Elvis Costello
National Concert Hall
September 7 2023
My Uncle Will was a legend. He would captivate every family gathering with a song. Hand gestures everywhere and pausing at times for reflection. We loved it and mourned his passing but remember his vigour for life. Bizarrely enough Elvis Costello reminded me of him when he hit the stage of the beautiful National Concert Hall. The first 2 songs were a little shambolic, plenty of hand gestures and beckoning to the crowd, it felt like a plea to help out.
But then a trip switch went off and the legend that is Elvis Costello emerged from the dry ice emanating on stage. Himself and Steve Nieve curated a two hour set of classic songs over the past 4 decades. Nieve on keyboards, mouth organ and whatever you’re having yourself provided the perfect musical accompaniment as Elvis’s voice shone through at times. Shipbuilding had me close to tears along with beautiful versions of Veronica and She.
My initial concerns were unfounded and modern takes on classics like Oliver’s Army and Watching The Detectives were unleashed with the help of a beat box operator snuck shyly into a dark corner.
This was a remarkable evening, in what can only be classed in Costello terms as the intimate surroundings of the National Concert Hall
niallhope
