PERFORMING in York for the first time, world famous singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh is on tour once again, celebrating the release of his 26th studio album, A Better World.

Born in 1948 in Argentina, the highly prolific musician has sold over 45 million albums worldwide over the course of a career spanning more than 40 years, and continues to enjoy a large, dedicated following across the globe.

Greeted by a full house of adoring fans, de Burgh entered to enormous applause, promising material from his new album, as well as lots of oldies.

What followed proved to be an eclectic mix. While still garnering applause, de Burgh’s newer material - such as Homeland, a song inspired by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the refugee crisis - could not match more popular titles from his back catalogue, like Ship To Shore or Spanish Train. This, combined with the wildly varying tones and styles from song to song, left the first half feeling somewhat disjointed and unable to really hit its stride.

Thankfully, the second half proved to be more solid. De Burgh’s solo section - relying on only his voice and a guitar while taking requests from the audience - had an enjoyable, spontaneous feel to it, and coming down from the stage to be among his delighted fans during his rendition of The Lady In Red was an unsurprising crowd pleaser.

Finishing on a bombastic, cheesy finale of Patricia The Stripper, Chris de Burgh might not be for everyone, but he’s a grand showman and a talented musician with a lot of love for his fans.