* Alfie Boe belts out a number during his Eisteddfod concert.
Alfie Boe declared towards the finale of his smash-hit concert
at the Eisteddfod last night (Tuesday) that it was the “best gig of my life”.
However, he admitted that his judgment had been slightly
coloured by England’s World Cup victory over Colombia of which he was loudly informed
by a member of the audience who’d been watching the match on his phone.
Not that the international singing star hadn’t been keeping
in touch with developments in Russia himself – throughout the sell-out concert
he’d been taking quick glances at a monitor at the front of the stage rigged up
to show the action solely to him at the flip of a lid.
The performance of over two hours set off at a cracking page
as Boe leapt onto the stage to belt out two pulsing jazzy numbers from his latest
album, Swing Swing and Best of All I’ve Got My Baby.
Perhaps not something his more traditional fans expected but
then he did explain at a number of points that he likes to dart from musical
style to style.
And that he did throughout the night, with more red hot jazz,
country and plain hard rock all on liberal offer.
Not to disappoint the traditionalists there was a moving presentation
of the number from Les Mis that helped make him famous, Bring Him Home, which prompted
a partial standing ovation.
* Boe gets a standing ovation from the sell-out crowd.
Next up came a collection of the Italian material which also
helped make his name. In the line-up had to be Volare one note of which he
delivered so strongly that it almost bored into your soul.
It was during this number that he learned England had scored
their first goal, which sent him hopping about the stage with glee and gave
fresh impetus – if any were needed – to his delivery of Mambo Italiano.
As he turned his attention to country-style songs there was
another memorable moment as Boe encouraged Eisteddfod president Terry Waite,
sitting as always in the front row, to stand up and help him with the intro of
one number, and this the old peacemaker did with perhaps surprising aplomb and
gusto.
Later the star stopped another song to request that a pen be
brought out to him so he could have Terry sign his guitar – telling the
audience he’d have it up on an E-bay later.
There was another switch of style as he presented a couple
of powerful songs, including the thumping A Thousand Years, from the award-winning
album he did not long ago with fellow singing legend Michael Ball.
Working with Ball, he told us, had been his personal contribution
to Help the Aged.
Numbers from his new solo album came flowing out like rich
wine just before the cry went out from the watcher in the crowd that England
had beaten down the Colombians on penalties to reach the World Cup quarter
finals.
As a result things went a bit wild both on stage and in the jam-packed
auditorium as Boe and his excellent 10-piece band plus three backing singers cannoned
out a couple of old The Who numbers from Quadraphenia.
After that it all became a bit of a blur as that
sledgehammer of a voice slammed out more and more of the good stuff.
Just when you thought he didn’t have anything left to give
he jumped down from the stage and embarked on a couple of laps of honour
through the cheering crowd, sort of taking part in his own standing ovation.
This is a man who gives value for money.
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