Don McLean
*****
Wales Millennium Centre, Sun 6 May
He’s a little bit country and a whole lot rock ’n’ roll and it was clear from his stage presence and dry wit that he enjoys playing live. The set opened with shortened versions of Everyday and Singing The Blues – a nod to his idol Buddy Holly before launching into his own material. ‘I like to mix it up,’ he told the full house. ‘I never play the same song list twice.’ If this is true then I count myself lucky because on Sunday he chose to play several songs from his megahit album American Pie – a record that this writer used to listen to on a loop.
The show started at half past eight, and after that time ceased to exist while the audience was taken from get-up-and-dance rock and blues to mesmerising ballads and back again. Along with Winterwood, Empty Chairs, and the beautiful yet heartbreaking Crossroads, McLean and his well-accomplished backing band covered songs by Josh White, The Everly Brothers and Tom Jones. With an impressive back catalogue, McLean has no reason to perform other artists’ work but they are songs he just enjoys playing. Then, without introduction, one number faded into American Pie and the house exploded – twenty minutes later and everyone was still singing the chorus.
Now in his seventies Don McLean is still as strong vocally as he ever was; his diction is clear and his tone is crisp. Though on many songs he continuously came in after the beat, which was a little unnerving, he only forgot one verse, dealt with the slip humorously and carried on. Vincent was reserved for the encore, and so as not to leave us with another sad ballad (so many of his songs are about being alone and crying) the band went out on a rockin’ rendition of Not Unusual.
McLean has been performing for almost fifty years now and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down soon, which is great because a lot of people – myself included – would love to see him again.
words Lynda Nash