Re: Last Live Listen
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2020 1:30 pm
At last a live gig to report!
Van Morrison played at the Virgin Money Unity Arena at Gosforth Park last night. Newcastle's unique socially distanced music arena and an evening I'm never likely to forget.
He's still got it, unmistakably Van the Man despite he's now 75. Great selection of the old and new with a really tight band behind him. Played a lot more Sax than I recall, most numbers had a jazzier swing feel to them but enjoyable all the same.
I'm guessing a crowd of about 2000, each group having their own little pen / pod 2 metres apart with chairs provided in each pen. We were about halfway back from the front row so it was hard to see but the sound was great . On either side of the stage 2 large TV screens which is normal these days but the camera action was remote controlled and I think the apprentice must have stood in for last night as he/her managed to miss just about every solo going.
The row in front of ours only had one couple up on their feet proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that old people cannot dance and are convinced that excessive finger pointing is somehow advanced choreography. Yes you've guessed it we were directly behind them.
Couldn't fault the organisation or the staff . You had to wear masks except when in your pen, virtually no queuing and plenty of sanitizing stations. The missus said she could easily get used to this. You have to admires peoples ingenuity to get something of this nature up and running.
Did I enjoy it - Yes
Would I go again - Probably
Was it a bizarre, hard to believe this is happening experience - Most definitely.
Van Morrison played at the Virgin Money Unity Arena at Gosforth Park last night. Newcastle's unique socially distanced music arena and an evening I'm never likely to forget.
He's still got it, unmistakably Van the Man despite he's now 75. Great selection of the old and new with a really tight band behind him. Played a lot more Sax than I recall, most numbers had a jazzier swing feel to them but enjoyable all the same.
I'm guessing a crowd of about 2000, each group having their own little pen / pod 2 metres apart with chairs provided in each pen. We were about halfway back from the front row so it was hard to see but the sound was great . On either side of the stage 2 large TV screens which is normal these days but the camera action was remote controlled and I think the apprentice must have stood in for last night as he/her managed to miss just about every solo going.
The row in front of ours only had one couple up on their feet proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that old people cannot dance and are convinced that excessive finger pointing is somehow advanced choreography. Yes you've guessed it we were directly behind them.
Couldn't fault the organisation or the staff . You had to wear masks except when in your pen, virtually no queuing and plenty of sanitizing stations. The missus said she could easily get used to this. You have to admires peoples ingenuity to get something of this nature up and running.
Did I enjoy it - Yes
Would I go again - Probably
Was it a bizarre, hard to believe this is happening experience - Most definitely.
I don't mind really as it would be a really daft idea. Saying that the bass player I play with in one of the bands I am in has actually played a gig recently to a real audience 
(outside of course). None of us rely on music as our only source of income.