Chris Rea

A taciturn character from Middlesbrough he was prone to knocking out middle-of-the-road hits like Let's Dance and Fool If You Think It's Over - blues and soul with most of the blues and soul taken out.

There aren’t many more unsuspecting rock-stars than Chris Rea.

Husky of voice and playing a range of classic guitars from his peerless collection, he delighted the sold-out venue with a show-stopping Road To Hell and joyful Let’s Dance.

Where The Blues Comes From put his inspiration into its African context, even if a reggae detour rather jarred, before he sang Josephine, one of the wonderful ballads that broadened his appeal in the mid-80s.

Chris Rea, NIA, Birmingham He's had a career spanning more than 30 years, but Chris Rea certainly hasn't run out of ideas.

Lotto Arena Merksem, Belgium on March 13, 2012

It’s rare that I attend gigs where sitting down is the only choice but that’s the way it always is at Manchester Apollo when Chris Rea comes to town and there was no exception for this, the Farewell Tour. The music kicked off with Paul Casey from Northern Ireland. He readily admitted he’d never played to a