Amsterdam

Arguably more popular in mainland Europe than he is at home, it’s no surprise that Luka Bloom has chosen to make a live album before some of his most devoted audiences. Recorded in Amsterdam’s Koninklijk Theatre Carre, this collection of 13 songs is pretty much as you might expect from the self-professed Bogman. With no frills or gimmicks, what you get is Bloom’s impassioned singing and distinctive guitar style, along with what sounds like a 1,000-strong audience lapping up every minute of it.

Amsterdam kicks off on a fairly low-key note with his own poignant composition, ‘Exploring The Blue’, followed by Mike Scott’s ‘Sunny Sailor Boy’, which seems to strike a particular note with the crowd. Also going down well is one of his earlier triumphs, ‘Gone To Pablo’ while other highlights include, ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself’, and the evocative ‘Diamond Mountain’. From his most recent album (Between The Mountain And The Moon), the Arabic-sounding ‘Perfect Groove’ ups the tempo a notch or two while crowd participation reaches new heights on ‘Fertile Rock’ – you have to admire his ability to work a crowd.

Well-chosen cover versions are another Bloom speciality, as he demonstrated on his Keeper Of The Flame album – his renditions here of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Natural Mystic’ being just two examples of his mastery of a good pop song (though sadly his best ever cover – LL Cool J’s ‘I Need Love’ isn’t included).

Ending on a sombre note with some impressive guitar effects, ‘Gabriel’ rounds off what comes across as a warm-hearted, highly entertaining evening.