Concert Review: Beautiful Dreams Concert on July 6th, 1996
CdeB Mailing List Concert Review
Copyright (c) 1996, Amro Hassanin
All rights reserved
"We must say all the words that should be spoken before they are lost forever".
BEAUTIFUL DREAMS Tour, Saturday, July 1996, Blenheim Palace, Oxford, UK
On a typical rainy summer English night, Chris de Burgh performed his unique concert. The concert concluded with a stunning fireworks finale and was unreserved picnic-style.
I just decided to attend on the same morning, I could not be away from such an event. Going from London to Oxford was a bit easy, but going to Blenheim Palace was not that easy as I expected. Hopefully, the rain stopped but I was feeling a bit disappointed as I missed the first song, I heard a little bit of it but I couldn't figure out what it was. I could hear people there screaming and I really wished I were there as wel l at that moment. After that, I heard him greeting the crowd with the usual "Good evening, How are you?". I was still outside receiving my tickets I booked in the morning and waiting for a friend who had to park the car two miles away.
Chris sang next HERE IS YOUR PARADISE solo with his 12 string guitar followed by SAILING AWAY , TRANSIMISSION ENDS and THE HEAD AND THE HEART .
Speaking about his first concert in Russia two years ago, he asked the crowd if any one has been there before. When the crowd remained silent, he added : "nobody has been back from there either". I can assume he liked performing there specially in the presence of President Yelstin who requested MOON LIGHT AND VODKA . Although I do not like that song so much but I enjoyed listening to it live.
Chris continued with THE SON AND THE FATHER and HERE COMES THE SUN by The Beatles .
Finally, after such a long waiting to get inside and missing watching Chris performing his first seven songs of the night, we came. We tried to make our way towards the stage, we were stopped by the security there as they asked us to find a place on the side as it was over-crowed up in the front. I was planning to go in front of the stage and I made my way between the crowd. The grass was so wet that we could not sit there (we forgot to get some chairs as most people did). Anyway, I stood with the crowd in front of the stage less than a meter from Chris himself.
As I was trying to make my self comfortable and to get in the mood of the concert, Chris brilliantly performed THE SPANISH TRAIN with a background of red light system which expressed the who idea of the song. To my delight, Chris did my favourite song, LONELY SKY .
Here the fun began, Chris asked if any would like to sing with him. A woman came forward and took the mike asking Chris if he was ready "Are you ready, Chris?". Chris replied with "you are the leading". She sang THE RISEN LORD in such a lovely voice. The couple then sang TENDER HANDS together in such a complete harmony. I bet everyone was pleased of that. Chris continued his solo performance with the Xmas song A SPACEMAN CAME TRAVELLING . Playing piano, Chris sang his song for the Red-Cross Fund-raising concert in Wembley years ago which tells about the suffering of children in the times of wars, THE SIMPLE TRUTH . Maybe, it was not appropriate to link this song to a certain country or person as Chris, dissapointingly, did. He followed that song with a masterpiece music theme of TH E B ORDER LINE .
Maybe Chris tried to remind the crowd that he is the real leading singer, so he sang, alone this time, THE RISEN LORD followed in the same tune with THE LAST TIME I CRIED . It was the first time I listen to th is song live, it was wonderful.
THE TRAVELLER , my first vavourites top, was performed in a quick style but I missed the saxophone end.
Although Chris mentioned that he does not like to sing PATRICIA THE STRIPPER for some reasons, he did it this time with a lot of humor. When he sang "... and she also removes her clothes", h e added "Feel free girls". At that point, the crowd got very wild and all stood dancing or clapping. Chris usually has a bra on the stage to throw it to the crowd. This time, it was a white one while in 94 he had a black one. As the crowd were in the moo d of dancing, he continued with DON'T PAY THE FERRYMAN , as usual, one of everyone's favourites.
After a little break, Chris continued with the orchestra, as he did in his album Beautiful Dreams. It was amazing to watch the orchestra and the choir, specially when it started to be dark and a little bit cold. Starting with same sequence of the album, MISSING YOU , CARRY ME , DISCOVERY and IN LOVE FOREVER . I reallized how successfu ll t hat album was. Every one was singing with Chris creating an amazing atmosphere I have not found in any other concerts before.
Of course, every one there was waiting for the big hit. Chris asked the crowd to hold the person beside you and make a new friend. It was then THE LADY IN RED . IN DREAMS was the next song but it was my feeling to be there as well.
Chris , as all of us, like the music of other performers. He did imitate the king Elvis in a rock'n'droll song followed by ALWAYS ON MY MI ND .
I could hear people beside me saying "oh, no" as he started to sing I'M NOT CRYING OVER YOU as the song tells about a couple who split up then the guy told his lover that I will never think about you then she said: "Oh, really". It might be true, it was not the right time to sing it but I really enjoyed that one as being a heart-broken recently.
The night before, Chris attended a concert in Dublin by The Eagles , so that he did DESPERADO followed by LONELY PEOPLE by the Beatles.
ONE MORE MILE TO GO is such a great song. I remember first time I felt attracted to it was during last Xmas in Egypt. I left Cairo airport and took the bus back home then I was listening to it, I felt it was me who sang that one.
Another song which I have some memories for it, THE SNOWS OF NEW YORK . A month ago, such a good friend of me went to NY, so I wrote her a card with "when you feeling lost in the snows of NY, lift your heart and think of me". Of course, I had to mention to her that it was written by Chris not me.
Chris did a new song he performed first during his tour in South Africa, RAINBOW ...... It is quite a nice song to listen to but I feel it is emotionless (eventhough it is an historical achievement for the South-African).
It became a habit of Chris to end his concerts with HIGH ON EMOTION to bring some atmosphere of joy then solo, WHERE THE PEACEFUL WATERS FLOW .
As the crowd asked for more, he did HEY JUDE by the Beatles. Actually, Chris did well but I think, Chris should have ended with something of his own as he had a lot of songs were not performed. I was excepting him to sing SHINE ON .
At the end, I tried to ask him to sign the concert program for me but it was very difficult for him to do so as others would ask for the same. Actually, I am a bit disappointed but I can not blame him not to sign.
To distract the crowd attention from his departure, the fireworks started. I was leaving and still hearing people singing behind me all the way out. Compared to the previous concert I attended in 94 (at the Royal Albert Hall in London), I think this one was much interesting, for me at least !