CHRISTY MOORE

Live Review

Symphony Hall, Birmingham (2009)

If there is such a thing as guitar abuse then the Kildare balladeer Christy Moore is the worst offender, but that just goes to show his passion for playing live has not diminished even after more than 40 years of touring.

Giving the pretty-much packed Symphony Hall crowd what they wanted straight away with old favourite, Go, Move, Shift Christy showed he still knows how to work the audience. 

He continued to please with more renditions so familiar to his army of loyal fans - some of who have followed him around the country - Don’t Forget Your Shovel, Triangle, The Voyage, The Cliffs of Dooneen, Only Our Rivers Run Free but also songs from his latest album Listen, including the title track. 

Christy even showed his bhodran skills with Well Below the Valley, thumping the drum just as manically as he does his guitar strings. 

He threw in Biko Drum, Does This Train Stop on Merseyside – a track on his latest album, Delirium Tremens, The Magdalene Laundries and the song penned by Bobby Sands McIlhaton all of which were clearly appreciated by his fans who brought him back for an encore with a standing ovation. 

For almost two hours the Irish axeman rattled off a continuous stream of ballads - taking only one break to allow his fellow musician Declan Sinnot to give his rendition of I Will - which is not bad for a man the “wrong” side of 60.