Some nights are pleasant. Others make you grin all the way home. This one? Properly electric. I went to Emerald London with my friend Francesca for the launch of a new weekly residency celebrating the music of Van Morrison, fully expecting a smooth, soulful evening. What we didn’t expect was to walk out agreeing – slightly shocked – that we’d enjoyed this even more than seeing Van Morrison himself – and that’s saying something.
From the opening notes of Crazy Love through to the life-affirming joy of Days Like This and the irresistible groove of Real Real Love, the room was alive. Not polite toe-tapping alive – full-bodied, can’t-sit-still, London-on-a-good-night alive.
Hosted by the brilliant Leo Green (whose saxophone deserves its own fan club), the evening featured the Van Morrison Alumni Band – musicians who have actually toured and recorded with Van. And you could feel it. This wasn’t a tribute act going through the motions; it was a group of world-class performers playing music they’ve lived and breathed for years, with warmth, confidence and a whole lot of soul.
The female vocalists were an absolute highlight – powerful, expressive and effortlessly cool, bringing fresh energy to songs we all think we know inside out. And then there was the soulful trumpet of Matt Holland. Honestly? So good it stopped conversation mid-sentence and earned spontaneous applause. Always a good sign.
Emerald Theatre turned out to be the perfect setting: intimate, stylish and buzzing with that rare feeling that something genuinely special is happening right now. The audience was a joyful mix of devoted Van fans and curious newcomers, all smiling, swaying and very much on the same wavelength.
By the end, my friend and I were singing along, dancing (both internally and externally), and exchanging that look that says, “Why don’t we do this more often?”
In short: more energy, more connection, more fun than the Van Morrison gig – and we’d go back in a heartbeat. If this residency is anything to go by, Tuesday nights in London have officially levelled up.
London Mums verdict? Soulful, joyful, and unmissable.
Emerald Theatre, London
Van Morrison Alumni Band
Hosted by Leo Green
Music that reminds you why live gigs matter.
Tickets available from here.
Music that reminds you why live gigs matter.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
