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My own day started early when I met up with the three new band members, Bill, Liam and James, all from Ireland and we travelled to the venue at the Stables together. Between them these guys have played with some of the biggest names in music including Van Morrision, Ray Davies, Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, Sinead O'Connor, Westlife, Ronan Keating, Mary Black, Brian Kennedy, Paul Brady....the list goes on and on. Because of the new personel on stage, the soundcheck took longer than usual as Gilbert first ran through some songs with the string quartet, then with the band and finally with everybody together. It was obvious from the soundcheck that we were in for a special evening [and tour] and the line up allowed Gilbert to show every facet of his music from rock, pop, blues, country to reggae. He performed solo, with strings, acoustically, he duetted and he rocked.
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
Note: photography was prohibited during the live performance so all the photographs seen here were taken during the sound check.
1st HALF: STARTED AT 20:05 - 21:05
TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF MY TOE - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mark Nightingale [Trombone] Gilbert walked on stage to great reception and sat at his piano. Such was the warmth of the reception he received that he rose to his feet again, went to centre stage, took a bow and pretended to walk off stage. In the recent past Gilbert has started his show with a gentle number [eg. It Ain't For Me, Disappear etc.]. But this time he came out rocking with the first track from "A Scruff At Heart". He was accompanied by Mark Nightingale on trombone. Mark played on the Scruff album. The first song was received very well and Gilbert went on to sing two more before he spoke.
Gilbert & Mark Nightingale
Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals]
MY PLACE OR YOURS - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard]
NOTHING RHYMED - [From the album "HIMSELF"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + James [Bass] + Julian [Flute] Gilbert said "Thanks for your welcome, it's really nice to be back. This is our first night and there are first night nerves". Joking he continued "I've forgotten the words twice already, I have a new album with fourteen new songs and I put so many words into my lyrics that I could kick myself [laughing]. Also what's magical about the first night is that you see warts and all, we'll get it right". He introduced "Nothing Rhymed" with "This one I think you know". They did, and it was greeted and completed to wild applause.
OUT OF THE QUESTION - [From the album "BACK TO FRONT"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] Gilbert apologised to the people sitting behind him seeing only his back but assured them that he would be moving to the other keyboard later. During the song Gilbert sang "We could have conquered Everest" and the girls replied "Everest".
TAKING SIDES - [From the album "A SCRUFF AT HEART"] Gilbert [Electric Piano] + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] Gilbert mused "It's interesting that the last album I released "Piano Foreplay" involved a rhythm section, drums, bass, guitar and strings and I went on the road to promote it with just keyboards, saxphone and the girls singing. This album is very much thunderous piano, no drums, guitar or anything and we are touring with a band. That's Irish logic!" The next track is interesting because people usually ask what a particular song is about. I like to leave it to the public's interpretation. Francis Bacon said 'If you could talk about it, why paint it'. I go along with that logic. This song is not about us but when my daughters heard this song they were horrified because they thought it was about us. They said they'd walk out if I did it." As it turns out, they didn't and they really enoyed the performance
MISS MY LOVE TODAY - [From the album "SOUTHPAW"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Keyboard] Gilbert moved to the second keyboard for this track and said "This is an album track and features Mick heavily on keyboard".
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] It's the 'bagsy' thing, I like that. I grew up in Swindon and it was common. I probably told the story about Andy Williams thing last I was here. He's a nice man and he rang me while I was on tour in America and said that he wanted to record "We Will" but that he would like to change one word. Guess what it was?.......bagsy. [Audience laughter].
MR. MOODY'S GARDEN - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Mick [Accordion] Gilbert
turned to look at Julian calling his name but he wasn't there.
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?" [audience laughter]. Gilbert sang the song in the absence of backing vocals which as it turns out, Julian was to provide but he couldn't be heard. After the song Gilbert turned to Julian and asked "Did you do it?" "Very quietly was the reply from Julian. Gilbert played the first verse again and this time Julian was heard loud and clear. Gilbert admitted that he hadn't told Julian about doing the song.
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 the 'Da Do Run Run' [The Ronettes] and we had 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy' [Manfred Mann] and we had 'De do do do, de da da da' by the Police and we had this" and he lead into "Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day". He stopped after a few bars and explained how the audience in Dublin on the previous tour insisted that he sang it. "It's Music Hall" he explained.
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] No introduction just 1...2...3...4 It was recognised and applauded immediately.
2nd HALF: STARTED AT 21:35 - 22:45
Liam
Bill & James
Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxaophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine] This was a storming version of this song and the band really rocked.
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] There were nice solos in this song by Julian on saxophone and Bill on guitar that really brought this track to life.
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]. It's kind of interesting 'Make My Day'....think of it punk!!!"
Charlotte & Nina Julian
Mick
Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Liam [Congas] + Mick [Keyboard] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Nina [Caxixi] Nice work from both Liam and James here on percussion and bass respectively in the true spirit of the original recording.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING - [From the album "HIMSELF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] False start due to feedback. "First night" said Gilbert. This was an excellent version of the song with a fantastic saxaphone solo. The band were brilliant. I just love it!
WHY, OH WHY, OH WHY - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Caxixi] "Somebody asked me 'How do you chose your material?'. Some artists do cover versions. I do cover versions of my own songs. We have put a reggae style on this track and it's different from the way I recorded it and I think it gives the song a new life and it's fun to play."
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] Afterwards Gilbert spoke about groups breaking up and reforming. Groups like 'The Police', 'Genesis' and 'Take That'. "It's easy for a group to break up and reform, but solo singers, how do they break up and reform? We just disappear and come back again."
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] Introduced by Gilbert as "A bit of country".
HAPPINESS IS ME AND YOU - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Vocal] + Bill [Spanish Acoustic Guitar] + Julian [Flute] This track is one of the highlights of the current live set, because of it's beauty and simplicity. It's mainly just voice and guitar. Bill steps forward to centre stage with his Spanish acoustic guitar and stands alongside Gilbert.
Gilbert then proceeds to introduce the band, explaining that although he knows everybody by their first name, he is not so good on the surnames. And as if to prove himself right, he messes up some of the names even though he's reading from a list. "I'll get better at this as I go along" he said laughing.
THE MARRIAGE MACHINE - [From the album "A STRANGER IN MY OWN BACK YARD"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Nina [Vocal] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Flute] This is performed as a duet with a beautiful vocal by 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] As Gilbert moves on his chair it squeeks prompting him to say "I'll have to oil this chair, it's worse than a Alfred Hitchcock mystery. [Audience laughter].
ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - [From the album "THE BERRY VEST OF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Tambourine] Nice guitar solo by Bill, true to the original. Gilbert left the stage to rousing applause and cheers.
ENCORE
MATRIMONY - [From the album "HIMSELF"] Gilbert [Keyboard] + Band + String Quartet + Mick [Keyboard] + Julian [Saxophone] + Charlotte & Nina [Backing Vocals] + Charlotte [Tambourine] + Nina [Caxixi] Nice drum and percussion intro by Liam. Everybody was on stage at this point and it sounded great.
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] The usual storming finish to a Gilbert show although this time Gilbert decided not to stand on the keyboard.
As usual tours allow me to meet old friends and to make new ones and tonight was no different. It was nice to see John and Shirley Towers from Durham and Jonathan from Lemington Spa again. I also got to meet Alan Waring from BigglesFM. Alan did a marvellous interview with Gilbert at his Jersey home last year. It was nice to meet Arley Cole, a longtime fan who has recently rediscovered Gilbert. It was also nice to meet Sue King and the "Birthday Boy" and his understanding girlfriend who bought him 8 albums. Hey Wanda I told you not to go, you missed a fabulous second half. As always Gilbert is well supported by family members back stage. Last night there was wife Aase, daughters Helen-Marie and Tara and of course the ever present sister Marie and brother Kevin. It was also great to meet Rupert Christie, the man behind the vocal harmonies on "My Place Or Yours", "Force Of Habit" and "You Can't Concrete" on the "A Scruff At Heart" album.
Celebrity watch: Shakin' Stevens, the Welsh rock 'n' roll singer sat two seats away from me.
Alan Waring & Brian
Gilbert played and sang 31 songs tonight representing material from 13 different albums. The breakdown was as follows:
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