Tonight is the last show of 2009.  Next year should be an exciting time for Gilbert fans.  A new album, "Mum's The Word", is due for release in February 2010 and Gilbert hopes to start touring in March/April to promote it.  He'd like to travel far and wide and hopes to get to as many venues as possible. The concert that was recorded in Dublin at the Olympia Theatre last year will be released next year on DVD/CD.  It may come as a double set or two seperate releases.  The CD is being mixed at the moment.  The documentary team that have shadowed Gilbert for the last 12 months are almost finished filming and now go to the editing stage.  That will be braodcast next year.  I also heard Gilbert mention that there would be a piano music book available next year.

MERCHANDISE

A beautiful 16-page concert programme is also now on sale but for the moment only at the live shows.

There is a group of individual Gilbert fans that regularly go to his shows and it is almost impossible to go to one of the shows without bumping into one of them.  Once again it was nice to meet Chris, John, Mike, Mary, Graham, Julie, Cheryl, Laura, Ernie, Dave and Julie.  All of these fans have appeared in the FAN'S GALLERY, some more than one.

It was great to once again meet Lorraine and Sue, who over the years have kept many fans up-to-date with information about Gilbert.

LINE-UP

Gilbert opened by saying "Before I go any further I know I'm wearing blue but this is a concerty of two halves. [Referring to the football rivalry between the cities two teams; United [red] and City [blue]].  It's great to be back in Manchester.  The three concerts we have been doing, we did the Albert Hall two days ago and we did York a couple of days before that.  So we finish here in Manchester.  This is the culmination of almost two years promoting and visiting various countries touring for the current album.  I think we almost started here in October......1927 [Audience laughter].  It was really nice to begin almost here and doubly nice to be ending this campaign with this album here, back in Manchester.  It's really great to be here.  We have a new album that we are just finishing off so next year, next March we will start again.

Gilbert said "I mentioned that we played the Royal Albert Hall and you are all aware that it is a very special venue. It was interesting because when I was schoolboy boxer, I boxed for the British Railways Boxing Club in Swindon.  As a schoolboy I had thirty odd fights and I won most of them.  And then I moved on to the junior stage and I reached the quarter-finals of the All England and I lost.  Had I won, I would have then appeared at the Albert Hall in the semi-finals. But having said that I've continued to do a bit of sparring over the years and I've sparred with a few no-hopers like......[At this point a large photograph of Gilbert sparring with Muhammad Ali was flashed on the big screen to cheers from the audience.]  Nobody you'd know.

My daughters are in their twenties now and they love this picture and so they asked if they could have it framed to put up in their flat in London.  But everytime their friends call, they say 'My God, Muhammad Ali!.............Who's that with him?" [Audience laughter].

We have only included this song in the last couple of shows and I don't normally tell you what a song is about before I sing it.  That's up to you to interpret it as you see it.  I think a lot of them are self explanatory.  This song comes from an album I did in 1995 called 'Every Song Has It's Play' and is called 'Can't Find My Way Home'.  It's that thing about you're independent, you're young, you've got girlfriends and you can go where you like, do what you want.  You work hard, go out with your friends.  There is no pressure other than to go out and enjoy yourself.  Then suddenly you meet somebody and it changes you and you can't understand this person seems to have an effect on you.  You go home and think 'What's going on?'  The song deals with that, it's a strange feeling to find that you have fallen in love with somebody and it's frightening because you have never had that experience before.  It's kind of worrying.  It's a wonderful thing to fall in love but it can be frightening.  We'll do it for you now.

KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE RIGHT - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Now this is the last show so on the next number Julian normally does the voices.  Anyone here who's favourite song or one of their favourite song's is 'Mr Moody's Garden'?"  Many people replied 'Yes'. "You know it pretty well?" asked Gilbert. [Yes!]. "You sure?". [Yes!]. "You know the voice that answers?" [Yes!]. "Well if you are game you can come up here and say it," Gilbert offered.  A fan called Nick answered the challenge.  "Opportunity knocks" said Gilbert.  Nick played his part well and afterwards told Gilbert that it was a dream fulfilled.

NICK

MR. MOODY'S GARDEN - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Accordion] + Nick [Voices]
"We haven't done this next song for a while but I heard a Michael Buble song [Haven't Met You Yet] on the radio the other day and the intro to it reminded me of this song.  So I thought 'Let's do it'".  Mick Parker moved to Gilbert's keyboard to accompany him while he stood mid-stage.  Gilbert played some sound effects on Mick's syntheiser during the song.

Gilbert explained "As a lyricist I take a keen interest in what's going on in the world.  One of the saddest things I've found in recent months is the question of bullying, particularly for young people.  Bullying has always existed but the tragic thing these days is that young people are taking their own lives.  It's a tragic thing.  As a lyricist it interest me so I wrote about it.

We have a new album which is almost complete.  It is at the mix stage now. It will come out early next year probably February.  I'm going to give you a taste of one of the songs from it.  Gilbert made a mess of the beginning of the song and looked to the wings and asked "What was in that coffe you gave me?"  For a couple of moments he just couldn't remember the correct openning chords.  Eventually he said "Got it!, I just love live".

Gilbert dedicated the next song to Carol.

CLAIR - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]

I'm Irish by birth and I'm proud of my roots but having grown up in England I'm very much an English writer.  I like to write as people speak.  In this song there is a lovely line; 'When your love has gone for a burton'.  It's a great line and Americans go 'What is that about?'

NO MATTER HOW I TRY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

NIAMH & CHARLOTTE

"This next song is an interpretation of a well known song.   I think it gives it a new lease of life.  Not that I didn't like the original. I don't think that you should play around with songs that are well known.  But sometimes it works.

"How are your voices, are you in good voice?  I will be calling on you later."

WHERE PEACEFUL WATERS FLOW - From the album "I'M A WRITER NOT A FIGHTER"

NICK [MR MOODY] & GILBERT

Gilbert played and sang 34 songs tonight representing material from 15 different albums.  The breakdown was as follows: