Wiesbadener Kurier - May 27, 2004

Press Review about the Frankfurt concert by Wiesbadener Kurier

translation by Astrid Nolde-Gallasch



Concert mass full of athmosphere


Mission accomplished once again: Chris de Burgh in the Alte Oper

Various labels have been given to his musical style. You could read about 
art rock or even progressive rock, but most often he has been labelled a 
soft rocker. Definitions that, like always, describe the cuddly 
intregrational pop by Chris de Burgh only vaguely. The Irishman who was 
born in Argentina has never been a rocker or progressive or even ahead of 
his time, none of his 17 albums. No, the nicely modest model songwriter 
stands rather for degressive cuddleware that is reliably behind times and 
never attempted to catch up with it. He sings his lyrical and sugar-sweet 
ballads always free of scandals or allures, sometimes with a eunuch-like 
voice art that only wants one thing: to go to heart. That rarely brought 
him top chart positions in the USA, but in Europe - especially in the fan 
core country Germany - a mega true audience who always likes to get out of 
their living room chairs for the 55 year old charmer. And the notorically 
nice Mr. Clean Chris de Burgh regularly thanks them with athmospherical 
harmonical concert masses that move visitors to tears when they go back to 
their sweet togetherness of the homely fireplace. 

With his current album he eagerly continues to work at the legend of the 
smart story teller who can wrap even upright sentimentality convincingly 
emotional. A personified unity of Simon & Garfunkel, emotional or deeply 
sad, romantical or heartbreaking, always with pope-like gestures - the 
enthused fan community in the Alte Oper experiences him similarly. Chris 
de Burgh is performing solo for his "Road To Freedom" world tour: no band, 
almost only reduced arrangements, two guitars, an electrical piano in 
front of a simple stage backdrop where even red hearts are dancing on the 
video screen - the bard and his songs on a lonely mission. "The Road To 
Freedom", opening number and programmatical titel track of his new CD, 
already describes a first concert half whose attitude finally collects in 
"When Winter Comes" in a sole lament: After a taped monumental orchestral 
piano ouverture Chris de Burgh reports about an old man whose son has to 
go to war to fight for freedom and ends in a snowy mass grave - sublime 
messages in soft melancholy songs that make some eyelids become heavy.

The moving obituary to Eva Cassidy who died in 1996 of cancer ("Songbird") 
or "Rose Of England", a kitschy staggering bittersweet homage to Elizabeth 
I, do anything but increase adrenaline. Still there are flowers from the 
audience. And cute presents too, that's right and proper. And when the 
proud papa of the current Miss World buckles on a headset, pulls discreetly 
but politely Britney Spears' leg and walks through the hall up to the 
balcony while singing "Living On The Island", the last heavy melancholy 
flies away. Hit classics like "Lady In Red", "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" 
or "Borderline" are celebrated enthusiastically - although the dynamics of 
a band is definitely missing. The audience collectively claps themselves 
high on emotion, like they were when they bought their concert ticket. And 
Chris de Burgh? He made his thing fantastically. Mission accomplished, 
once again.