Devotees of Van Morrison, affectionately known as Vanatics, have become adept at tempering their expectations when attending his concerts. The aspiration always remains to witness the relighting of the old soul magic, yet the understanding is that Morrison is likely to deliver a decent yet commonplace medley of veteran R&B, country, and skiffle classics. If he favours the audience with a couple of his unique pieces, they consider themselves fortunate. However, at a recent performance in Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, many were pleasantly surprised as Morrison exceeded expectations, transforming what could have been a pedestrian performance into somewhat of a jubilant occasion.
Approaching his eighties, Morrison is rightfully at liberty to perform whatever he desires. His present tour serves as an homage to those artists who influenced his early music career growing up in Belfast, such as The Everly Brothers, Hank Williams, and Mose Allison. His latest set list primarily features cover songs from his most recent albums, Accentuate the Positive and Moving on Skiffle. He kicked off his show at Iveagh Gardens with The Everly Brothers’ Problems, promptly proving his vocal and saxophone skills remain undiminished by age or fatigue.
His supporting ensemble, featuring guitarist Dave Keary, drummer Colin Griffin, and bassist Pete Hurley, are significantly attuned to Morrison’s temperaments. Complemented by the brilliant backup vocalists Dana Masters and Jolene O’Hara, they breathed life into the vintage numbers on the playlist. The somber ambiance was emphasized by Steve Gibson’s I Want a Roof over My Head and Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, as ominous clouds congregated overhead. However, Big Joe Turner’s Flip-flop and Fly managed to inject a modicum of positivity into the setting.
Mr Thomas is a rendition by Robin Williamson, yet its style wouldn’t feel out of place amongst Van’s own compositions from the 70s. Another track, Crazy Jane on God, is a lesser-known original piece by Van, featuring lyrics written by William Butler Yeats. Joining these were crowd favourites Days Like These and Enlightenment, along with the intriguing track Sometimes We Cry from the 1997 The Healing Game. Another noteworthy moment was Green Rocky Road, a rendition of a folk classic, which emerged as a highlight, as Van and his band found their rhythm.
In the midst of other cover songs, including Kenny Lee Martin’s The Shape I’m In, and imminent rainfall, there was a marked shift in Van’s performance. He proceeded with a Recreation of Wild Night, followed by an unexpected performance of Cleaning Windows. He went on to surprise audiences further with his philosophical masterpiece, In The Garden. Despite the sudden downpour in the Iveagh Gardens, the crowd’s spirits remained high.
The night also saw Van bring out The Star of the County Down, a track from his collaboration with The Chieftains on the album Irish Heartbeat. Finishing the night with the usual choice of Gloria, Van retired early, leaving his band to wrap up the show. Although undeniably aged and set in his unconventional style, Morrison demonstrated his ability to rise above the anticipated on this night, exceeding expectations at will. Far from being ready to pass her proverbial torch to Taylor Swift or any other artist, Stevie Nicks also featured in a Dublin review.