FIRST HALF

TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF MY TOE - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] + String Quartet + Niall Harvey [Trombone]

Niall played the trombone solo on this song.

A PROPER FOOL - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

ONE DOOR CLOSES - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard]

"Could you imagine anybody called Ian going around Dublin today...Halloween [Hello Ian], Halloween, Halloween....nightmare.  We had done three shows in Dublin and this is our fourth and my voice is giving me trouble.  So we had two choices, we could have rescheduled the show to another time [cries of NO! from the audience] or we could carry on and do our best as long as you don't expect me to be pitch perfect. [Wild cheers].

NOTHING RHYMED - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + James [Bass] + Julian [Flute]

The audience sang along and it was greeted and completed to wild applause.  Afterwards Gilbert commented "You could have sung it on your own."

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

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

Gilbert let the crowd sing: "It's really out of the question" each time.

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard]

"We heard the fireworks going off outside and my wife who is from Norway said 'Oh it's just an early celebration of Guy Fawks.'  "I had to explain that this was Ireland and we didn't celebreate Guy Fawks here.  Maybe Oliver Cromwell night but...." [audience cheers]

TAKING SIDES - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"]

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Nick [Flute]

Gilbert explained about power of lyrics and the fact that his daughters dislike this song [see previous nights for details].

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

Gilbert [Electric Piano]

While playing the intro Gilbert said "I haven't sung this one yet and I haven't even rehearsed it, but you know with voices when they start to go, you panic and say I can't sing that one, it's too high, should I try this one?" "Yes" was the reply.  The ending of the song has a long extended assending progression on the piano, which Gilbert slightly messed up at the very end.  He tried it twice more until he got it right and punched the air when he did.  He went on to tell us that while recording the track, playing it and singing it was no problem but that had to do the ending  about a thousand times and Gilbert refused the engineer's offer to piece it together.  "Eventually we got it a ten past midnight" he said.

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

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

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Accordion] + Julian [Voices]

"People talk about John Lennon singing 'Picture yourself on a boat on a river' [Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds] and they ask what was he on when he wrote it?  Well in this song there's a verse that goes:

Now down among the Partridge trees

Lives a "Don" who loves his knees

So much so he's framed them in a jar

And if by chance one should escape

Then "to put on" must in it's place

Eat half a pound of shredded tar

Gilbert asked "Now what was I on when I wrote that?" [audience laughter].  

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

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet

A FRIEND OF MINE - [From the album "I'M A WRITER NOW A FIGHTER"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard]  + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

Gilbert threw in a couple of adlibs during the song:

"His name is Homer [well it rhymes]"

and

"They said that I was like my dad but now they say I just like his daughter [well it's the hair]."

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

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute]

At this stage Gilbert returned to the piano and counted in and began to play "Know What, You're Right", stopped realising his mistake and said "Oh I forgot" and returned to the keyboard for Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day.

"This is your turn, this is where I get a rest" he told the audience.  This is interesting, Bruce Springsteen's latest album is live, guess where it's live from?.....R.E.M.'s forthcoming live album, guess where that's live from?  [Dublin came the reply]. You should be charging them [audience laughter].  Obviously the best audience in the world"

Gilbert played the intro and stopped to add "well we had the 'Do Run Run' and we had 'Do Da Diddy Diddy Dum' and we had 'Da Da Da' by the Police and we had this" and he lead into Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day.

Gilbert applauded the crowd after the song for their singing.

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

Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Harmonica]

This song was number 2 in America when Bono and his friends were about five years old. [Audience cheers].

SECOND HALF

STICK IN THE MUD - [From the album "FROBISHER DRIVE / IN THE KEY OF G"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxaophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine]

CAN'T GET YOU TO LOVE ME - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxaophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Nina [Caxixi]

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band+ Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

Simple 1...2...3..4 introduction.  After the song Gilbert told us "There's a nice story that goes with that song.  When we recorded it for Top Of The Pops 2 in the BBC Television Centre, Clint Eastwood was in the studio next door recording 'Parkinson' [TV chat show].  How ironic is that!"

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band+ Mick [Keyboard]

Long intro.

IF I DON'T GET YOU (BACK AGAIN) - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Liam [Congas] + Mick [Keyboard] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Nina [Caxixi]

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

Gilbert explained that during the afternoon sound check that he had rehearsed another song ["Just So You Know".] with Niall Harvey playing the trombone solo.  The song was due to be played in the first half but because of Gilbert's weakened voice he had decided to leave the song out at the last minute but felt bad about Niall missing out and wanted to give him the opportunity to play the solo so he introduced him on stage saying 'Niall Harvey....the Niall Harvey' and then played the lead-up to the solo which Niall played perfectly.  "Well done Niall" said Gilbert.

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard]

FOREVER WONDERING - [From the album "FROBISHER DRIVE"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

"Matrimony" came the cry from the audience.  "Are you leaving?" asked Gilbert.

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

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]

HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU GOT - [From the album "BY LARRY / THE LITTLE ALBUM"]

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

Introduced by Gilbert as "A bit of country".   The girls in the String Quartet and Charlotte and Nina all donned  green cowboy hats following Laura's lead from previous shows.

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

Gilbert [Vocal] + Bill [Spanish Acoustic Guitar] + Julian [Flute]

There was complete silence for acoustic intro but once the audience recognised the song they cheered and sang along.  During the band introductions, Gilbert described the String Quartet as models and also complemented the backing Vocalist adding "We know how to pick them" and finally he introduced the Rhythm Section as the wrecking crew of Dublin and Ireland.

THE MARRIAGE MACHINE - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Nina [Vocal] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute]

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

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

As Gilbert began his count-in 1...2...1...2....3...4 somebody in the audience counted along we him.  Gilbert stopped the band and asked the fan to count them in by herself, which she did and the band played on.  The crowd sang the line "What's In A Kiss?" loud and clear.

SAY GOODBYE - [From the album "IRLISH"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine] + Nina [Caxixi]

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

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

Again the crowd went wild and sang every word, after which Gilbert left the stage while the crowd stood to applaud.  There was clapping, cheers, whistles and stomping of feet, which only ceased when Gilbert returned.

ENCORE

MATRIMONY - [From the album "HIMSELF"]

Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine] + Nina [Caxixi]

A lot of people stood in the Stalls and the Circle dancing.

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

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

Brian Kennedy & Marie [Gilbert's Sister]