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Chris de Burgh, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester 28/04/09
For most people, the name Chris de Burgh simply invokes memories of his 1986 classic The Lady in Red.
But the Irish-based singer-songwriter has been performing for more than three decades, having produced more than 30 albums, nine of which have reached the top 10 of the UK charts.
And it is to promote his latest album, Footsteps, that he has embarked on his 2009 European tour which debuted in Liverpool on Monday and graced Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on Tuesday night.
Footsteps, which entered the charts at no 4 and is now no 11, is a change of direction. Thirteen tracks are covers, songs which the artist says have inspired him.
Although de Burgh's versions don't differ vastly from the originals, the honest simplicity of the singer's style draws attention to the lyrics and makes for pleasant listening.
The concert started with him performing alone, first on guitar and then piano - and this is probably when he is at his best - with tracks such as Sailing Away and American Pie.
After the interval, complete with suave suit and full orchestra, he gave beautiful renditions of Missing You and Carry Me before entertaining the crowd with more covers, including Elvis Presley's Always on my Mind and The Beatles' Long and Winding Road.
But, of course, it was his only UK no 1, The Lady in Red, which stole the show and last night the song was made even more special by being dedicated to teenager Kirsty Howard who was born with an extremely rare heart condition. She was in the audience, looking a picture in red.
After promising to up the tempo following a gentle start, de Burgh certainly did that by ending with some lively numbers, including Don't Pay the Ferryman, many in the near-packed audience responding by getting to their feet.
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