Fraenkischer Tag Bamberg - June 21, 2004


Albums

Songs

Concerts

Press

by Leopold Teuscher

translation by Natalie Schulz


Chris de Burgh controls the Domplatz

Chris de Burgh arouses enthusiasm at his solo performance


"This is not a concert, this is a party", Chris de Burgh shouts to 
the cheering fans on the Domplatz after two and a half hours. The 
small Irish guy with the big voice managed it once again, by 
singing his ballads he fills the audience with enthusiasm, so that 
even the uncomfortable cold of this June evening gets forgotten in 
the end. 

But it didn't look good in the afternoon though for the open air 
show of the worldstar, who has been successful for thirty years. 
But obviously his good contacts to above (or the meeting with the 
archbishop respectively) worked. Miraculously the sky clears up. 

But still also Chris de Burgh shivers with cold, during his solo 
performance with guitar and piano he rubs his numb fingers warm 
again and again.

However, frosty mood is soon out of the question! Chris de Burgh 
enters the stage in a very good mood, which has the same spartan 
effect as his outfit, a black leather jacket and black jeans: No 
glamour, no glitter - this is probably how this man, who sold 45 
million records, even goes shopping around the corner. And 
especially that is what seems to make him so nice. Chris de Burgh 
has a more plain effect in contrast to his voice, which doesn't 
lose any of it's volume and power even after over two uninterrupted 
hours, and takes such a hold of the theatrical scenery of the
Domplatz, so that the usual band from earlier tours is not being 
missed at all.

'The Road to Freedom' is the titlesong of his new album, which 
Chris de Burgh also puts to the beginning of his Bamberg concert. 
But the fans, many of them are getting on like the song poet, don't 
have to wait long until they get to hear the earlier hits like 
'Borderline', 'Lady In Red' or 'Don't pay the Ferryman', which 
became evergreens in the meantime. Apropos fans: they placed 
themselves at the front, in order to give flowers and other 
presents to the stage after almost every song and pass their hands 
shortly over the hand of the star bending down to them. Bon vivant 
de Burgh seem to enjoy especially the Bocksbeutel: 'Hmm, Wrzburger 
Stein, Mller Thurgau Kabinett', he breathes with air of an expert 
into the microphone, which he finally swaps for a headset, in order 
to leave the stage towards Domplatz. Chris de Burgh is not scared 
at the idea of contact, he is walking through the rows with his 
guitar, sings and jokes with the audience. And he plays this time 
rock, some other time romantically, on the audience's scale of 
emotion - "High on Emotion".

Some time there is no holding back for the fans anymore, they flock 
towards the front and the stage, in order to be close to Chris. The 
seating plan is broken up, the party has started. Chris de Burgh is 
visibly enjoing it, plays songs of the Beat-les as encores, which 
somehow could have been written by him as well. A big evening on 
the Domplatz is ending. Da capo is welcome.




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File last modified on August 26, 2006