Westfaelische Rundschau - September 27 2002

by Klaus Bräming

translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch


Chris de Burgh's 3-hours-marathon: A good and a bad concert


Dortmund. If the star on stage doesn't keep what his name promises for a 
whole hour, then it's time to go home. At the concert of Chris de Burgh in 
Dortmund this would have been a mistake. After three hours on Thursday the 
hard times from the beginning were forgotten.

Finally a start of a tour in the Westfalenhalle. "I dream of this hall", 
the Irish rock poet made compliments. The 7000 spectators liked to hear that. 
But the audience didn't get going so easily. The stage decoration was rather 
spartanical, the musicians first class craftsmen, the star talkative but 
emotionless during titles like his newest hit "Guilty Secret" or the old 
"Missing You".

When after a good 60 minutes "Lady In Red" sounded more like a duty, it 
seemed like everything was lost. But then Chris de Burgh took his audience 
on an emotional roller coaster. The change came with "Revolution" and was 
then continued with rather quiet sounds. The band played "unplugged", 
changed to acoustic instruments. And finally the 53 year old bard was alone 
on stage, accompanied himself during pieces like "Borderline" or "Patricia" 
with piano or guitar. That's how he enjoys his own music the most.

But Chris de Burgh also gave his opinions. "It is a good idea to stop Saddam 
Hussein. But during a war it's also women and children who die.", that's 
how he introduced his anti war song "Snow Is Falling". It's a song that 
will only be published next year. But it was important for the man from 
Ireland to make this statement now.

And finally there was the party that Chris de Burgh had promised his fans 
continually during the show. Titles like "Don't Pay The Ferryman" or "High 
On Emotion" in the end were a great healer for the ballad-stressed souls in 
the audience. He said goodbye from Dortmund with the Beatles classic "Hey 
Jude" as the final encore.

Three hours were time enough to present a good, a bad, a thoughtful and a 
thrilling concert to the audience in Dortmund.