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Albums
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by Thomas Krazeisen
translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch
On the road to freedom
His world tour leads the Irish cuddle pop star Chris de Burgh also towards
the Stuttgart Liederhalle
Stuttgart - The fans look into expectant eyes on the cover of the latest
CD. Who looks a bit closer, will discover a world map in the blue part.
Chris de Burgh's field of vision has always been a bit broader than that
of many of his colleagues. Surely the fans of the Irish world star want to
melt away with the beautiful "Lady In Red" while holding hands and l
ighters, and they want to refuse the fare to the stubborn ferryman. And
Chris fulfills this wish every time. But with all the love to grand
feelings the Irishman never lost sight of the enormous sufferings in the
world.
Chris Who?
"The Road To Freedom" is the title of his latest album, which he currently
presents on a world tour. One of the first stops was Stuttgart. He filled
the Liederhalle even twice. Stuttgart is a home match. Already when he
appeared on stage in blue spotlight during the symphonical yearning intro,
he captured the Beethovensaal completely, so it seems. Right afte rthe
title song he praises the "nice city" in which he spent a lovely day in
May; certainly without bodyguards - Stuttgart would be one of the first
German cities who celebrated him a generation ago, even when people didn't
really know who he was then, the "Chris Who?" he flirtatiously provides
afterwards. And in the end Chris fromt he old Irish nobel house of the
"Burghs" corteously bows and applauds politely for a "wonderful audience".
With many of his colleagues such local patriotism would rather seem like
they try to get pally - with Chris de Burgh you safely feel that it is
meant honest. It is - in Stuttgart not different to Johannesburg or Buenos
Aires where the pop star was born - a timeless love story that connects
him with his fans: He likes his audience, and the fans, no matter if they
are 20 or 60 years old, like him. And the 55 year old himself hasn't
changed much, in terms of appearance, in over 30 years of his career. But
most of all the little man stayed true to himself in all those years: A
big poet - Irish writer nobility, an even bigger charmer who has the
mischievous look of St. Patrick on his face. May the fault-finders accuse
him of musical indifference, in the late summer of his fantastic career
he remained something that you can't say of many stars: modest in his
success, a popular figure worth a few million who can be touched and
without any allures, a modest nature, but without any reservation.
In the Liederhalle during a walkabout he spontaneously touches the lame
limbs of some severely disabled fans. On his "Road to Freedom" which
doesn't really discover new areas musically, the singer who writes his
own lyrics, made the way just on his own. Without band, just with an
accoustic guitar or at the piano Chris de Burgh performs his songs from
the new album and classics from his 17 albums: "An intimate evening", as
it is written on the concert ticket. A couple of fabric lengths are enough
as a backdrop, on which from time to time some pictures flash up.
Gravestones, crosses, winter sun and snowy forests: Inconspicious symbols
for the things of life in the change of times, of which Chris de Burgh
sings. He sparingly but insistent adds light effects - such as during
"Lebanese Night", when dazzling searchlights abruptly make aware of the
fear of children who run for their life.
Dictators on a trip to hell
On this day, when in the Gaza strip and in the South of Iraq dozens of
children ran for their life at almost the same time, many of them in vain,
the song became a requiem for senseless brutal deaths that are died day
after day in front of the eyes of the world. He drags those dictators on
their egomanic trip to hell with a demonic spirit through "St. Peter's
Gate". Then he lets his "Songbird" fly over the rainbow with melancholy
timbre: a homage to an artist colleague who died of cancer. With the
ballad
"Five Past Dreams" he unmistakably ties on the world hit "Lady In Red".
In between Chris de Burgh went down on his belly to give out kisses,
collects roses, letters and chocolate. And the bard takes time for
receiving every single present, exchanges a couple of words. Always again
- de Burgh performs without a break - he waters his vocal chords,
sometimes from a cup of tea, then again from various water glasses. No
wonder with the larynx acrobatics - ok, not always ready for the opera -
that he overtaxes himself and the audience.
The father of three, whose daughter became "Miss Ireland" last year ("she
doesn't have the beauty from me"), indulges in a few discreet digs at the
girlie cult: When he puts the accumulator into his trousers, and moves the
side piece of his head micro up and down, he copies Britney Spears in
falsetto. Then he walks around the hall during "Living On The Island". A
joyful applause here, some fidgety bopping ladies there - no shrieking
admirers have to be held back by security guards during this one man show.
After "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" there's no stopping. The folk rocky
concert that many fans were waiting for a long time, only started now with
"Don't Pay The Ferryman" and "High On Emotion". Almost three hours the
Stuttgart audience could go on the "road to freedom" with him. In times of
rapid rise in prices this is a true achievement. And an honest one too.
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File last modified on August 26, 2006