Van Morrison
Van Morrison has released the third of three new songs that’s he’s recorded to protest the “ongoing U.K. lockdown restrictions.” “No More Lockdown” arrived October 23, following the release of “As I Walked Out” on October 9, and “Born To Be Free,” which he released on September 25. Morrison says he will donate the profits from the songs to charity to support musicians impacted by the ongoing lockdown. Listen to all three of them below.
The singer-songwriter resumed touring on September 3 with the first of several socially distanced concerts for 2020. After doing several more, the performance scheduled was abruptly postponed due to lockdown restrictions on public gatherings.
Profits from the songs will be steered to the Van Morrison Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which aids musicians.
“No more taking our freedom, and our God-given rights,” Morrison sings on “No More Lockdown.”
“As I walked out,” Morrison sings on “As I Walked Out,” “all the streets were empty. The government said, ‘Everyone should stay home.’ And they spread fearing and loathing, and no hope for the future. Not many did question this very strange move.”
Listen to “As I Walked Out”
On “Born To Be Free,” Morrison sings, “Don’t need the government cramping my style. Give them an inch they take a mile.”
Morrison performed the first of several socially distanced concerts for 2020 on Sept. 3 in Newcastle, U.K., and then two more in the London borough of Camden, on Sept. 5-6. The dates followed his Aug. 25 statement in which he railed upon the “pseudo-science” associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eric Clapton offered his support, writing, “There are many of us who support Van and his endeavours to save live music, he is an inspiration! We must stand up and be counted.” The pair have recorded a song, written by Morrison, called “Stand and Deliver,” to protest the lockdown.
Fan videos from his Sept. 3 performance at Virgin Money Unity Arena showed that the audience was, indeed, socially distanced as they saw the classic rock legend perform such favorites as “Baby Please Don’t Go,” “Jackie Wilson Said,” “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Gloria.”
Audience members at Morrison’s Sept. 3 concert at Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle, U.K.
On Aug. 25, Morrison wrote, “We are doing socially distanced gigs. This is not a sign of compliance or acceptance of the current state of affairs; this is to get my band up and running and out of the doldrums. This is also not the answer going forward.
“I call on my fellow singers, musicians, writers, producers, promoters and others in the industry to fight with me on this. Come forward, stand up, fight the pseudo-science and speak up.”
Watch Morrison and his band (from afar) perform “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Gloria” on Sept. 3. (Attendee Damian Robinson pans the audience on several occasions.)
To date, Morrison has released 40 albums. His newest, Three Chords and the Truth, was released on Exile/Caroline International in Oct. 2019. (Before that came 2018’s The Prophet Speaks, where he returned to his blues roots.) Morrison’s biggest hits include “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Have I Told You Lately,” “Moondance” and “Into the Mystic.” In 2018, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of the release of his Astral Weeks album in 1968.
Morrison turned 75 on August 31.
Watch him perform “Moondance” in 2019
Van Morrison 2021 Tour Dates (Tickets are available here and here)
Apr 15 – London, UK – London Palladium
Apr 17 – London, UK – London Palladium
Apr 18 – London, UK – London Palladium
Apr 25 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall
May 09 – Belfast, UK – Europa Hotel
May 10 – Belfast, UK – Europa Hotel
May 11 – Belfast, UK – Europa Hotel
May 20 – Sheffiled, UK – Sheffield City Hall
May 21 – Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo Manchester
May 25 – York, UK – York Barbican
May 26 – York, UK – York Barbican
Jun 11 – Cambridge, UK – Childerley Orchard
Jun 25 – Liverpool, UK – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Jun 26 – Liverpool, UK – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Jul 06 – London, UK – Kew the Music
Aug 03 – Glasgow, UK – Summer Nights
Aug 14 – Essex, UK – Audley End
TBD
Jul 09 – Oxfordshire, UK – Cornbury Festival
Jul 10 – Baarn, Holland – Royal Park Live
Jul 11 – Ghent, Belgium – Ghent Jazz Festival
Jul 15 – Schlossplatz – Jazzopen Stuttgart
Jul 20 – Burgendland, Austria – Romans Quarry
Jul 30 – Inverness – Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Aug 07 – Hampshire, UK – Wickham Festival
Watch Van Morrison perform “St. Dominic’s Preview” in 2019
Related: The glory of “Gloria,” Morrison’s most resilient rock anthem
8 Comments so far
Jump into a conversation‘Pseudo-science’. Yikes.
What country are you referring to? That data may be true in Ireland but in the US, there are more than 1,000 Covid deaths each DAY.
If Van wants unlimited crowds, he should just rename his tour a Protest for Musical Justice.
Andy,
Science ignored is ignorance abound.
The Best Singer of the World…..please come to south america some day…
Van,
You are such a breath of fresh air!
Agreed !! Good going Van I love it!
U r one of a kind, be safe, be Kool✌️