I am back ;D
Damien was brilliant. He wore t-i-g-h-t (oh yeah!
) black jeans, the white shirt and the black tie. The shoes were the black shiny periwinkles.
The set list was great.
Father and Son
Guitar Man/Stairway to Heaven
Annie's Song
22 Steps (Books I write
)
If
Nessun Dorma (because he did it last night and felt like doing it again)
Everybody's Talking (toot toot)
Interval
Unchained Melody (unplanned-more later)
then the piano
Goodnight
This Christmas
Wild World
back to guitar
Hallelujah
Danny Boy (request)
Wicked Game (with dancing and no high notes audience participation- ended with the dancing
)
the end
Encore
Beautiful
I was doing very nicely with the song list and writing down pointers when who should spill a glass of water over it
Notice that I said water.
Father and Son sounded fabulous. It is a song that Damien doesn't do too often so of all the concerts that I have been to I think this was only about the 2nd time that I had heard it.
At the end of it Damien asked his sound guy how it was because they had no sound up on the stage
He then introduced Jimmy and Indi. Once again referring Jimmy to the Gary Sinese look alike. Damien asked the audience if they thought Jimmy looked like GS and there were quite a few yes's . Of course the front table with a couple of
's were the loudest. Damien then went on to talk about how Jimmy was filling in and had come on board earlier in the tour. Spoke of the undies, bras, thongs and guitarists fingers in the door 3 times. Spoke of Eric being in Indonesia and that Ray had also filled in.
He then went on to play Guitar Man with the Stairway to Heaven song in the middle. Just something that they had written at the start of the show and they thought it would have been a hit.
Damien then performed Annie's Song. It was awesome. The whole audience was hushed through it. I was sitting up near the back and some of the staff and the manager were standing there and at the end of the song I heard them give a sigh of appreciation/wonder.
Damien then spoke about being on Turkey and Ham duty for Christmas Day. He was worried about burning the turkey and he has found out that you can buy it already cooked so that is his plan.
He was asking about peoples Christmas presents and he then told the story of the present that his brother Paul gave him. Boxes inside boxes until he got to the last one and it was the imitation dog pooh
22 Steps followed and he changed the lyrics again to 'the books I write'. which got a round of applause from the
's at the front and this
up the back.
A beautful rendition of If was next. The audience was just hushed.
Quite happy to hear Damien's voice ringing out across the auditorium
It was divine.
Then Damien broke away from the set list and said you know what, I did this song last night and I think I will do it for you tonight. Do you want to hear Nessun Dorma? He also told the audience that they would have to forgive any mistakes.
He then sang it a capella. People were spellbound.
He followed that up with Everybody's Talking with the toot toots.
It was then interval.
I was near the table where the CD's were set up and George hadn't made it back to the table before some people started arriving so I did a 'Sis' and helped out. George arrived and so did half the auditorium. It was a real bums rush. Everyone was wanting the CD's and George ran out of change, so luckily I was still there and I went off to the Bar for some $20 notes.
There was Catch the Wind, Where We Land and Where We Land Christmas Edition. All of them sold out. There was a bit of a dilemma. It was down to one CTW left and about 7 people wanting it.
The Christmas CD went almost immediately and the grey Where We Land had about 4 left but then they were sold.
See Damien.! We told you all along that you should have been selling merchandise at your concerts. I am pleased that you did it for this tour.
After interval I moved down closer to the front. There were a few empty seats a couple of tables back from Kazza and Michele which was good because I had a great view of the stage and Damien.
When Damien came out on his own for the 2nd half he found a note waiting for him. It was a note requesting Baby I Love your Way, Unchained Melody 'oh you want Unchained Melody, I haven't done it for a while' and then he did a fabulous version of it. He didn't get to read the rest of the note, but Alone was on the list too. Kazza and Michele put the list there and Michele is dying to hear Alone.
He then went and sat at his portable keyboard and told the story of how the one he had bought got smashed on the flight to Melbourne. He said he has about 40 songs for the new album due out around May/June. Some songs are definites. (no names given)
He asked if we wanted to hear an original song or a cover. There were some very loud ORIGINAL shouts throughout the auditorium, so he then played Goodnight. I really like that song and the tune is catchy.
Damien then spoke of having the 2 boys and about Santa not coming if they are naughty. Apparently Jarvis hit the boy next door with a (toy) hammer. Damien mentioned how last night before he went on stage he had rung Eileen and Eileen was calling Damien Santa and letting him know of the boys behaviour. So Damien was calling Eileen Mrs Claus, and I will be home soon Mrs Claus
Jimmy and Indi were back on stage but I can't recall when they actually came back
Continuing on the piano Damien performed 'This Christmas' , he mentioned how he is now Australian and that he and Eileen had written the song. The lyrics sounded a bit different to me tonight, but I wouldn't want to say for sure.
And then....still on piano......the crowd singalong.......Wild World.
When he went back to the main microphone it was making funny noises. A bit like Erics talkbox. It was echoing really weirdly
. It was finally fixed and Damien blew them all away with Hallelujah. So sweet. He hits the notes perfectly.
You run out of superlatives to use. He deserves every one of them. *sigh*
A lady had spoken at interval about how her son Daniel would not be home for this Christmas and would Damien please sing Danny Boy. There was a bit of banter between Damien and Indi about the message that she was given and then Damien sang it. I have heard this song a lot, but I think tonight it was so honest. I am sure the lady would have been in tears. It was gorgeous. Even if you don't like the song, and I know that there are some here who don't like it, you would have after tonight.
He then said it was the end of the night
:'(and they had one more song to do and if it wasn't for the people voting for him after doing Celebration then he wouldn't have had the chance to do it and then went on to sing Wicked Game. He did a great job as usual and he did the Irish jig
, but where he normally keeps singing after the dancing this time he didn't. The audience didn't get to hear him do the champagne glass shattering high notes. It is a shame really because at Interval I had spoken to the Promotions Manager and said he is great isn't he and he replied that he had a fantastic voice and his range is fabulous. I told him to wait until the 2nd half and then he will find out what his range is.
no high notes. Damien didn't do All I Want is You either with the high notes.
They all left the stage then but of course after suitable cheering and whoopeeeea and more, more, more they came back out and Damien sat at the piano and I was secretly hoping for and got Beautiful.
Love it, love it, love it.
They all stood together on stage, took a bow and left the stage.
That was the end of the concert.
I will write more, but I will post this before my computer goes to 'sleep'
:rudolf: 
:xmashug: 
Have a funtarstic night Braffy, Kazza and Michelle 
;D
)
)
Quite happy to hear Damien's voice ringing out across the auditorium 
