Hannoversche Allgemeine - October 23, 2002

by Uwe Janssen

translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch


Where the cuddle bear dances


Chris de Burgh brought a lot of hits from 28 years to the
Stadionsporthalle in Hannover

Pop music is getting older and it has become a two class society, in
which an inner and an outer circle exist. Inside it's the videoclip
generation with the flawless faces, the hot clothes and the fast cuts,
who don't just care about the music since a long time. And outside it's
Chris de Burgh. Always with the same face and the unobtrusive clothes,
one who doesn't need videos anymore and for him as an artist it is only
about his music. He follows the old tradition record - tour - record -
tour, and many of his true fans follow him. Last night he showcased his
16th album "Timing Is Everything" together with the five members of his
band to the 2500 listeners in the Stadionsporthalle Hannover.

But of course not only that, as he announced right at the beginning.
It's actually more like the new songs complement the respective
Best-Of-program. After all it's about having a nice evening, about
continuance, about the audience's expectation, which has been fulfilled
over the limit every time so far. In 28 years of his career a lot of
hits have accumulated, and a cross section is presented on this evening,
the usual mixture of ballads and straight mid tempo rock. "Missing You"
is among it, and the "Revolution" trilogy, "A Spaceman Came Travelling"
and a nicely floating version of the very old "Sailor". And already
after an hour "Lady In Red" rings out, the song that brought him a lot
of money and today's cuddle bear image. 

The 54 year old completely does without lavish stage sets like he used
to have in the early 90s, a little fabric and atmospheric light have to
do. But the Irishman speaks more and more with his audience, plays the
charmer, the rogue, the simple man.

In the seated hall there's a lot of laughing, cheering and stamping.
Here the outer circle of pop dances. Only the young sausage salesman in
the lobby doesn't. He brought his own radio.