Gilbert O'Sullivan Reviews

Gilbert in his dressing room before the show

Gilbert made a triumphant return to Dublin last night and was given a hero's welcome by his loyal enthusiastic fans. His previous show at the Olympia Theatre in March wasn’t up to his usual high standard and Gilbert was eager to return and set the record straight. Backed by an 11-piece band Gilbert performed for two and half hours and played all the old songs and some new songs too. The audience sang at every opportunity and at the end of the night they left wanting more.

MERCHANDISE

People never cease to be amazed on tour at the amount of albums that Gilbert has recorded and that are available at the Merchandise Stand. The stand is fronted by Gilbert's sister Marie, and her husband Richard and they both spend their concert evenings helping fans find their required albums from the large back catologue. For those who can't make it to a live show, the same merchandise is available from www.bygumrecords.com A new tee-shirt has been designed for the Gilbertville tour and comes in five colours and features the cartoon sketch of Gilbert from the Gilbertville album sleeve. Bygum Records have also had Every Song Has It's Play reprinted and is now available. The very popular tour programme from last year has sold out and and an updated version is planned.

NEW SONGBOOK

The is now a new songbook for piano/guitar available. It contains 12 songs including two songs from the new album Gilbertville. The new tracks are All They Wanted To Say and Missing You Already. The other songs include Alone Again (Naturally), Clair, Matrimony, Get Down and Nothing Rhymed. If you can't make it to one of the shows, the book can be brought from www.bygumrecords. Contact Marie by clicking HERE.

LINE-UP

For the purpose of this report the personnel on stage were:

String Quartet: Laura Stanford [violin], Rachel Steadman [violin], Nozomi Cohen [viola] and Tony Woollard [cello].

Band: Rod Quinn [drums + percussion], Jimmy Smyth [guitars] and Nick Scott [bass].

Backing Vocals: Nina Ferro and Niamh McNally.

Saxophone & Flute: Pat Kyle.

Keyboard and Accordion: Mick Parker.

All photographs by Brian King

(1) - THUNDER AND LIGHTNING - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Saxophone] + String Quartet + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(2) - CAN I LEAVE THE REST UP TO YOU - [From the album "GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Tambourine] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(3) - PRIVATE EYE - [From the album"GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Flute] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

Gilbert started by saying "Am I glad you are not all Bryan Adams fans [playing at the O2 in Dublin]. It's really good to be back, I had a bad trip man last time, but I'm more than ready to have a good night tonight". [Loud audience cheers].

(4) - NOTHING RHYMED - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Pat [Flute]

(5) - OUT OF THE QUESTION - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard] + Band + Pat [Flute] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(6) - MISS MY LOVE TODAY - [From the album "SOUTHPAW"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard]

Gilbert asked "How are you for drinks, do you like te or coffee?"

(7) - WHERE WOULD WE BE (WITHOUT TEA) - [From the album "GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Flute] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(8) - NOBODY - [UNRELEASED]

Gilbert [Vocal] + Mick [Accordion] + Pat [Flute]

(9) - WE WILL - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + String Quartet + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

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

Gilbert [Baby Grand] + String Quartet

Instead of the line:

"Did they not inform us of Iraq's great might"

Gilbert sang:

"Did they not inform us of the banks great crime"

(11) - DON'T LET IT GET TO YOU - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Gilbert [Baby Grand]

(12) - I'M IN LOVE WITH LOVE (AGAIN) - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Gilbert [Baby Grand] + String Quartet

(13) - STICK IN THE MUD - [From the album "IN THE KEY OF G"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Saxophone] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

Gilbert asked "Does anybody here know the song Mr Moody's Garden?" There were huge cries of "Yes". Gilbert then asked "Does anybody know what takes place when I sing the verse? If you know it then you can come up here and sing it with us." A female fan came up on stage and sat on the stool centre stage ready to sing the song but when Gilbert checked if she knew what she had to sing it was obvious that she didn't know the song as well as she thought and so unfortunately Gilbert had to ask her to return to her seat. "Next!" Gilbert said. Up stepped Linda Stienstra, a fan from Holland and a regular visitor to Ireland to see Gilbert. She was very familar with the song and did really well.

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Accordion] + Linda Stienstra [Voices]

(15) - WHO WAS IT? - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]

Gilbert [Vocal] + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(16) - ALL THEY WANTED TO SAY - [From the album "GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(17) - OOH-WAKKA-DOO-WAKKA-DAY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Flute]

(18) - CLAIR - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + String Quartet + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Harmonica]

INTERVAL [20 Minutes]

(19) - YOU GOT ME GOING - [From the album "SOUTHPAW"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Pat [Saxophone] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(20) - MAKE MY DAY - [From the album "PIANO FOREPLAY"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band+ Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Saxophone] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(21) - THE ALLERGY SONG - [From the album "GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Pat [Harmonica]

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band+ Mick [Keyboard]

(23) - CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT - [From the album "SOUNDS OF THE LOOP"]

Gilbert [Vocal] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(24) - OR SO THEY SAY - [From the album "OFF CENTRE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Pat [Saxophone] + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(25) - WHY, OH WHY, OH WHY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard]

Speaking about the next song Gilbert said "I don't normally do this but I think it is a Dublin favourite". He was so right because the crowd sang every word and Gilbert obviously enjoyed it too.

(26) -

PERMISSIVE TWIT - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard]

(27) - CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU - [From the album "OFF CENTRE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Flute] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(28) - HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU GOT - [From the album "BY LARRY"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard & Accordion] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(29) - A FRIEND OF MINE - [From the album "I'M A WRITER, NOT A FIGHTER"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(30) - HAPPINESS IS ME AND YOU - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

Gilbert [Vocal] + Jimmy [Spanish Acoustic Guitar] + Pat [Flute] + Rod [Percussion]

BAND INTRODUCTIONS

(31) - I WANNA KNOW - [From the album "GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Baby Grand] + Band + Pat [Saxaphone]

(32) - HERE'S WHY - [From the album "GILBERTVILLE"]

Gilbert [Vocal] + Band + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(33) - WHAT'S IN A KISS? - [From the album "OFF CENTRE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard]

(34) - ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard]

ENCORE

(35) - MATRIMONY - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Pat [Saxophone] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

(36) - GET DOWN - [From the album "I'M A WRITER NOT A FIGHTER"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Nina & Niamh [Backing Vocals]

STATS

Gilbert played and sang 36 songs tonight representing material from 13 different albums. The breakdown was as follows:

	Gilbertville	7	All They Wanted To Say/Can I Leave The Rest Up To You/Here's Why/I Wanna Know/Private Eye/The Allergy Song/Where Would We Be (Without Tea)
	The Berry Vest Of	7	Alone Again (Naturally)/Happiness Is Me And You/Mr Moodys Garden/No Matter How I Try/Ooh Wakka Doo Wakka Day/We Will/Why, Oh Why,Oh Why
	Himself	4	Matrimony/Nothing Rhymed/Permissive Twit/Thunder & Lightning
	A Scruff At Heart	3	I Know What I Would Do/I'm In Love With Love (Again)/Know What You're Right
	Back To Front	3	Clair/Out Of The Question/Who Was It?
	Off Centre	3	Can't Get Enough Of You/Or So They Say/What's In A Kiss?
	Southpaw	2	Miss My Love Today/You Got Me Going
	I'm A Writer Not A Fighter	2	A Friend of Mine/Get Down
	Sounds Of The Loop	1	Can't Think Straight
	In The Key of G	1	Stick In The Mud
	By Larry	1	Hold On To What You Got
	Piano Foreplay	1	Make My Day
-	Unreleased	1	Nobody