A FEW months ago, if you had said you had just seen Russell Crowe in Warrington, you would assume you had just been to the cinema.
After all, the worldwide megastar actor is renowned for his role in the epic and cult 2000 film Gladiator.
READ> Photo gallery as film star Russell Crowe performs in Warrington
At a stretch, there may have been a possibility he attended Halliwell Jones Stadium to cheer on his good friend Sam Burgess in his role as Warrington Wolves head coach.
But if you had said he was singing at Parr Hall alongside a nine-piece and very talented band, most would have probably laughed.
But that is exactly what happened last night, Thursday, with the Kiwi/Aussie figure performing his Indoor Garden Party, featuring his band The Gentlemen Barbers and Lorraine O’Reilly.
And Burgess was there to see him in action, as well as St Helens comic and friend Johnny Vegas.
Having not been to Parr Hall for a gig before, it is only fair to mention how good a venue it is – characterful, good acoustics and intimate, although it felt like a Ryanair flight on the front row of the upper tier in terms of very limited legroom.
As for Crowe, not being too aware of his music exploits, I was unsure what to expect.
He took to the stage following three warm-up acts, with around three and a half hours of music in total, including the warm-ups, meaning there was plenty going on.
I could name the songs he played, but most will not have heard of them, so it might be easier to describe them.
There was a mix of styles overall, comparable to Brice Springsteen at times perhaps, then Jonny Cash, with hints of Tom Petty and other genres mixed in for good measure.
While not sold out completely, there were very few empty seats, although more towards the end as some got up to dance close to the big screen legend.
He may be best known for his acting, but in whatever form, it is great to see Warrington attracting huge worldwide names to the town.
Especially as the tour has also seen Crowe grace the Colosseum in Rome, while he will be performing in Paris tomorrow, Saturday.
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