Back in the late 80s, Bolton was hailed as the new soul sensation, but it soon became clear this was not the case. Sixty million albums later, however, and having written with or for the likes of Kiss and Bob Dylan, one must think twice before sniggering.
Still touting his wares on the tour circuit (he himself concedes that the only thing that has changed since he was in Dublin last is the size of the venue; he’s filled the far larger Point on previous occasions), classic pop was the main theme of the evening. From Love Is A Wonderful Thing to Steel Walls, however, Bolton’s rock influences could be glimpsed throughout the show. What was severely lacking, however, was any panache. Here, Bolton had replaced that with a certain tackiness. His version of Summertime, which he claims to have been playing on stage since he was 14, has either become stale or highlights just how onedimensional Bolton’s performance is. This holds especially true when he breaks into a five-track Sinatra interlude to promote his current album, which succeeds only in highlighting how good Sinatra’s versions are. That said, the show did come into its own when Bolton picked up a guitar and ripped into the blues (Rock Me Baby). For this track at least, his voice, and the entire performance from the 11- piece band, bordered on the electric.
