Van Morrison Iveagh Gardens, Dublin ★★★☆☆ Vanatics – fans of Van the Man – have long ago learned to manage their expectations of his live shows. We go in hope of seeing a spark of that old soul magic reignite, but understand that Morrison is more likely to just cruise through a workmanlike set of old R&B, country and skiffle standards, and we can consider ourselves lucky if he deigns to toss in an original song or two. But at the Iveagh Gardens on Thursday night, he surprised and delighted the crowd by pulling a few rabbits out of the hat, turning what could have been a plodding gig into something close to a celebration.
At 78, Morrison has earned the right to play whatever he wants onstage, and on his current tour he’s paying homage to the artists he listened to as a young lad growing up in Belfast, including The Everly Brothers, Hank Williams and Mose Allison. Morrison’s current set list draws mostly on cover songs from his most recent albums, Accentuate the Positive and Moving on Skiffle, and he opened his Iveagh Gardens show with The Everly Brothers’ Problems – wasting no time in demonstrating that, despite his age and the occasional need to sit down, he has no problem barking out his vocals or blowing a storm on his saxophone. His backing band, including guitarist Dave Keary, drummer Colin Griffin and bassist Pete Hurley, are well tuned in to Van’s moods by now, while superb backing vocalists Dana Masters and Jolene O’Hara put life into the musi.