Fans have been missing Chris

Chris de Burgh, Brigewater Hall

CHRIS de Burgh may have reached his milestone 60th birthday, but the diminutive Irishman can still pull in the crowds.

He packed out the Bridgewater Hall last night with his “Footsteps” tour, which brought a wealth of musicians to the stage, in the form of his own band and the Heart of England Orchestra.

He called his three-hour show a “seduction concert” and threatened to have everyone up dancing by the end.

It did indeed start off easy listening and low-key. But, true to his word, by the end of the concert he had the vast majority of his adoring audience on their feet.

De Burgh then sang “Lady in Red” — the song he says is more famous than himself, as he went walkabout — or rather danceabout — plucking lucky fans from the audience for a smooch and a slow dance step or two. His choice from his own songs dating back over several decades was impeccable — “Borderline”, “Shine On”, “Missing You”, “Revolution” and “Don’t Pay the Ferryman”. Tracks from his “Footsteps” album were less successful.

He also made some brave choices. Don McLean’s “American Pie” didn’t quite hit the mark. And his performance of Nilson’s “Without You” was never going to work.

That said, this was a concert worth seeing by someone who sells records by the million.