ShareDaniel O’Donnell performing his Back Home Again Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Monday 11th December 2017.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Daniel O’Donnell was back at the Royal Concert Hall last night and thoroughly charmed the crowd for the whole of his set that lasted nearly three hours.
Being an old hand at delivering easy listening songs, he took his dedicated fans on an enjoyable trip down memory lane. Coming on stage dressed immaculately, he routinely played to his strengths with the likes of My Donegal Shore, Down In Tenessee, The Isle Of Inisfree and Remember Me. Dueting with his long term band mate, Mary Duff, a successful artist in her own right, there was Kris Kristofferson’s Help Me Make It Through The Night, and The Last Thing On My Mind.
Finishing the first half with Sweet Caroline, he proved that he is still a savvy performer who has an easy way about him with his stories and gentle Irish burr that grows more likeable the longer that he is on stage. Chatty and instantly affable, he is a rarity; an artist that seems to genuinely care about his fans and when they sang Happy Birthday to him (he is 56 today), he was clearly moved.
The second half was billed as the Christmas section with O’Donnell coming back on stage complete with Christmas jumper to deliver an outstanding version of Little Drummer Boy. Frequently leaving the stage to Duff, she delivered a handful of songs such as Merry Christmas Everyone and Jingle Bell Rock.
With an extensive and varied repertoire that included old classic Irish ballads and pop songs, his version of Christmas 1915 with images on the huge back screen of soldiers during World War 1, was without doubt a moving highlight.
Joining him on stage was the Nottingham Hospitals and Cathedrals Choir for a mesmerising version of Silent Night and as the snow fell to bring an end to the show, this hadn’t been so much a concert but a party in O’Donnell’s front room.
