The Official Chris de Burgh Website

Concert Review: Landshut, Germany - August 24, 2008

Lore Müller:

In Landshut, after walking around and meeting Moni and Steffen, Claudia, Christine and
Angi, the three of us, Angelika, Elisabeth and I went to the meeting place at the
Bistrorant Michelangelo. And everybody we had expected came to join us: Ildiko and
husband from Hungary, Olga and Al from Russia, Moni and Steffen from Germany. It was
great to have such an international group! I hope we will see some of the photos

Finally we went to the venue, in the middle of the old part of the town, surrounded by
big houses, which promised to cause a good acoustic. And it was!

When Chris entered the very high and far away stage, he got much applause. I was sitting
in the second row, not where I thought I would sit, for they put the chairs not
according to the seatmap which was published before. But I was quite satisfied with my
seat, very good view, Chris W. on my left and... a very interesting man, named Achim, on
my right side. Achim´s friend bought my spare ticket and gave it to Achim. It was Achim´
s first Chris de Burgh concert. He likes to go to concerts of several artists. He has
known Chris de Burgh from CDs and admired his wonderful voice. He doesn´t understand
English, but for him, the voice expresses everything. He was totally flat and
enthusiastic already during the first song "The Road to Freedom", for he had never
expected, that Chris´ voice would be that great even at an open-air concert. He couldn´t
believe his ears. And having such an enthusiastic man sitting next to me, was very
special for me. When Chris told the audience, that first he would sing some solo-songs,
then the band would appear and finally an orchestra, people appauded when they heard
about the solo-part. And Chris said, that he would send away the band and the orchestra
and would play solo for 6 hours. The audience went mad. So? What does that mean? Well,
although I am a solo-Chris-fan, I´ve enjoyed the mixed concerts as well. After the
second song he got many gifts, various gifts. People had to go up the stairs and he
came down some stairs. Back on stage, someone requested a song. I couldn´t understand
which one and neither did Chris, but he asked and then it was clear: Lonely Sky! And as
he was just going to the piano, he actually played it at the piano. I´ve always wanted
to hear this song live again, have heard it 10 years ago at the guitar, but I love the
version on the Dublin video, especially because the audience is singing so wonderfully.
So, Lonely Sky at the piano. A bit faster than on the video and not with the
audience-choir, but I have enjoyed it very much. Later, in the short break before the
orchestra part, Olga and Al came to me with bright eyes and told me, they had requested
the song. Well done! Ah, yes, next to Achim, a lady asked me about Astrid and the
website and she was Elke who sang one of the inspired songs on the latest tribute-CD
http://tribute2007.chris-de-burgh.co.uk ... ndex2.html
And the three from Augsburg (Claudia, Christine, Angi) came to me during the break.
Achim was so surprised, for we all seem to know each other. Well, I told him, we were
really a great bunch and actually know many people. Isn´t that great? Thanks to the
internet we are never alone at a concert, and that is why we can enjoy everything around
CdeB much more than alone.
Chris sang some of the songs in a different way, only words at the end of a line, with
some more tunes. Can´t explain it. And can´t remember the songs and the words. You see,
I´m so "in" the songs, that I can´t put such things in my memory.
So, during the solo-part he sang:
The Road to Freedom
Same Sun
Lonely Sky
Shine on
Where peaceful Waters flow
Borderline
When he introduced "Where peaceful Waters flow" he said: "Now I´ll sing a song, which
is usually the last song in my concerts, but don´t be afraid, this is not the end of the
concert." I wonder if he is aware of the fact that as far as I remember he hasn´t sung
this song as a last one since he has recorded "Snows of New York". Please correct me,
if I´m wrong.
Well, Borderline is not completely solo, for Al joins in with the guitar and Neigel with
the keyboards. Borderline always is a highlight for me. So, when I read in one of the
latest reviews that people got up for standing ovations after the song, I suggested we
should try this in Landshut, too. But... only the four of us, who were sitting next to
each other, got up. I couldn´t see anyone else.
After the song, Chris asked one of the security men, one with a beard, not to chase
people away from the aisle during a song. And he asked s.o. to translate this to the
security man, for his (Chris´ ) German wouldn´t be good enough to tell him.
Sailing away
Leather on my Shoes
Brave Hearts
followed with the band. They played excellently, I love the last two songs during this
tour, wonderfully rocky. My neighbour couldn´t trust his ears. After almost an hour
there was the break for the orchestra to enter the stage. Chris left the stage, taking
some of his gifts with him. I don´t like this break. And I suggest to leave out
"Sailing Away" and the soon following "Missing You" and replace them by other songs.
The orchestra started with "The Storyman Theme", followed by "Missing you", a wonderful
"Carry me like a Fire in your Heart". I was delighted to hear the introduction of
"Always on my Mind", without mentioning the Petshop Boys. "Discovery", such a wonderful
song, had something special, for when Chris sang about the "candle in your window", he
showed with his hand to the houses on his right, I followed his eyes and saw two candles
burning in the window. That gave the song s.th. like reality. "In A Country Churchyard"
followed. Then he introduced the "Shadow of the Mountain", pointing out that his CD
"The Storyman" is available at the merchandise tent and telling the story of the song.
He sat down on the edge of the stage, his feet on the stairs. And this was right in
front of me! Unbelievable for my neighbour! Once, talking between the songs, two ladies
wanted to give him s.th. or speak to him, and he told them to wait, he would come down
in a minute. I´m not sure, if one of the ladies was blind. He came down. After "I´m not
crying over you" and "Leningrad" he sang one of his all-time-favourites, the Beatles´
"Long and winding Road". I wonder why he doesn´t mention that this song would be on his
forthcoming album "Footsteps" which will be available in October. Wouldn´t that be good
advertising? "LIR" during the usual walk-about. We were prepared to go to the front for
the last songs and so we did, when Chris was back on stage. "Revolution": Although we
were many people there, I could not really hear our singing during "Roll away the Dawn".
The last songs were "Say good-bye to it all", "Don´t pay the Ferryman", "High on Emotion"
and as an encore "The snows of New York", Chris came down into the audience again, was
hugged and touched, and finally climbed on a chair, waved "good-bye", before he went
back on stage and disappeared. He was in a very good mood all the time, joked with the
band and of course, introduced the members, introduced the "young" conductor, which he
stressed, introduced the leader of the orchestra, the first violonist and of course, the
whole orchestra. I´m not sure, if the conductor was the same as in Fulda, but towards
the end of the concert, he turned to the audience quite often, danced a bit, sang along,
smiled or laughed, he really was part of the show, which I enjoyed very much. The sound
of the orchestra was fine, not to compare with the performance in Fulda. So, I really
was high on emotion after the show. And as Chris W. has already mentioned, it was great
fun sitting next to each other, for it is more fun to sing together and clap together
and use the light-sticks together than sitting next to someone like the people in the
row in front of us, who were there because ??? I don´t know why they came to see Chris
de Burgh, for they were often chatting, searching their bags for s.th. and doing this
during Borderline, unbelievable, s.th. I cannot understand.
I hope you have enjoyed my review, although there have been many reviews of this tour
before. All are different, of course. Chris said, the concert in Landshut was the last
one, but..... some of us, including me and my husband, are seeing him again at the
solo-show, the special evening with Chris de Burgh, at Kloster Eberbach on September 6