FAN REVIEW:
- Johnny, 11/06/05: I didn’t know what to expect from a Tracy Chapman concert, I had only listened to her greatest hits but from that collection I wanted to see her live. The Point in Dublin was not the best venue for her, it was way too big and I think her songs were lost in the vastness of the venue. However there was 8,000 fans there and they sure gave her a massive Irish welcome when she came out which she truly seemed to enjoy. Tracy was just brilliant live, her voice was perfect and raw and her songs were just magnificent. When she sang ‘Baby can I hold you’, every person in the Point was singing along, and when she sang ‘Fast Car’ the crowd went wild. It was a standing concert which I thought was a bit weird for a Tracy Chapman concert but the majority of her songs had good beats to them so it was dancing all around! She talked quite a lot about being in Ireland and her songs, and she knew well what songs the crowd wanted and she gave it to them 110%. Near the end she went off stage for about 5 minutes and the crowd just went ballistic for more. She was visibly amazed at the reaction the crowd gave her, she couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole performance. She sang three more songs in the encore and then thanked everyone…then it was over. It was one of the best concerts I have been to, it just shows that you dont need visual effects or big set drops on stage to make a good concert. All you sometimes need is a powerful voice on centre stage with a guitar…and tonight in the Point, that’s what Tracy Chapman did…beautifully.
PREVIEW
- TRACY CHAPMAN Confirms Irish Dates – By: http://www.mcd.ie, July 25, 2005
Tracy Chapman has confirmed two concerts in Ireland for later this year. Tracy Chapman plays the I.N.E.C. Killarney on Thursday 03 November, 2005 (tickets 43.50 including booking fee) and The Point Theatre on Friday 04 November, 2005 (tickets 44.50 including booking fee).
Tickets for both concerts will go on sale this Friday 29 July . Telephone 0818 719300 or in person from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide or log on to www.ticketmaster.ie
In an era when the political Singer-Songwriter looked like it was going the way of the dodo bird and Reaganomics was in full robber-baron swing, along came Tracy Chapman. With her sensitive, well-crafted narratives and a voice as rich as the Mississippi Delta, Chapman re-introduced nuanced social commentary into pop music. From her 1988 self-titled debut, the hit song “Fast Car” became an instant classic with its heart-stopping vibrato and incisive lyricism.
Chapman returned in the late ’90s with the retro Acoustic Blues number “Give Me One Reason,” which captures a slow burn rivaled only by R&B great Irma Thomas.
“Where You Live”, her seventh studio album, is due to be released in September 2005.
Biography
Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an African American singer-songwriter, best known for classic singles “Fast Car,” “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution,” and “Give Me One Reason.”
Cleveland-born Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs as a child. She received a scholarship through A Better Chance that allowed her to attend private school in Connecticut, and was eventually accepted to Tufts University in Boston. Chapman began street-performing and playing coffeehouses in Cambridge and, after waiting to graduate college, she signed to SBK, releasing Tracy Chapman (1988). The album was critically acclaimed, and she began touring and building a fanbase. Soon after performing at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday party, Chapman’s “Fast Car” began its rise on the US charts. Album and singles sales were strong, and the album went multi-platinum, as well as winning four Grammies.
The follow-up, Crossroads (1989) was less successful. By 1992’s Matters of the Heart, Chapman was playing to a small and devoted audience. To the surprise of most industry-watchers, however, Chapman’s 1995 album New Beginning included the hit single “Give Me One Reason” (1995) which won the 1996 Grammy for Best Rock Song. The following album was 2000’s Telling Stories, more a rock sound than folk, hit single “Telling Stories” was heavily airplayed on European radios. Her latest album is Let It Rain (2002) for which she toured in Europe and the US in 2003.
“Where You Live”, her seventh studio album, is due to be released in September 2005. With the first single from this album being “Change” featuring Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers on bass. Tracy Chapman will embark on “Where You Live Tour” shortly after the albums release.
VENUE: The Point, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 – Ireland (Capacity: Up to 8 500)
PROMOTER: MCD
OPENING ACT: Ben Taylor
