From the Express and Star
By Peter Carroll
Photos by Kathy Shue
Neil Diamond NEC, BirminghamIt will interesting to see if today's music heart-throbs like Ronan, Robbie or the pair from Pop Idol can sell out several nights at arena-sized venues when they are approaching pensioner age.
Still a gem at 61 - Neil Diamond in action
"This has been a good town to me," he told the full house at the NEC last night. "I don't know why you keep coming, but you do."
His fans do not turn out in their thousands because he recently appeared on a reality TV show. They come because he has written some of the best pop songs ever, including several hits for other artists.
Urge Overkill's Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon? That's one of his. UB40's chart-topping Red Red Wine? That started life as a Diamond tune. And he'd knocked out gems like I'm A Believer for the Monkees before he started his career.
Add to his songwriting talents a distinctive voice, and you can begin to see why he has sold some 115 million records in his career.
Love On The Rocks came early and set the standard. Other highlights included Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon and Sweet Caroline, which he enjoyed so much he played it again. Other than Song Sung Blue, he played all his major hits.
Neil Diamond plays the NEC again tomorrow and Sunday.
