Allgemeine Zeitung - July 17, 2007
translation by Astrid Nolde-GallaschPhysical contact with the audience
Chris de Burgh first solo, later with band in front of the Mainz cathedral by Jens Frederiksen MAINZ Lots of good-byes, lots of stories about love and unexpected separation, sometimes even about love and war. The "storyman" Chris de Burgh is the melancholic among the rock bards with a time-cricital pretence, he has a sense for small emotions and big gestures, and he loves to lead the clinking solved chords of his acoustical guitar into roaring string arrangements. At the beginning of his open air performance on the Mainzer Domplatz the orchestral arrangement of the title track of his latest album "The Storyman" is played out of the speakers. But behind the drums and the platform for e-piano and synthesizer, the man with the soft voice strolls to the front on his own, picks his twelve string guitar during the "Storyman" chorus, and transfers those commited lyrics full of spirits and energetically into the lovesong classic "In A Country Churchyard", takes up speed, lets his tenor beam during "The Same Sun", sits in front of the grand piano for the first time during "The Sweetest Kiss Of All" and even provides a virtuous imtitaion of oriental coffehouse singing during the intro of "Lebanese Night". The first 75 minutes of his Mainz appearance, the friendly storyteller performs on his own in a superior, worldy-wise and good humoured way. In "Perfect Day" he hides an allusion to "Let It Be" and, not really suiting the season, a reminiscence of "Silent Night". During "Lady In Red" a headset gets strapped on his well brushed hair and he makes a little excursion down from the stage into the audience, forces himself right through row 5 of block D over to the beer stand and walks back to his starting point, all the while continuing his filigree guitar swags. The audience has long since jumped up from their chairs and is cheering - even if the song repertoire has become a bit monotonous at this point. When in spite of all announcements a band joins in at 21:15 during "One World" and small films with pictures of flowers, animals or war can be seen at the back of the stage, the better part of the concert begins. "Spanish Train" is a heavy struggle of heaven and hell. During the synthesizer dominated "Raging Storm" the English busker Kristyna Myles performs a grand duet. The song "Spirit" which was developped out of African drum sounds proves once more to be the best track of the "Storyman" record. And the final with the peace-moved "Say Goodbye To It All" and the immortal "Ferryman", which was driven this time by a roaring bass, show that 58 years is no age for a rock musician. A nice evening. The few lengths during the first part are quickly forgotten - and the merciful concert visitor has long put a coat of silence over the anxious clap-along- prologue of German rocker Julia Neigel.