Wiesbadener Kurier - October 21, 2002

by Steffen Weyer

translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch


Love, Pain and the darkness of life


Rock party of a story teller: Chris de Burgh on "Timing Is Everything"
tour in the Frankfurt Festhalle

It was indeed a bit contradictory: The event managers had covered the
whole interior room of the Frankfurt Festhalle with seats. But who wants
to sit during a Chris de Burgh concert? Already the first driving beats
of "Guilty Secret", the first single release of the new CD "Timing Is
Everything" make the first ones get up.

During "Oh My Brave Hearts" a bunch of listeners storm to the front of
the stage. And after "Lady In Red" the space between seats and musicians
is full of celebrating fans. The thunder roar of the "Revolution"
trilogy rings out: The party can start.

Chris de Burgh (54) suffers from the reputation of being a yearning
romantic. "I didn't make my image, that was you!", he once said in an
interview. That's almost right. Because "Lady In Red" and "Missing You",
his biggest hits along with "Don't Pay The Ferrmyan" are hardly
characteristical for the complete works of the Irishman. He is a
storyteller who carries his audience in his songs ("You sing very good
here in Frankfurt!"), which talk about love, but just as often about war
and injustice. And he is a rock musician: The neatly mixed CD recordings
only give a very limited hint of the form that he gets into during a
concert. Thanks to percussion and hot guitars the plain "Missing You"
turns into a rousing rock song. Since the mid of the 90s Chris de Burgh
is back on the way to his rocky musical roots. He has a new band since a
few years who let off steam during the bombastical finish of the
"Revolution" trilogy. But actually he doesn't need accompaniment. While
the five musicians take a break, he sits down at the grand piano, sings
the melancholical ballad "Borderline" which gives goosebumps not only in
times of war. He lets his listeners dance to the Russian inspired
"Natasha Dance", grabs his guitar and sings with his fans the 27 year
old Christmas hit "A Spaceman Came Travelling". When he plays alone, his
high tenor meets all the high notes too that appeared to be easiser for
him at the beginning of his almost 30 year old career. At the beginning
of the 80s pieces like "Sailor" originated, with which the
half-unplugged band now created an almost psychedelic atmosphere. Or
"Ship To Shore" - once a pop piece, now a rock title. "High On Emotion"
has always been just that, and the new "Bal Masqué fits perfectly into
it.

Of course: One would have loved to hear "Patricia The Stripper", or
"Spanish Train" or "I Love The Night". But over 30 songs in a nearly
three hour concert - I'd like to see any other artist do that!