Van Morrison 

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• Van Morrison

  At the grand age of 69, Van Morrison shows no sign of slowing his touring schedule and when you see the acclaimed singer onstage you begin to understand why. Van is a born performer and he clearly has a passion for his music, his performance and his audience so it is difficult to imagine him doing anything else.

  An inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as well as a six time Grammy winner, Morrison is an incredibly esteemed artist and the opportunity to see him live should not be surpassed. Obviously his voice is showing some wear due to his age but he is still able to hit those sultry notes found on the likes of 'Cry Cry Baby' and 'Blue Money'.

  He has a fantastic rapport with his classical band who add a rich tone to these classic tracks. His ability to play saxophone is also applaudable as it sounds so brilliant in this intimate venue and punctuates his setlist wonderfully. A beautiful rendition of 'Ballerina' brings an enjoyable evening to a close and one hopes Van will be performing for many more years to come.

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  by sean-ward

• I saw this Irish gingered soulman in the Summer of 2010 at the Gorge in George, Washington. And I can say it was the best way to see him. The views there are wonderful and tied in real nicely to the Astral Weeks tracks. It amazes me how well his voice has stood the test of time. Not a showman by any means but a top notch vocal performer. He went all over his catalog. To me, the show was very personal and at times felt like he was just performing in a public park. Word on the interweb stated that he loathes pictures, smartphones, and has at times cut shows short cuz of it. Everyone was respectable and paid the respect he requested. And also heard that if he plays "Brown Eyed Girl" it means it's a good show as he's not fond of playing it often. So when he played it, the crowd cheered danced and I had a nice smile on my face. What an amazing show it was.

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  by rudyjay

• Have to say the guy is a pro and showed dead on time. I was filled full of expectation. Even after travelling 300+ miles to see him.

  Excellent 6 piece accompanied backing. Very little to no time between numbers and it somewhat makes a personal touch. Van did not address the crowd once, had a feeling he just wanted to get it over with.

  If I had any complaint not one single number was introduced. So anyone who is not a fan of Van the Man would be no wiser to what they were listening to. Which caught me out as a fan as some numbers usually played in a slower tempo were played as swing or even rockabilly, which for one song (a love song) was a tad off putting. Only recognised by the lyrics.

  Would I rush to go back to see him? Sadly probably not. I'll stick to the CD collection. And that from a guy who owned a live music venue says something.

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  by des-sunseeker

• Wow! To see Van Morrison was on my bucket list. I was so excited to get to see him. There are very few artists I would shell out hard earned dollars to go see. For me this was a splurge. I was ready to see the man live and now house lights dimmed signaling the show is about to begin.

  Van was incredible. He didn't even hardly take a breath before going right into the next song. He sang some old favorites and some new songs for almost 2 hours straight! What a performance.

  I was however disappointed that he he didn't do an encore. Or tell a story or two. The show's execution seemed rather mechanical. I didn't feel he connected with the audience. Especially since during his last song he walked off the stage still singing. I thought for sure he would come out for en encore or take a bow with band mates. Instead lights fade to black. Bucket list checked.

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  by kplisik

• Van is one of the greatest recording artists from the classic rock days of the 60's and 70's. In his early days, he did concerts that were heartfelt, immersive and romantic. However, in more recent years the charm seems to have worn off. He comes on no later than five minutes after the scheduled start time, rarely says a word to the audience, plays what he wants to play not necessarily what the audience has come to hear and is finished his set in less than ninety minutes. Performing seems like a chore to him.

  He should rethink his approach to live performances or go back to the studio and stay there for the rest of his career. Sorry Van, but you've lost your touch.

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  by jwalderman

• Fantabulous evening for a Moondance! JazzOpen Stuttgart was incredible! Set in the old castle square performing in an open garden with castle cobblestone was quite an ambiance! He is a romantic genius spanning through the generations, uniting the youth and the mature. A colorful diverse crowd in attendance. I am an 30 year old American gal living in Germany, I met a cute Australian boy and then two older gentlemen who bought me a beer. All swaying to his deep melodic voice. He still has all the energy as his younger days. Playing a 17 song set! What an ol' stud that Van is! A living legend that I felt privileged to see perform live in a magical setting :)

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  by arial-crystal-gray

• This was a great show. A real crowd-pleaser. Given that he's been releasing an album a week for the last couple years (so it seems) and I'm not a completist, I was concerned how much I would recognise. In fact, this was not a problem at all. He played a substantial number of the "hits" and the rest of it was equally enjoyable due to the quality of the musicianship on display. He was generous in letting the band take their moments in the spotlight and all in all this was a great event, made even better by having the chance to see him (for the first time in my case) in the relatively intimate surroundings of the Brighton Dome. Top night out.

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  by scrawled

• Well, Van is always great. The venue is horrible our tickets were about $140, which is quite a lot money. Our seats were way at the top in the second to the last row, partially obstructed by stage structures. The sound up there was not good, there was no screen to actually see the person who is singing. I know that screens can be annoying, but being almost 1/2 mile away, we needed it. We stayed for almost the entire concert, but it was extremely windy up in the bleachers. As we walked down, the sound got so much better. Parking there is a whole different challenge!

  In conclusion, we would NEVER go to that venue again.

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  by abanakee5

• Unbelievable!!!! Wow, wow, wow!! From the first song to the last.

  So glad we managed to get tickets.

  Sir Van is without a shadow of a doubt a living legend.

  Felt honoured to be presence of such a performer.

  Words on this review just wouldn't do the man justice. If you haven't seen him perform, you need to.

  I have listened to his music over the years, and loved his style and voice, but wouldn't class myself as an avid fan. Seeing him live last night absolutely blew me away, one of the best shows/sets I have ever witnessed. One of the "all time greats"!!!!

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  by paolo-gatti

• Having never seen Van Morrison before and been a fan for years I enjoyed the show and the opportunity to see him. I was a little disappointed some of his hits; Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance, Jackie Wilson Said just to name a few weren't sung as originally recorded but with a jazz component. Fans want to be able to sing along with the hits and relive the time in their lives when the song was a hit. Very talented group of musicians! And no "Into the Mystic"!

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  by rlkrecipelover