Van Morrison celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday 31 August, with a remarkable celebration concert at the Waterfront Hall in his hometown, for an audience of his most adoring fans, and featuring two stellar surprise guest performances.
The birthday gig brought to a close a weekend of celebratory shows marking Van’s birthday and almost six decades of musical contribution. Members of the audience had travelled from far and wide to mark the special occasion in Belfast, with some flying in from the US, Australia, Austria and Germany.
The band set the tone with their opening track Into the Mystic, a song that’s notched up over 446 Million online plays on Spotify alone. From there, the setlist was a mix of the new, the surprising and cover tributes to other great songwriters of his time.
The setlist included tracks from Van’s latest album Remembering Now and his ode to poet Dylan Thomas, For Mr Thomas. The party atmosphere was ramped up when Van Morrison was joined on stage by legendary blues singer Chris Farlowe, for performances including Aint Gonna Moan No More, a cover of the Bob Dylan track It’s all over now Baby Blue and Ben E King’s Stand by Me.
The biggest surprise of the night was the appearance of Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, who joined Van and the band for several numbers including And it Stoned Me and Hey Mona, which brought the capacity audience to their feet. The Stones guitarist said he’d never played in Belfast before.
For the birthday gig, Van was, of course, joined on stage by his full band, which ensured the night was punctuated with their signature sax and trumpet sounds; Van himself displayed his skill on guitar and sax and enthusiastically directed keys and percussion as he took in the whole event – a reflective and celebratory taste of his 55 year career.
The night ended with a crowd-pleasing performance of the hit made famous by Van’s band Them: Gloria, during which he made his low-key “Irish goodbye” and quietly left the stage, leaving the band to wrap up the show with showpiece displays of brass, soaring female vocals, guitar and percussion talent.
“Van the Man” is widely acknowledged as one of the most important songwriters of the past century. His famously soulful voice and the trademark sound of his band that make Van Morrison one of the most recognisable and enduring songwriters of our time and the Belfast birthday audience were treated to the very best of performances.
Joe Dougan, Director at Shine, said,
"Van Morrison’s 80th birthday at the Waterfront Hall was pure magic. The atmosphere, the music, and the chance to honour him in the city where it all began made it truly special. It was the perfect finale to a week of celebration for Belfast’s most iconic son."
A small audience of guests were treated to a special experience at ICC Belfast, both before and after the main event, hosted by actor James Nesbitt. The evening featured personal stories of Van Morrison shared by the audience, along with exclusive entertainment from Peter Corry Productions.
Rob McConnell, Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall, said,
"We are so honoured that Van chose the Waterfront Hall to celebrate this big birthday night. Along with his band and these incredible surprise guests, he has treated the audience to an incredibly special evening."
"Van Morrison is the voice and sound of Belfast through the generations, his music and lyrics are adored across the world. We’re thrilled to have been able to wish him many happy returns right here in the city he calls home."
The event also included a charity raffle of an exclusive commemorative watch produced specially to mark the occasion by Belfast luxury watchmaker, Nomadic Watches. With a production of just 80 pieces, the last in the collection was gifted to Van as an 80th birthday present.
The watch was raffled in support of the Van Morrison Official Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which is offering two fully funded Music scholarships at Queen’s University Belfast for students pursuing a professional musical career. Van Morrison was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University and has been named as Artist in Resident to mark this special birthday year and his contribution to music in Northern Ireland. The Widening Participation scholarships will cover tuition fees and additional costs for students who are most able but least likely to participate in Higher Education.
Emma Thompson, Exile Productions said:
"Celebrating Van’s 80th birthday at the Waterfront Hall was an incredible moment. Marking such a milestone in the heart of Belfast, surrounded by his family, friends, and lifelong fans, made the night truly unforgettable."
"It was the perfect setting to honour Van and his music that continues to inspire across generations."
