is quite a feat.

Read the rest of review here.

Belfast Music
It's a family affair at the Oydssey Arena, where Van the Man lets his music do the talking


There was a mix of anticipation and trepidation in advance of Van Morrison’s homecoming concert at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.


Horror stories circulated about just how bad a show Morrison can put on. Rumours that he doesn’t acknowledge his audience, stands with his back to the crowd for the duration of the show, hates to play his most popular songs and is likely to walk off after 40 minutes made this homecoming gig a bit of a gamble.


The singer's petulant reputation is such that even some of Morrison's most avid fans gave his first gig in Belfast in a decade a wide berth. Expectations were low, but the Odyssey ticket prices – strangely enough – remained high.


Yet Morrison arrives on stage to the opening bars of 'Brown Eyed Girl', his most famous song, and it appears that we've got him on a good day after all. The jazzy version of the popular standard features a saxophone solo from Morrison and an instrumental section in the middle. It's an upbeat opener, and a good indictator of what's to come


Tonight Morrison only turns his back to the audience to show admiration for his accomplished musicians – and when you have Morrison's musical status, you can hand-pick your backing band. He gives each musician the respect of listening to their solo, standing back and bobbing his head or snapping his fingers in time to the music.


There is no mistaking who was in charge of the stage, however, when Morrison steps back into the spotlight. Even after a career spanning four decades, his vocal power remains undiminished.


Sometimes his voice is full-throated and passionate, his lyrics seeming to reverberate around the Odyssey. At other times Morrison whispers into the microphone, his husky voice gentle and quiet.


The balance between softness and power blends perfectly when Shana Morrison joins her father on stage for a duet of ‘Sometimes We Cry’. She balances Morrison’s roughness with warmth, and has just as strong a voice as her dear old dad.


The mid-point duet is the highlight of the evening. In its wake a series of slower numbers are taken as a cue for some to slip off to the bar or toilets. After a barn-storming start featuring favourites such as ‘Precious Time’ and ‘Moondance’ – with Morrison turning in a version that would blow any asinine X-Factor contestant out of the water – you begin to fear that the legendary singer has let his hometown audience slip away.


‘Crazy Love’ brings them back. There are cheers, whistles and mass singalongs, which are never easy at a Van Morrison gig. Morrison’s free reinterpretation of his own arrangements makes karaoke very difficult. It is worth keeping quiet, though, to hear the singer’s fresh takes of his more well-known songs.


‘Talk is Cheap’ and ‘Why Must I Have to Explain’ sound particularly heart-felt from a man who works hard to keep his private life out of the press. They might also be an answer, of sorts, to the accusations of taciturnity and his less than engaging on-stage persona.


This Belfast audience care little for the negatives, though. Instead, they revel in the music, which is as it should be. Morrison is in motion for the full 90 minute set, whether tapping his feet or waving his arms. He doesn't banter much with the crowd, but he does thank us 'for being a warm audience'.


From another performer, such a lack of audience interaction might leave one feeling short changed. From Van the Man, however, his introductory 'hello' is more than anyone expected. For him it is all about the music, not about stagecraft. And as the closing bars of 'Gloria' see him off stage, there are no complaints about that from us.

Setlist

Brown Eyed Girl

Higher Than The World

Fair Play

Talk is Cheap

All In The Game/No Safety Net/No Plan B/This is It/ Make It Real

Precious Time

Moondance

Sometime We Cry (w/Shana Morrison)

Real Real Gone

Crazy Love

In the Garden

Have I Told You Lately

Young Lovers Do

Little Village

Tupelo Honey/Why Must I Always Explain

Ballerina

Help Me

Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!

Jay Berliner, Guitar
Paul Moore, Bass

Dave Keary, Guitar

Alistair White, Trombone

Jeff Lardner, Drums

Paul Moran, Keyboards
Chris White, Saxaphone
Rod Quinn, Percussion

Concert Time: 110 minutes

Astral Weeks Live: A Fan's Notes

In November 2008, singer Van Morrison launched the year of Astral Weeks Live, performing the songs from his critically acclaimed 1968 album Astral Weeks. The year began with two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on November 7 and 8, 2008, and ended 12 months later at the MGM Grand in Connecticut. Twenty-three shows in all, the fans were treated to a musical experience of a lifetime.


This is the story of that year, from the fans’ perspective. Follow one fan’s road trip that takes her to Los Angeles, New York and places in between, on an unprecedented and unparalleled listening journey. Culled from her concert reviews, blog posts, and discussions with the fans, the book describes the year of Astral Weeks Live through her journal entries and notes from the road. And much more, including essays on the eight songs that make up Astral Weeks.

Astral Weeks Live: A Fan's Notes is available from followshannon.com

Shannon Vale will be doing a reading of her Astral Weeks Live: A Fan's Notes at 8:30 pm Feb 2 at the Pavilion, 296 Ormeau Road, Belfast.

A book signing at 11 am Feb 2 at the Espresso East cafe, 395-405 Newtownards Road, East Belfast.

18-January-2012
St. James's Palace, London, England

Telegraph (SOURCE)

Van Morrison plays at St James's Palace

Van Morrison, watched by Martin McGuinness, gave a concert at St James's Palace to promote the culture and landscape of Northern Ireland.

Van Morrison has played his share of different venues in nearly 55 years as a musician but performing in the magnificent Picture Gallery State Room at St James's Palace must have been one of the most memorable.

Morrison was the star guest at an evening to promote Northern Ireland - as a thriving cultural location and a tourist destination.

Eamon Holmes Who Say

It was a fascinating evening all round. This is a new age for Northern Ireland and it was summed up by the sight of Sinn Féin's Martin McGuiness, the present deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, walking through the magnificent Armoury Room in the home of the royal family since the 1530s.

Belfast-born Morrison, a world-class musician, was introduced by Eamonn Holmes as 'Van The Legend Man' and the singer was in great form. John Peel once described Morrison as "a short man with a face like a member of the post-war Labour Government, all unforgiving eyes and down-turned mouth, radiating solemn purpose."

The solemn purpose was definitely there but the eyes were hidden behind the John Lee Hooker-style dark shades and black hat, a look Morrison has sported for the past decade.

Backed by a seven-man band - including a brass section with trumpet, trombone and saxophone - 66-year-old Morrison looked to be struggling with a cold but, fortified by puffs of his inhaler, he gamely sang and played saxophone and harmonica. His nine-song set included crowd-pleasing classics such as Moondance, Brown Eyed Girl, Gloria and Here Comes The Night but the highlights were a punchy version of Precious Time, a rollicking bluesy take on Big Joe Williams's Baby Please Don't Go and a fast-paced revival of the Sonny Boy Williamson song Help Me. With a nod to his homeland, the man known in the 1970s as The Belfast Cowboy also sang, at quite a canter, the old Irish ballad Star Of The County Down.

Among those who gave Morrison a standing ovation was Simon Callow. The actor, who had studied at The Queen's University Of Belfast, was described as an "honourary Irishman" and he gave a delightful reading on behalf of his old friend and former tutor Seamus Heaney. The poet from County Derry, who won the Nobel Prize For Literature in 1995, is now 72 and in his absence Callow read aloud Heaney's exquisite poemThe Peninsula:

The glazed foreshore and silhouetted log.

That rock where breakers shredded into rags,

The leggy birds stilted on their ow legs,

Islands riding themselves out into the fog.

Perhaps the most eloquent moment of the evening was provided by Music Theatre 4 Youth. St James's Palace houses Mortlake tapestries ordered by Charles I and a range of Royal portraits from the time of Henry VIII, including works by Mytens, Van Somer and Wissing but the positive message from the musical youngsters was that history needn't weigh us down. The future can be brighter.

Watched by First Minister Peter Robinson, Christine Bleakley and Barry McGuigan they sang Be The Change, written by Musical Director Tim Sutton as a tribute to Vernon Mound, who did so much to encourage youngsters from the region before his death from cancer.

It's an exciting time for Northern Ireland. The Irish Open golf will be held at Royal Portrush this year and the Titanic Belfast, the world's largest Titanic visitor experience which opens on 31 March, will attract crowds from all over the globe.

As Van The Man once sang: From the dark and lonely street. To the bright side of the road. 

-Martin Chilton


Update: https://twitter.com/#!/MartinChilton
@vanmorrisonnews Thanks for posting Van Morrison article. The other song he did, by the way, was Real Real Gone #vantheman

09-January-2012 Culloden Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Setlist
Instrumental
Brown Eyed Girl
Playhouse
Talk Is Cheap
Precious Time
Fair Play
Moondance
All In The Game
Little Village
Keep Mediocrity At Bay
Tupelo Honey
Have I Told You Lately
Baby Please Don't Go
Here Comes The Night
Gloria
Help Me

08-January-2012 Culloden Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland

J. Stephens' review
This was the second night of the run and the organizers moved the dancing area off to the side instead of directly in front of the stage where it was the prior night. This gave everyone in the room a great view and probably helped to keep people focused on the music. I had come down from my room in the hotel to the banquet room the night before to get a preview of the scene, and could hear the loud laughing and talking over the music even before going in. Had I been in my formal attire, I think I probably could have just walked in since no one seemed to be checking tickets - OK, I admit I did go in for part of the rock-and-roll oldies portion of Saturday's set and lingered in the back until I got spotted by someone who looked official (I think my jeans and sweater gave me away)..

When I had seen that our evening was to start with champagne at 6 pm followed by dinner, and then the show at 9:00, I thought time would just drag on until the music started. Wrong. Between getting to know the people at our table, trying to find the other list members who I had never even seen before, and making an unplanned trip back to my room (more about that in a minute), the time flew by.

When we finished our meal and they were clearing the tables, the wife of the aforementioned friend of the hotel guy leaned over to me and whispered, "My husband and his friend are going to go meet Van after the show and maybe get an autograph." Followed by, "You should go with them - what do you have for him to sign?" It just so happens that the event organizer had left a little gift for me in my hotel room to apologize for a (inconsequential) mix up regarding the tickets - two VM CDs marked "Not for Sale - Promotional Copy". THAT is what I wanted him to sign. I looked at my watch - 7 minutes before 9:00. It's a good thing the hallways and stairs were empty. Six and one half minutes later I got back JUST as the music started.

I've seen the set lists posted already, and you know about him struggling with a cold for the first few songs. I think he hit his stride about 3-4 songs in. The sound was terrific. The band was spot on (as always). And Van appeared to be in great form . He seemed to actually be in a really good mood. Plus the crowd was very respectful and attentive. It all made for a very enjoyable show. A good set list, but a great performance.

Just as Van left the stage during Help Me (the last song), and everybody stood up for an ovation, the guys from my table signaled "Let's go!" So we did. Out to the back of the hotel where Van's silver BMW was the only car parked. We thought we made a mistake when there was no action even after 15 minutes. Just then, out he comes with his "handler" (I have no idea who the other guy was, I just call him that). Dressed in a brown leather jacket, driving cap, and scarf, Van seemed fine with saying hello, and even signing something for each of the three of us. Then he was off. My first meeting with Van the Man. In Belfast, no less. Five minutes from his home. A perfect ending to a perfect night.
-J. Stephens

Setlist
Celtic Excavation
Talk Is Cheap
Playhouse
Precious Time
Ordinary Life
Fair Play
Keep Mediocrity at Bay
Have I told you Lately
I Cant Stop Loving You
Brown Eyed Girl
Moondance
Crazy Love
Little Village
Baby, Please Dont Go
Here Comes The Night
Gloria
Help Me

07-January-2012 Culloden Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Pic tweeted by Golfer Darren Clarke who was at the gig

Trevor was one of the lucky few to see Van's charity gig at the Culloden Hotel in Belfast:

As you’d expect, right on time at 21.00, Van and band walked on stage. There followed one and a half hours of superb performance. Although it was clear early in the set that Van was struggling vocally, he shone through to perform an extraordinary set. Normally I’m used to Van’s audience sitting or standing concentrating on Van’s every word and move, but on this occasion it was bizarre watching the antics of dancers directly in front of the stage, but soon we joined them to get up close to the 2 ft high stage upon which Van’s 7 piece band rocked and rolled.

It was a very memorable occasion.

Set list (as I recall)
Baby please don’t go
Here comes the night
Brown Eyed Girl
Higher than the world
Did you get healed
Have I told you lately
I can’t stop loving you
Real real gone
You send me
So Complicated (inst)
R’n’R Jam including
Bright Lights Big City
Kansas City
Shake rattle and roll
Blue suede shoes
And more………………..
Help Me

It was a very memorable occasion.

Van Photo Of The Day

Mid 70s

New UK Dates Announced For February & March 2012

4 more shows in UK theatres early next year:


Feb 11 – The Sage, Gateshead
Feb 12 – Barbica, York


Mar 3 – Brighton Dome
Mar 4 – Bournemouth Pavilion


Ticket pre sale is only being advertised at vanmorrison.com and is available from 9am Wednesday 30 November at http://www.ticketline.co.uk/van-morrison


Source: Van Morrison Newsletter www.vanmorrison.com

12-November-11 Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, England

Thanks to James T for sending in setlist & his review:

So it had been 4 years since I had seen VM perform at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and I remember that it was quite a lackluster affair. I have very fond memories meeting up with Dan Murray and having a good chat with him and other Fans after the show.

4 years later VM had brought us Astral Weeks Live, a news scandal, a year long absence from the scene and just recently some UK shows. Birmingham, Liverpool (which I attended), Bristol and Cardiff. Van was due to play in Blackpool on the Friday night but for whatever reason the show was cancelled! The jury is still out on that one! So how would Van play on this chilly night in Manchester?

The simple answer: very well!

The band was noticeably more relaxed and tighter than Liverpool and Van was leading them in a very positive way. His arm movements were clear and direct; there was little confusion of who was in charge!

The set list was very similar to recent shows so I won’t go in to too much detail.

The highlights were:

Jay Berliner – what an amazing guitarist, he really lifts VM game and the whole band responds to him. His frantic style and technique is awesome to behold. VM keeps him on his toes – at point Jay repeated a technique and Van stared at him blankly as if to say “yeah, you already did that earlier!” Jay responded with another brilliant improvisation. Vans face cracked a smile. A Lovely moment!

Fair Play – another early stretch out – a great showcase for the band, all members getting solos. The show took off from this point.

The Mystery – great to hear this live. I would have liked Van to have built the vocal more but his singing was forceful from the very beginning.

I Can’t stop loving you – A surprise, although there have been better versions. This was very welcome and the crowd responded well.

All in the game – there has been much discussion about the mantra at the end of recent versions of this song. Hats off to Van, he did it again! I didn’t think it was possible after Liverpool’s relentless performance clocking in at nearly 12 minutes. Well this was equally jaw dropping and the pinnacle of tonight’s performance for me. No plan B – No safety net. Brilliant to hear this new material – will it end up on an album? Fingers crossed!

In the Garden – Sheer magic! Nuff said!

Help me – No encore tonight but I wasn’t surprised as Van must have started this song after the 90 minutes anyway. This was an intense and souring version which left the band to wrap up with a rousing and loud finish.

Lowlights – The audience was up and down like Yo-yos – do these people have money to burn?

I don’t personally care about the cost. As long as Van continues I will try to see him live. He has well and truly proved that he’s still got it!

-James T.

Setlist

Baby, Please Don't Go

Here Comes The Night

Brown Eyed Girl

Higher Than The World

Magic Time

The Mystery
Fair Play

Real Real Gone

I Cant Stop Loving You
Crazy Love

Young Lovers Do
Moondance

All In The Game

In The Garden

Ballerina

Into The Mystic

Help Me

Van Morrison Adds Belfast & Dublin Shows in February 2012

03-February-12 Odyssey Arena
Belfast, N. Ireland
With Special Guest: Shana Morrison

04-February-12 The O2
Dublin, Ireland
With Special Guest: Shana Morrison

Check vanmorrison.com for the latest updates.

23-September-2011 St. David's Hall, Cardiff, Wales

South Wales Echo
With a reputation for unpredictability that precedes him like the proverbial elephant in the room, you’re never quite sure what sides of the enigmatic but glacial Northern Irish musical legend you’re about to encounter in the live arena.


Van the Man had already got tongues wagging by charging a £100 top ticket price for his Cardiff show, seemingly unfathomable in an area mired firmly in recession.


As a result there were a fair few gaps in the auditorium, although it has to be said the most expensive seats were full of Morrison aficionados urging on their hero.


Dressed in trademark hat and shades, the iconic tunesmith didn’t utter a single word to the audience throughout the show.


But then I guess with songs as great as his, he can let the music do the talking.


And what a set he delivered.


Opening with a lithe, freeform version of Moondance, the ‘70s classic set the standard for all that was to come.


Stood behind a mic stand which bore his only concession to rock ‘n’ roll ego – the gold letters V and M – he took us and his hugely-skilled seven-piece band on an exhaustive 100-minute run through his glittering back catalogue.


Van’s players orchestrated his sublime work with the verve and interpretative skills of a jazz outfit as the maestro changed the direction of songs with a mere flick of his hand, while his band played on their nerves and their talent to mine a rich groove at their master’s request.


It was an unforgettable evening choc full of his greatest compositions. Brown Eyed Girl, Real Real Gone, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, In The Garden, Ballerina and an especially sumptuous Little Village all wore the rosy glow of the warmest of hypnotic songwriting – a delicious collision of stunning soul, jazz, roots and blues.


A blistering Gloria brought proceedings spinning to a spellbinding close as we were left dazed and beautifully bruised by the experience.


So the iceman cometh and frankly he melted our hearts.
-Dave Owens

South Wales Argus

Van Morrison made a no frills enterance at 7.45 prompt,strapped on his sax and from the start, left the audience in no doubt as to who was running the show.

He directed his technically perfect seven-piece band with no more than a hand-movement, and from the first riveting notes of Moondance, to his finale,Gloria, when he made a James Brown, prompt exit with no encore we knew we were in the presence of a master.

What had come between those two songs two songs was something else. Indulging himself and his band and turning St David's Hall into an intimate jazz club, the set-list was nothing short of impressive.Hhe included Song of Home, Real Real Gone, Plan B, and of couse the classics, Crazy Love, Brown Eyed Girl and Have I Told You Lately The spiritual In the Garden was amazingly good, with Van just breathing into the microphone for over a minute whilst the band played on. An impromtu rant at Twitter and Facebook provided a tinmely extra verse to Talk is Cheap.

At 65, this is a man firmly at the top of his game, the concert was nothing less than extraordinary.

-Steven Healy

Ivo sent in this review

Something extraordinary happened in Cardiff yesterday after the ‘Finsbury Park band’ had taken the stage in front of a by far not sold out St. David’s Hall crowd, played a rather mediocre Moondance, and kicked off Higher Than The World (yes, Higher Than The World). Pure bliss filled the air, and that resulted some 50 minutes of musicianship of the absolute highest level, after which some 40 minutes of ‘just’ great music followed.

I’ve seen Van a couple of times over the past few years, and this was by far – and I mean by far – the best concert I’ve seen. Jay Berliner was back in town, and Van was clearly pleased with the way he played (Jeff Lardner and Paul Moran still got their fair share of comments along the way though).

Overall the band was very tight. It felt a bit like the jazz band Van had back in ’95, but this one is so together (a real band!) that it can take a song in any direction with the slightest of hand signals by Van. Ever heard Talk Is Cheap being whispered, with an extra verse about Facebook and Twitter? It happened yesterday. Ever heard Van just breathe for a minute, and nothing else, during In The Garden, while the band played on? It happened yesterday. And when Van says himself that it is too good to stop during Help Me, you know someone is having fun.

The absolute highlight of the evening, in my book, was You Know What They’re Writing About. Over six minutes of Van caressing, shouting, taking apart the (new?) sentences ‘It’s an assignment – There’s no plan B! No plan B!! No safety net!’, raising the level of intensity as he took them apart in very different ways, before moving to the regular ‘Meet me down by the river’ sequence.

This was a concert that demands to be heard. It was that freaking good! And … a very, very big hand for the band too. It’s the best Van has had in many a year.

-Ivo D

Setlist (Thanks To Mike S.)
Moondance
Higher than the World
Song of Home
Fair Play/Take It Where You Find It
Real Real Gone
All in The Game/You Get Your Assignment/No Plan B/No Safety Net/This is It (new material)
Talk is Cheap
Crazy Love
Little Village
In the Garden
St James Infirmary
Brown Eyed Girl
Have I Told you Lately
Ballerina
Help Me/Wanna Rock That Boat/Too Late To Stop Now
Gloria

22-September-2011 Colston Hall, Bristol, England

Long-time Van fan Pat wrote a great review on his excellent blog
Van came on stage and he has dispensed with the suit which is good and was wearing a real bad boys tight leather jacket. The opening song was MOONDANCE and i was happy to see the great Jay Berliner back on guitar with Vans band of Paul Moran on keyboards piano and trumpet, Paul Moore on bass Jeff Lardner drums Chris White sax, flute Alistair White trombone and Dave Keary on guitar. It was a nice surprise to hear HIGHER THAN THE WORLD next from Van's Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart album and Jay excelled himself with some mesmerising guitar playing. Read the rest of review here.

Setlist (Thanks Mike S.)
Moondance
Higher Than The World
Song of Home
Fair Play
In the Garden
Magic Time
Its All in The Game
Real Real Gone
Talk is Cheap
Crazy Love
Ballerina
Can't Stop Loving You
Little Village
Help Me /It's Too Late to Stop Now
Gloria

03-September-11 Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England

Liverpool Echo

VAN Morrison is certainly no Ken Dodd. Given what I’ve heard about his showmanship, so to speak, I fully expected him to come on stage, insult the audience and then sit with his back to us and play a set of songs off that dreaded ‘new album’ for 10 minutes and then walk off.

But no, Van the man, famed for his grouchiness and seeming antipathy towards his fans, was actually on relatively good form for his Empire gig on Saturday night.

Granted, he hardly spoke, but at least knew what everyone had come for and didn’t disappoint, playing some of the more famous of his songs from his 40-odd year career.

Here Comes the Night, one of his earliest hits with Them, opened up the action, with its anthemic, Rolling Stones-esque chorus. So far, so good – and he hadn’t walked off in a huff yet.

The band were stunning, a wonderful seven piece ensemble with piano, guitar, double bass, drums and brass section, as well as Morrison himself chipping in on sax and mouth organ.

 The mood was laid back, and nearly every song took on a loungey, jazzy tone, including the wonderful Crazy Love, which moved along slowly, gently, like waves lapping up against a shore.

Similarly, Into The Mystic, washed over the 1,300-strong crowd like an incoming tide.

I had been afraid Morrison would go out of his way to play things no-one wanted to hear, the way Dylan sometimes does, but no: He even belted out Moondance itself, that wonderful jazz blues pastiche which I’ll forever associate with the film American Werewolf in London.

There were plenty of dewy eyes when he turned out Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, which was undoubtedly one of the biggest favourites of the show.

His voice was on fine form: That rambling, trademark Irish drawl, interspersed with high pitched wails and the odd bit of scat thrown in. This was, as much as anything, a jazz gig, and with such a tight, albeit restrained, band behind him, all the songs seemed to melt into one, yet each retaining their own distinct flavours that made them hits in their own right.

I think at one point, he may actually have spoken to the audience, but it was unintelligible.

But it didn’t matter – the audience was in the grip of a master, a master who, despite his best efforts to make it look to the contrary, almost seemed like he was enjoying himself.

9/10: Still the man

-Marc Waddington

James Tennant sent in the following review

After walking all the way down Dale Street in search of The Ship and Mitre pub, I quickly realised that we had been walking completely in the wrong direction!  So it was with great desperation that I ordered my friend and I a much deserved pint and headed over to the corner to meet up with the many fans that had come to see Van Morrison perform at the Empire Theatre.

Discussions were positive about the previous concert in Birmingham and it seemed Van had delivered a good show. It was wonderful to meet everyone, what a great bunch of people they were! Stories were told and photos taken but it was soon time to start checking the watches and make our way over to the theatre.

The last time I had seen Van in Liverpool was in 2004 and I felt that the band had really hit their groove at that point. Van was very relaxed and the show just flowed. I thought we could be in for a good one but then I heard an announcement. The front of house manager stated sternly that the show would finish at exactly 9.15pm! Oh dear – Vans got a plane to catch! This doesn’t bode well. My friend told me to stop being negative and get a grip. Let’s get a whisky instead!

After a wee drop we took out seats. We were on the very back row but still had a great view thanks to binoculars! Almost immediately the band entered, there was a brief pause and the riff for ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ began, the audience cheered in recognition, the lights began to fade. The riff continued but by this time the audience had stopped cheering. Where was Van Morrison? We waited some more then all of a sudden he was on. He was in fine voice although it was clear that something was not right. Van turned to the bass player and instructed him to change to upright bass, which he did – Mid song!

Next was ‘Here comes the night’, another crowd pleaser. The band settled in to find the groove but Van was still not happy. His arm gestures were very jerky and aggressive towards the drummer and Van was looking towards his roadie.  

‘Moondance’ followed and whilst van was singing and the band took their solos, the roadies moved the guitarist closer to Van.  It was after this confusion that Van picked up the sax and began to explore the music as the song was brought to its finish.

Oh dear – This was not a good start.

Well as luck would have it, ‘Fair Play’ was next. This was just wonderful; it ebbed and flowed, the band just pulsing along. Probably not the best version ever but it quickly made it clear that if this band continues with Van, they could be brilliant.

‘Magic Time’, ‘Have I Told You Lately’ and ‘Crazy Love’ added more quality to the mix. Vans voice really started to loosen up and although at this stage Vans singing had felt quite muted, it struck me that the tone in his voice tonight was very intimate and personal. Almost as if Van was just singing to one person, At times throughout the concert Vans vocals were so fragile, he could have been speaking the lyrics.

‘Talk Is cheap’ and ‘Mediocrity’ broke the romance and added some much welcomed spark and a change of tempo. Van even added an expletive at one point; however I’m not quite sure for whose benefit it was for. Maybe it was for the drummer, who was continuing to bare the brunt of Vans frustration.

‘In The Garden” was simply breathtaking and for me the moment where Van got rid of his demons, got into the music and began to enjoy himself. The climax of this song was AMAZING. Van rushed the beginning of the song quickly and got down to the meditation which faded out so that only Vans intense vocal could be heard. This is one of the best fade outs I have witnessed live; it reminded me of the famous fade from Listen to The Lion on “It’s too late to stop now”

Well maybe Van had been listening to the CD before the show because those immortal words became the mantra at the end of the best live performance of ‘All In The Game’ I have ever heard. Again Van seemed to rush the opening verses but just as I thought he would wrap up the song……he continued. Going passed the pylons; he seemed to be on the river of no return. On and on, whispering, growling, screeching and the glorious band rose to the occasion building and building to such a peak. The crowd cheered and for that moment the audience, band and Van were totally in that glorious place where it ain’t why, it just is!

How could you come down from this? Simples…..’Celtic Excavation’ provided the perfect come down. ‘Into the mystic’ surprised the audience.

A chirpy ‘Real Real Gone’ segued into ‘You Send Me’.

‘Ballerina’ was another highlight where Van taught us even more about the power of dynamics. He led band to a whisper only to suddenly bring them back up with a rollicking funky finish! Brilliant! Sheer brilliance!

I was really surprised to hear Beautiful Vision. Another good version and a solid vocal from Van.

As we neared the 9.15pm curfew I hoped Van would throw away the rule book. Alas it was not to be! All good things must come to an end and a rather strange ending it was as Van rushed through ‘Help me’ and came back for ‘Gloria’, only to shout at Paul Moran for not playing long notes…..” Play…..Long Notes……..LONG NOTES……..CHORDS!”

So we were treated to a fractious Van Morrison in Liverpool, he was in deep battle with his slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Luckily we were left with some truly breathtaking music to remember!

-James Tennant

Alan O'Hare sent in the following review

It didn’t look good.

Empty seats dotted around, a medley opening the gig and a disinterested dance around Moondance. The sound was low too.

But then something happened.

Something that only occurs when Van Morrison is leading a band: magic in the night. The opening piano chords of Fair Play brought about a change and we were off…

The band picked up, Van sang with intensity and the song which opens Veedon Fleece so masterfully, stretched out into a joyful experience. Van twisted and turned the melody inside out and phrased “Geronimo” the way only he can.

The soundman must have picked up on the change of pace too, as all of a sudden the volume went up and the Liverpool Empire began to stir: Magic Time, Talk Is Cheap and Keep Mediocrity At Bay all got the old hall moving and it looked lime Van was starting to enjoy himself.

He moved the band closer together, pointed for solos and the night took off.

There were quirks too: calling for Crazy Love after Have I Told You Lately was mischievous; following the jazz-lounge couples favourite with a song that uses the same tricks but delivers so much more made me smile. It was a great version too.

As was All In The Game/You Know What They’re Writing About – with punchy horns, a funky tempo and fantastic singing from Van, overpowering it all with the vocals: “It’s too late to stop now…” he hollered towards the end to set spines tingling. Mind-blowing.

 

A new version of Into The Mystic followed with an extended horn intro and Van on the saxophone. It never really got going though, until the horns played that famous riff towards the end, whereas Real Real Gone and Ballerina were played pretty much straight and sounded much better for it.

Help Me was one too many blues on the night for this palette and Beautiful Vision didn’t really hit the spot but Gloria brought the house down to close.

Van Morrison’s singular vision remains and renders all discussions about his live performance redundant: it ain’t why, it just is.

And long may he run.

-ALAN O’HARE, SINGER WITH THE TRESTLES

LISTEN HERE: http://www.myspace.com/thetrestles

Setlist

Baby Please Don't Go

Here Comes The Night

Moondance

Fair Play

Magic Time

Have I Told You Lately

Crazy Love

Talk Is Cheap

Keep Mediocrity At Bay

In The Garden

All In The Game

Celtic Excavation

Into The Mystic

Real Real Gone->You Send Me

Ballerina

Beautiful Vision

Help Me

Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!

Paul Moore

Chris White
Dave Cleary

Paul Moran

02-September-11 Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England

Express & Star
Van the Man effortlessly performed almost two hours of mellow music infused with jazz, soul, R&B and blues.

Kicking off with a warmly embraced Moondance the Belfast Cowboy worked his way through his considerable back catalogue of songs with a highlight being his most famous hit Brown Eyed Girl.

Have I Told You Lately and Georgia were stand-out tracks from Van Morrison, while one surprising addition was a moving rendition of Unchained Melody.

With no trite between-song banter or vacuous small talk Van was content to let the music do the talking at last night’s concert, where top end ticket prices pushed £100.

His dexterity displayed on the guitar, saxophone and harp proved his true pedigree as a genuine living legend.

Setlist

Moondance

Fair Play

Magic time

All In the Game

Real Real Gone

In The Garden

Have I Told You Lately

Brown Eyed Girl

Into Th Mystic

Young Lovers Do

Georgia

St. James Infirmary

Ballerina

Unchained Melody

Gloria

Help Me

Big Hand For The Band

Paul Moore

Chris White
Dave Cleary 
Paul Moran