|
For the purpose of this and following reports the personnel on stage were: String Quartet: Laura Stanford [violin], Eleanor Stanford [violin], Amy Stanford [violin] and Jessica Cox [cello]. Band: Liam Bradley [drums + percussion], Bill Shanley [guitars] and James Blennerhassett [bass]. Backing Vocals: Charlotte James and Nina Ferro. Saxophone, Flute & Harmonica: Julian Webster Greaves. Keyboard and Accordion: Mick Parker
1st HALF: STARTED AT 19:35 - 20:35
TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF MY TOE - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet
A PROPER FOOL - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]
MY PLACE OR YOURS - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Synthesizer] On this song Mick played the Synthesizer which had the voices created by Rubert Christe on "The Scruff At Heart" album programmed into it.
NOTHING RHYMED - [From the album "HIMSELF"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + James [Bass] + Julian [Flute] Gilbert said "It's nice to be here at the Barbican, as my young niece said the other day, 'Anything to do with Barbi is okay with me'" [Audience laughter]. During the song images of Gilbert from days gone by where projected onto a large screen above the stage. The song finished to prolonged applause. Afterwards Gilbert revealed that he had messed up the second verse due to a 'senior moment'. So he decided to play the second verse again. Ironically the verse ends on the words 'Never again will I make that mistake'. Both Gilbert and the audience got a laugh out of that.
OUT OF THE QUESTION - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]
MISS MY LOVE TODAY - [From the album "SOUTHPAW"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard] This song and "Taking Sides" were swapped around on the setlist from last night.
TAKING SIDES - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute]
YOU CAN'T CONCRETE - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone]
WE WILL - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] Gilbert recalled the Andy Williams story [see last night] and explained how he sees himself as a traditional english lyricist like Ray Davies [The Kinks]. "It's what I hear, it's what I see around me, it's the way people speak."
MR. MOODY'S GARDEN - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Accordion] + Julian [Backing Vocals] Last night Julian couldn't be heard on backing vocals and it seemed as if that would be repeated tonight when he couldn't be heard saying "Really" but then he could be heard doing a series of 'character voices'.
I'M IN LOVE WITH LOVE AGAIN - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet
SOMETIMES - [From the album "SOUNDS OF THE LOOP"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] Gilbert moved to the keyboard for this track.
OOH-WAKKA-DOO-WAKKA-DAY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert
[Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] Gilbert said "Well we had 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy' [Manfred Mann] and we've had Papa Oom Mow Mow [The Beach Boys] we've had the 'Da Do Run Run' [The Ronettes]". A female voice interupted shouting 'What about "Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day"?' "If these's songs could be hits, why not Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day?" asked Gilbert to loud applause. I notice Gilbert sang "A chap named Radford etc. was then subjected" instead of suspected. The audience enjoyed it and clapped along.
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE RIGHT - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet
CLAIR - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Harmonica] Once again images of Gilbert and Clair were projected onto the screen above the stage. Gilbert left the stage to prolonged applause and whistles.
2nd HALF: STARTED AT 21:05 - 22:15
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] Mick informed Gilbert that he had played the whole song in the wrong key. Gilbert got a laugh out of it and thought that it was pretty good considering. "Well done lads" he said.
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]
NOW MATTER HOW I TRY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band+ Mick [Keyboard] Gilbert told us "Last night was our opening night and I forgot a certain number just like earlier when I played in a different key to the band. It does keep them on their toes." [Audience laughter] Gilbert overlooked this track last night. Bill features prominently on guitar. Gilbert sang "five foot two and a half".
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] I wrote in my notes "lovely percussion" and also "nice acoustic guitar solo".
WHY, OH WHY, OH WHY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Caxixi] "The next song is a cover version. One of mine." Another change in the running order with this and "Thunder And Lightning" being reversed from last night.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING - [From the album "HIMSELF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] There was a false start on this because of the aforementioned change in running order which confused the band. But it was soon back to business. I love that saxaphone solo! I know from talking to Julian that this is one of his favourite tracks to perform.
COME ON HOME - [UNRELEASED] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] "This is a really old song that I wrote in the 60s and rediscovered it recently". This is one of Gilbert's earliest songs. A song that up to now he hasn't performed or recorded but was recorded by the English pop group 'The Tremoloes'.
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] + Julian [Tambourine] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] Laura was very prominent on this song with a wonderful country violin solo. After the song Gilbert spotlighted her and said "We promised her a cowboy hat and boots!".
HAPPINESS IS ME AND YOU - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Vocal] + Bill [Spanish Acoustic Guitar] + Julian [Flute] Great reaction to this version of the song. After last night's debacle when Gilbert tried to introduce the band members, he decided to give everybody the surname Smith to make it easier for himself. This caused great hilarity as he intoduced Laura Smith, Eleanor Smith, Amy Smith and Jessica Smith and then continued to the band, who saw the funny side themselves. Gilbert did start again and he got the names correct this time.
THE MARRIAGE MACHINE - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Nina [Vocal] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] Well done Nina.
WHAT'S IN A KISS? - [From the album "OFF CENTRE"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick Parker [Keyboard]
SAY GOODBYE - [From the album "IRLISH"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine] + Nina [Caxixi] This is a great live track.
ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Tambourine]
ENCORE
MATRIMONY - [From the album "HIMSELF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine] + Nina [Caxixi] There were people dancing around me in the Circle during this song.
GET DOWN - [From the album "I'M A WRITER NOT A FIGHTER"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Tambourine] + Charlotte & Nina [ Backing Vocals] There was hundreds of people now dancing in the Stalls and the Circle. A montage of Gilbert's past performances was projected on the screen. Near the end of the song Gilbert removed his shoes and jumped up and stood on the shiny new baby grand piano to the cheers and excitement of the crowd. He jumped down to return to the keyboard, stumbled and dropped the mike but still recovered without missing a word. The crowd couldn't get enough.
Tonight I was delighted to meet Joe Henson and his girfriend Antje who had travelled from Berlin, Germany to see Gilbert for the first time. Joe is only twenty one and has covered a lot of Gilbert's songs and posted the videos on YouTube. Nice to see Mike Dywer who looked sharp in his 'G' jumper and Martin Wiseman. After the show the line of fans waiting to meet Gilbert stretched around the large foyer in the Barbican Centre and it took an hour and ten minutes for Gilbert to meet everybody.
Celebrity watch: Harry Hill the British stand-up comedian and author, [who also appeared in Gilbert's video for "Two's Company (Three Is allowed)] was there tonight. Richard Curtis the screenwriter of "Four Weddings and A Funeral", "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually" was also there tonight as was Angus Deayton, comic actor and television presenter.
STATS Gilbert played and sang 32 songs tonight representing material from 13 different albums. The breakdown was as follows:
|
