Live in Ottawa! The man who danced with the lady in red

Celebrated Irish singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh regaled fans with stories and song at Ottawa’s TD Place on April 19. The Nation’s capital was the midway point on his Canadian Legend of Robin Hood and Other Hits Tour.

As showtime drew near, the nearly sold-out venue was already abuzz with anticipation, and the excitement didn’t let up once during the two and a half hour performance.

Appearing onstage, Chris de Burgh wore an expression of utter joy and modest appreciation, immediately winning over the audience as he spoke in an easy blend of English and French, and good-naturedly heckled latecomers hurrying to their seats. I am alive! I can still sing! Et, oui, I still have fun performing, he joked before positioning himself at a baby grand piano for the first ballad of the evening, “The Hands of Man.”

The legendary artist has captivated multiple generations of music lovers around the world since the release of his first album, Far Beyond These Castle Walls, in 1974. de Burgh performed a few of the oldies but goodies from his early days before sweeping us away on a multi-song swashbuckling adventure of hidden treasure, smugglers, friendship, love, and loss from the 2010 album, Moonfleet and Other Stories.

With a succession of hit songs spanning nearly five decades, Chris de Burgh has proven himself as an entrancing musical storyteller and purveyor of ballad-driven romance and folklore. For all he has contributed to the international music scene, de Burgh engages the audience with the humbleness of a person who seems genuinely rewarded by performing. More than once during the evening, de Burgh shared his love of Canada, a country that he said made him believe that he had something to offer in his early days.

The onstage energy soared following a brief intermission, with de Burgh and his brilliant band tantalizing the audience with well-loved hits from an impressive career: “A Spaceman Came Travelling,” “Spanish Train,” and of course de Burgh’s number one chart topper, “Lady in Red.” At de Burgh’s invitation, the audience danced in the aisles for “Africa,” a Toto cover from the 2008 album, Footsteps, and then kept the energy going through “The Spirit of Man,” “Don’t Pay the Ferryman,” and “High on Emotion.”

By no means resting on his laurels, de Burgh also treated the crowd to some tracks from his 2021 album, The Legend of Robin Hood, inspired by a musical he wrote about the famous outlaw in 2019.

What a challenge it must have been to narrow down a lifetime of recordings from 27 albums performed to sold-out crowds around the world. Few artists have become as much as a household name cherished by parents and children alike as Chris de Burgh. It’s an honour that de Burgh doesn’t appear to take lightly. Even as the final notes of the encore song, aptly named “Legacy,” from his newest album settled into silence, de Burgh held his gaze at the crowd for several seconds, almost reluctant to let us go before giving a casual wave and promising to see us all again soon. We hope so, Chris, we hope so.

Follow the tour schedule and get more information about Chris de Burgh at www.cdeb.com