Last night we went to see Van Morrison. I was a little uncertain about it. He has such an awful reputation as a crabbit wee man who can play brilliant gigs or awful gigs. As we drove the hour to the venue, I hoped he wouldn’t start the political nonsense he’d been slated for starting at a previous event. I was also a bit concerned he’d spin off into some very jazzy jazz…….. perhaps something a bit too jazzy for my liking.
Turns out I had no need to worry. There is a reason why Van the Man can still pack out venues, despite being grumpy and opinionated. Quite simply, he’s a musical genius. Never in 30 years of going to music gigs, have I witnessed as much talent on one stage. Van himself was outstanding and he clearly chooses his band members very carefully. Each one had incredible talent and, combined, they put on a show that left us crying, singing, dancing, and elated.
I’ve been to a lot of gigs and have experienced some incredible live performances. I love local bands, as our annual gig for Macmillan is testament to, but seeing some of the big stars always has a draw too. I will never forget my first Metallica concert, the pride that I had managed to get into the front row, the disbelief when Hetfield came on stage, the horror at being crushed against the barrier as the crowd surged forward, or being dragged over the barrier by a security guard……. I wore those bruises like a badge of honour in PE class later that week! I’ll never forget seeing Chris Cornell support Aerosmith and being mesmerised by his voice. I’ll never forget sobbing as Foy Vance’s band left the stage one by one during ‘Guiding Light’, until it was just him singing and playing the piano on his own.
And I’ll never forget Van Morrison and his band. There were no bells and whistles. No fancy lighting or screens. Just talented musicians, clearly loving what they were doing. As they played newer songs alongside classics, the crowd were swaying, singing, cheering and clapping, despite it being an all seated venue. By the final few songs very few people remained seated………. I certainly didn’t!!
We left that venue buzzing with adrenaline, knowing we’d just experienced something very special indeed. Life remains full of joy when you’re moondancing on the bright side of the road!!
