Music Matters with John Murray: Manilow entertains with emotional Last Last Concerts

Called the Last Last Concerts he started the run at OVO Hydro in Glasgow just two weeks ago before closing at O2 Arena on June 17 for the Last Last London Concert ending with an emotional We’ll Meet Again. Emotions from the audience were measurable too as some had followed the singer for 60 years and after his surgery for lung cancer recently, he was brave to return to the stage at all.

During his shows he had a lavish orchestra on stage and three talented backing singers to bring his impressive back catalogue to life. He spoke of his early days in Brooklyn, the early struggles only to gain recognition when Donna Summer took his Could It Be Magic to the top of the charts. Oddly he didn’t mention the 1992 version by Take That, which won a Brit Award as the single of the year.

He opened each show of the tour with his 1975 hit It’s A Miracle and already the audience were on their feet in anticipation as he immerged from the background amid an orchestral crescendo and haze as he appeared in silhouette. The shows had a gentle pace with chat in between some massive hits which have become fan favourite like Mandy, Weekend In New England and of course the dance hit Copacabana.

Now that the six UK shows are over Barry is touring the US until January 2027 and from July will host a 3-night residence each week in Westgate Las Vegas until December. The new album is released this month too. What A Time is his 33rd studio album and the first with all new material in 15 years. The single Once Before I Go was a significant single given his circumstances and just one of 13 new songs and some with collaborations like Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Dave Cobb and on Sun Shine none other than Gary Barlow.