CityLife

Amazed that this hasn't a higher profile - Weird Al is amazing

We were really looking forward to this ( Yes we've been to well over 25 years of CdeB concerts including Alton Towers, Tatton Park, Cologne and the Asda Doncaster ) ...but when you are less interested in the song delivery and more in how the keyboard player's hair can possibly be that shaggy then something is wrong. The first half was OKish - the live version of "Turn Turn Turn" was not good but "American Pie" was not too bad ( better than Don Maclean when he was at the Bridgewater last - and infinitely better than the Madonna version ). There was a reasonable mix of old and new de Burgh songs covering 30years from Sailor through to Leningrad with Borderline being the standout of the first half. The second half had an orchestra of sorts and the songs started off slowly but the first wrong bit was when the drummer wrecked "In a Country Churchyard" and it went downhill from there fast..."Long and Winding Road" was especially interminable. It is a shame - he has a reasonable voice, a good line in self-putdowns, genuinely is a Liverpool FC fan and has a quick wit. He has produced some very good storytelling songs over the years ... this album and tour is more than a touch self-indulgent. I hope it is a glitch and he gets back to songwriting soon

This was a great Cliff concert..better than the last few tours as he really seemed once again to be enjoying himself. From Move It to Thank you for a lifetime his hits really do map out a lifetime. OK Wired for Sound hasn't worn well but teachinbg the audience to sing the slow bit of Congratulations was worth the ticket price alone. Simply amazing that he is approaching 70 Roll on next year with Cliff Richard and The Shadows on tour

This was a show split in 2 with the first part being somewhat self-indulgent and occasionally audially awful. Many times the drummer drowned out the other players and at times the ensemble could not make their minds up to be a jazz band or go for the Big Band sound. One excruciating section was when Mr Legrand got the band to wind up from the low growl to the high notes. Especially awful was the theme from Pieces of Dreams which I heard others commenting about during the interval. I now understand what losing the will to live must be like. The Michel Legrand/Miles Davis piece from Dingo started to make up for what had gone before but the best of the first half was the sublime Harp playing of Catherine Michel which proved once and for all that this instrument can do jazz ! In the second half the be-bop was great and when she came on Alison Moyet improved things tremendously Overall this was a curates egg of a concert with some memorably good sections but more parts that failed.

This concert had too little involvement from the band ( at times Hayward especially looked like he was on autopilot ) who seemed to be playing by numbers without any real enthusiasm for the most part. Even The Voice seemed muted but was the first time the crowd really responded. An honourable exception was Mr Edge who did Higher and Higher proud What was best about the evening was Norda Mullen who shared centre stage with Lodge and Hayward - as the main flautist/acoustic guitar/vocalist she should be listed as a full member of the band by now