ShareGilbert O’Sullivan performing at The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton on Wednesday 29th August 2018.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Gilbert O’Sullivan looked almost the same and certainly sounded just as we remember him from the 80s, and on the back of a tour of the UK with a full band, last night with just his guitarist, he treated the packed Slade Rooms to an intimate, up close and personal magical experience.
After years in the musical wilderness, he is currently enjoying something of a renaissance. His career had faulted as he was caught up in legal wrangles against his former manager, Gordon Mills, after it emerged that O’Sullivan had received only £500,000 of the £14 million fortune netted by his records, and after the court case he became a virtual recluse living in Jersey, but thankfully he continued to write his classical insightful lyrics.
Now the Irish born singer songwriter is back with his 19th studio album, the self titled Gilbert O’Sullivan, released a few weeks ago. Treating this audience to an array of beautiful songs he opened the first half of the show with January Git which was followed with Out Of The Question and A Friend Of Mine.
Sitting behind his keyboard he delivered soundtracks to so many lives in the room. What Can I Do was mashed up with his first single, Disappear, which O’Sullivan cheerfully said “it did very quickly”. He followed up with Nothing Rhymed which is still a piece of musical poetry and had the crowd singing along for the first time of the evening.
There was a beautiful pitch perfect We Will before this wonderful songwriter who creates a picture with his words and draws his audience in, delivered a beautiful mesmerising rendition of Miss My Love Today, which displayed O’Sullivan’s rich tones.
He then treated this appreciative audience to some new songs such as the lovely Where Did You Go To, and the funky Dansett Dreams And 45s before a lively version of his 1972 hit, Ooh Wakka Doo Wakka Day and first half closer, Clair had this audience on their feet.
The second half showcased some more new songs; At The End Of The Day, the melodic I’ll Never Love Again and the thoughtful Love How You Leave Me but it was the oldies that had everyone on their feet. Singing along to What’s In A Kiss and Alone Again Naturally this audience could have believed that they had been transported back in time.
Rounding off the evening with Matrimony and Get Down, it had been a night of pure nostalgia which showed that he is still one of the most respected and well loved singer songwriters in the music industry due in the main to his unique blend of melodies and witty wordplay that has given him his enduring and endearing career.