Johannes Schult

The concert was the first of the current tour, so the setlist was a complete surprise to everybody. Once again, Chris de Burgh had compiled a nice mix of old and new tracks. I really like how he brings back different older songs every tour. He also presented a new song, The Fields of Agincourt. It was in the vein of his battle songs with various moods that culminated in a forte ending. The audience was attentive and rather relaxed, especially towards the end. I especially enjoyed the Moonfleet songs and The Ballroom of Romance. The cover songs worked surprisingly well and brightened the atmosphere even further. Brother John felt a bit out of place; and The Mirror of the Soul and Bal Masqué had already been played four years ago at the same place. Anyway, it was a pleasant concert with a solid band performance and De Burgh’s impressive voice.

1. Waiting for the Hurricane
2. The Spirit of Man
3. Up Here in Heaven
4. Missing You
5. The Traveller
6. Ship to Shore
7. The Mirror of the Soul
8. The Same Sun
9. The Escape
10. Greater Love
11. Already There
12. The Fields of Agincourt
13. Tender Hands
14. Living on the Island
15. Love and Time
16. Summer Rain
17. I’m Not Scared Anymore
18. Borderline
19. The Ballroom of Romance
20. The Lady in Red
21. Blue Bayou
22. Let It Be
23. Lady Madonna
24. Long Train Running
25. Africa
26. Brother John
27. Bal Masqué
28. Don’t Pay the Ferryman
29. High on Emotion
30. The Snows of New York
31. The Moonfleet Finale

Im Hof der Kreisverwaltung (gleich hinter der Basilika) steht ein Brunnen, der frapierend nach einer überdimensionalen Zigarette aussieht. Tzehe.

Maybe you already know it: I’m about to move back to Konstanz. Tomorrow will be the last day I’ll record music here in Trier. At least, that’s the plan. I’ll approach a wannabe-Nightwish song Susanne and I wrote during our last rehearsal, adding clavinet scales and double bass drums. I’ll also wrap the songs for the upcoming Manticess release (single, EP, whatever). I won’t be recording anything in October apart from stuff I can do outside my interim accommodation. It’s going to be headphones and mixing, instead. Finally, I should do something to bid this place farewell and to commemorate my time here. I created some of my favourite songs (e.g., A Mallful of Brains, Natalie Portman’s Doormat) at this place, after all.

On June 16th, 2009 Chris de Burgh played a concert at the Arena in Trier. I hadn’t seen him before live before, mainly because the tickets used to be somewhat expensive (especially considering travel expenses). This time I could walk to the venue and got a ticket for about 30 Euros. I sat in the last row of the “Innenraum”, right in front of the mixing desk. Needless to say, the sound was fantastic! (No ear plugs required.) The setlist offered a wide selection of classic hits, surprises and lots of songs from his latest album. The show lasted about 3.5 hours with a short intermission in between.

The audience (approx. 4000 people) appeared to have aged along with the singer on stage, so I felt pretty young. What sets Chris de Burgh apart from other artists is

1. his voice: stunning, moving, strong, tender, amazing, unique, soaring;
2. his songs: deceptive – ballads and catchiness were there, but also rock (“Making the Perfect Man”) and depth (“A Spaceman Came Travelling”); and
3. his character: it’s impossible to not smile at his clumsy German stories, to not rejoice in his unconditional believe in the healing power of love, to not get touched by his pure love for music.

He played lots of songs I longed to hear (“Last Night”) and only few tracks I’d call boring (“The Mirror of the Soul”). Halfway through the concert, he sang “Borderline” without the rest of the band, accompanying himself on the piano. His hauntingly beautiful performance earned him frenetic applause that was well deserved. The one-hour long finale was filled with his great songs as well as a powerful version of Toto’s “Africa”. So attending the concert was well worth my time and money. Chris de Burgh is still one of the best voices and writers out there.

1. Last Night
2. Missing You
3. Sailing Away
4. Turn! Turn! Turn! (Byrds-Cover)
5. Oh My Brave Hearts
6. The Long and Winding Road (Beatles-Cover)
7. Without You (Mariah Carey-Cover)
8. The Mirror of the Soul
9. Leather on My Shoes
10. All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan-Cover)
11. Love of the Heart Devine
12. Moonlight and Vodka
13. Borderline
14. Always on My Mind (Elvis Presley-Cover)
15. The Last Thing on My Mind (Tom Paxton-Cover)
16. A Spaceman Came Travelling
17. The Same Sun
18. Where Peaceful Waters Flow
19. The Lady in Red
20. Africa (Toto-Cover)
21. Making the Perfect Man
22. The Words I Love You
23. Bal Masque
24. Ship to Shore / The Getaway
25. Say Goodbye to It All
26. Don’t Pay the Ferryman
27. High on Emotion
28. The Snows of New York
29. Footsteps