Chris Rea
Chris Rea
Posted: 22 Mar 2010
Chris Rea, Newcastle City Hall, 18 March 2010
He seemed happy to be alive - and he has good reason to be. Chris Rea stared death in the face at the turn of the millennium and he is clearly enjoying life back where he wants to be - on stage playing the blues.
In fact he gave a tutorial in slide guitar - featuring numbers like Where the Blues Come From, Easy Rider and So Far to Go - amid a flurry of instrument switches.
Middlesbrough-born Chris – probably more than any other modern-day musician – is eminently qualified to sing the blues.
The Teesside star may be a shadow of his former self since his brush with death but he has fought back to full touring fitness. It’s a remarkable story for the 59-year-old musician who sold out two nights at the 2,500 seater and probably got have sold out another two.
Chris admits Newcastle City Hall is hallowed ground because he saw all his heroes here as a lad, like Little Feat and Ry Cooder. But there was no hint of nerves in his polished performance.
He's a man of few words. Even the stage set was a simple backdrop of three blue guitars. He let the music do the talking.
The hits (he has a Greatest Hits compilation CD out) were sprinkled through his two-hour set. He got everyone on their feet with Stainsby Girls - a tribute to his wife Joan - which got a huge cheer. Other favourites included classics like Josephine, the Road to Hell, On the Beach and Let's Dance. Nice to see you back, man.
MH
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