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by Sven Westernströer translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch The big show of the small pop bard He is shorter than 1.65m, but that is enough to illuminate 2500 music fans for more than two and a half hours. The cultural office managed the biggest coup on the open air stage in Bochum-Wattenscheid with a memorable concert of the Irish pop bard Chris de Burgh. Who lives in Bochum and wants to see well-known musicians live, has always had to do one thing: travel a lot. Between the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund and the arenas in Cologne, Oberhausen and Düsseldorf, Bochum always was a bit lost as a location for big rock concerts. Where should Elton John have played here anyway? Then the cultural office remembered the open air stage in Wattenscheid: located at an idyllic spot and never forgotten... Since three years bands "of overregional relevance" are playing here every summer, as Friedrich Stiller of the cultural office explains happily. Runrig have been here, Jethro Tull and Element of Crime. And also Chris de Burgh has been infected by the intimate friendly atmosphere of the far round at the Parkstreet. More great stars shall follow. And Chris de Burgh is certainly the strongest cart horse that has ever played on the open air stage. The 56 year old has sold around 45 millions albums during his long career. Hits like "Lady in Red" belong to general education. On this night he performs for his fans without his reliable accompanying band: only a guitar, a piano, a voice, nothing else is needed. One can call this courageous, for de Burgh puts his songs to test that way: Will they hang on without the background team or will they deflagrate? The answer is given by the experienced master himself - and it is clear. De Burgh mixes the songs of the youngest album "Road To Freedom" strongly and dynamically with older numbers, whereas the emotional ballads prove to be especially appropriate being played "solo". He dedicates the thoughtful "Songbird" to his colleague Eva Cassidy, who died in 1996. For his daughter Rosanna who was Miss World, the proud father wrote "Here For You". Emotional moments on the one as well as the other side. The fans in the stalls, who overload the charming musicians with a flood of red roses, suspect quickly that this would be a one off chance to be as close to their idol as seldom before. And de Burgh, who is the skilful and dauntless solo entertainer, grabs a microphone and dances frolicsomely right through the audience. The star can be touched, high on emotion! While the mood seems to go into dimensions almost like with Grönemeyer, de Burgh proves to have an enormous condition: Two and a half hours without break he adds song to song. He keeps the most famous among them like "Don't Pay The Ferryman" or the legendary "Lady In Red" which overcame the many years perfectly, for the final celebrations. On this night the open air stage that has been sleeping for so long, finally arrived where it belongs. In the first class. |
File last modified on August 26, 2006