Gray, David

Confession time: your correspondent belongs to the minority who weren’t swept up in what history may yet record as Graymania. There’s no denying that the singer comes across as an intelligent, insightful and humorous individual, but his music has never really been my cup of tea. Just as well, since anyone who wanted to be here in an overflowing Olympia tonight shelled out £40 for the privilege, although the fact that the proceeds are going to the Irish Haemophilia Society softens the blow considerably.

Anyway – the music. Even observed from the most harshly objective viewpoint, David Gray is an undeniably superb performer. His passion for his music is overpowering, and since Ireland embraced his work before any other country (and provided a lifeline for his career in the process), the scene is set for a triumph.

Interspersed with badinage between Gray and his deservedly popular sticksman Clune (that most anomalous of characters – a flamboyant drummer), this lengthy show takes in every stage of Gray’s career. There’s several lesser-known early tracks, several cover versions (amongst which is an hilarious run-through of Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’, and a rather more serious take on Bob Dylan’s ‘Baby Blue’), and of course, the hits.

The response generated by the latter category of songs is predictably spectacular. Such is the audience’s enthusiasm that Gray’s vocals are frequently rendered obsolete, particularly on ‘Babylon’ and ‘Sail Away’, the choruses of which must be audible in Cork. Both are followed by several minutes of sustained cheering, leaving the singer looking quite simply overwhelmed. Tragically, he gets so carried away that he proceeds to inflict not one, but two U2 songs on us, whilst simultaneously cracking open a can of Guinness. The crowd goes predictably apeshit, and a chant of ‘Ole Ole’ rise up around the venue. Time to call in the Feds – we have several thousand confirmed cases of Paddythrax.

Nevertheless, Gray manages to redeem himself in these eyes with an encore comprising a preview of a haunting, echo-drenched song from his new album, and an elegant rendition of ‘Please Forgive Me’. Ultimately I remain unconverted, but David Gray is still an artist who commands maximum respect.