Paul Carrack Triumphs at the Liverpool Philharmonic

Paul Carrack - A Different Hat

PAUL CARRACK
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC
SUNDAY JANUARY 17
10/10

Revered soul-rock musician Paul Carrack’s return to the Liverpool Philharmonic was an absolute triumph.
The singer and songwriter was obviously thrilled to be back in Liverpool and after a cacophonic call for an encore, repeatedly thrust his fists in the air as he left the stage, in recognition that demonstrated total mutual appreciation.
With his tight eight-piece band, Paul who used to front Mike and the Mechanics, and has played with Ace, Squeeze and Roxy Music, graced a full house of fans with an eclectic gig of just over two hours, which saw his talented musicians romp through songs old and new.
At the Phil he sang old hits including Blood is Thicker than Water, Just for Tonight, Harvest for the World and his own distinctive renditions of 60s hits that he said had influenced his music.
When he sang Gerry Marsden’s Don’t Let the Sun See You Crying, to a Liverpool audience, no less, the punters raised the roof. His rendition was sensitive and evocative, with, it must be said, echoes of Mr Marsden, but, of course, putting his own soulful stamp on it. He followed this with another 60s conversion of the Searchers’ When You Walk in the Room to a thunderous reception.
The ‘new’ song is featured on his latest album, A Different Hat, the same title as his current 43-town tour. Also in the set were the songs that everyone had come to hear, old favourites including No Doubt About it, which kicked off the concert to whoops and whistles from the audience.
With trumpets, sax, keyboard, guitars, drums, keyboards and percussion, what you get with a Paul Carrack gig is a type of big band sound that envelopes the theatre and takes you into its embrace.
They followed with a great rendition of Tempted, and slowed it down for a beautiful Satisfy My Soul foregrounding Paul’s distinctive warm voice. On his new album, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he has re-worked Eyes of Blue, a slower version that is mellower, which demonstrates each nuance of his voice, which at 59 years, and having been on the road since the 1970s, seems to get better and better.
He also offered Can you Hear Me, the first song released with the Mechs and written for a science fiction film, plus I Can’t Make You Love Me, one of his all time favourites he told us, and Love Will Keep Us Alive, the latter accompanied with the RPO’s haunting strings on backtrack.
Of course no Carrack concert would be complete without the poignant The Living Years written once his father died, and Over my Shoulder. At the end the crowd was up on its feet dancing away, clapping and singing along to the words – a great party for the audience and those on stage.
For a man who has been singing and writing for over 40 years his work continues to excel, to excite and bring the punters in – in droves.
Supporting Carrack were brothers Rolf and Alex who, as Tinlin, is a band to watch. Their smooth renditions of simple folksy songs, with inventive and pleasant harmonies, and just a mandolin and a guitar, set the scene for an evening of pure gold.

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