Bonner General-Anzeiger - July 20, 2005


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by Ulrike Strauch


Strike by strike right into the heart

The Irish rock bard Chris de Burgh celebrated with his fans from Bonn a 
summer evening with a lot of feeling and classics like "Lady In Red", 
"High On Emotion" and "Don't Pay The Ferryman.

Bonn. Size is relative, and Christopher John Davison likes to joke abuot 
this fact with his 1,65 m. That several thousand of people listen to him 
doing this and laugh with him, is because the charming ironic Irishman 
who goes by the stage name of Chris de Burgh has given over 3000 concerts 
since 1975, his 16 albums have been sold more than 45 million times and 
he received around 200 gold and platin awards that way.

You don't have to be a fan of the emotional soft rocker to sing along to 
at least two or three hits like "Lady In Red" (1986), "High On Emotion" 
(1984) or "Don't Pay The Ferryman" (1982). For those songs know their 
target and hit it too - right into the heart. Like now during his concert 
"A summer evening with Chris de Burgh" on the Museumsplatz in front of an 
audience of roundabout 3000 people.

On summer nights like these he obviously prefers to be on stage - 
especially when the night before a barbecue party at home in Dublin had 
gone down under the rain, as the bard likes to tell. He is in a really 
good mood and miles away from the image of an untouchable rock star or 
dubious marketing strategies as a "soft singer to touch". He wanders with 
microphone and guitar through the audience, simply because at some point 
he just felt like moving closer - and how else should one feel after 
songs like "A Spaceman Came Travelling". Around 45 minutes after a 
correct punctual concert start without any opening acts or allures and 
after a few less known tracks to warm up, he and his audience are ready 
for what brought them all together on that night.

A hit like "Borderline" is representative for numerous songs of de Burgh 
against the madness of all wars. "Revolution" also has it in itself to be 
a classic and also "Sailing Away" offers the catchy chorus that de Burgh's 
fans love. The songs mostly stem from his new double CD "Live in Dortmund" 
which was recorded in November 2004 and published on the 27th of June, as 
well as from his latest album "Road To Freedom". 

But de Burgh hat his the biggest 20 years ago with "Lady In Red" which 
conquered #1 of the charts in Great Britain and 24 other countries and 
became #2 in the USA. 8 million singles had been sold then. And even when 
the song stressed the patience of radio listeners for weeks then and 
nourished the image that de Burgh couldn't do any different - the couples 
who cuddled along during it couldn't care less. "Lady In Red" is a must.

As is "High On Emotion" that de Burgh saved knowingly for the encore. 
After two and a half hours not tired at all - just as if he had kept 
reloading himself through the audience - at 10 pm there has to be an end. 
And with "Hey Jude" even a reluctant goodbye is managed perfectly.




Questions or comments?

File last modified on August 26, 2006