(Thanks to Lucy Waters for the venue updates! - 4/10/98)Favorite Show (January 24th, Dublin): Barry was on top form that night. It poured down and the roof leaked, but who cared! He flirted with us all yet made each of us feel special in his own magical way. The anticipation and expectation when he selected someone from the audience to sing with him, everyone wishing it could be them, yet no-one felt jealous or annoyed when it wasn't, just pleasure for that lucky one. We could all feel his arms around us as he jumped onto the piano and hugged her close. All too soon the concert was over and we had a nightmare journey home, but thinking and singing all the songs of the night helped the time pass quicker. - Anne Maxwell (Belfast, Northern Ireland) (8/29/98)
Every concert is a favourite. They are all different and Barry gets better all the time! My first Barry Concert at The Royal Albert Hall (January 11th)... We couldn't get good tickets so we ended up in the "Gods". When the doors opened we ran all the way up to the top of the Albert Hall to get good standing seats at the front. Then we waited two hours after the show in the freezing cold just to get a glimpse of Barry. Unfortunately we missed him, but we just didn't want to go home!! - Pam Markham (Dunstable, England) (9/9/98)
First Show (Edinburgh) - Karen Crulley (of Newcastle, England) (11/16/98, 2/5/99)
First Show (Birmingham) - Jackie Robinson (of Lutterworth) (1/31/99)
First and Favorite (Royal Albert Hall): This was my first taste of Barry. He was everything I had dreamed of and more! The music, the man, and me. You never forget your first time! - Sandra Sears (Nottingham, England) (5/18/99)
First and Favorite Show (January 15): First time I heard Barry sing "One Voice". We were sitting in the middle of the back row at the top and it was quite something to see all the candles light up as Barry was singing! - Christine Trigg (New Malden, Surrey, England) (7/14/99, 5/22/2002)
First Show (January 17): At the time, I wasn't really that "into" Barry. That happened AFTER the concert (and by 1983 I was completely hooked!). All I remember about the concert was Barry's pink suit, and his voice was hoarse at times. I was so far back in the arena (as I guess we all were in those days!) that I couldn't really "see" Barry, but it was a special night that led to many more. Roll on January 2000 so I can indulge in more Manilow Magic!! - Julie Horrobin (Leicestershire, England) (7/18/99)
First Show (Birmingham) - Kay Ekins (Northamptonshire, England) (10/10/99)
First Show (Manchester) - Pam Pollard (Wakefield, Yorkshire, England) (1/7/2000)
Favorite Show (January 22): After visiting the U.S. in September 1981 and attending the Forum concert in L.A with 20,000 other fans, I could not believe my luck that in January 1982 there was to be a show at the Apollo Theatre in Manchester (My home town). The Apollo is a small venue holding 3,000 people and it felt that Barry was visiting me at home and performing in my front room!! - Keith Brian (Manchester, England) (1/22/2000)
First Show (Royal Albert Hall) - Charmaine Hallmark (of the UK) (1/23/2000)
First Show (January 17, NEC) - Susan (of Northampton, England) (1/28/2000)
First Show (Birmingham) - Sharon Shepherd (Bristol, England) (2/21/2000)
First Show (Dublin): I was 18 and this was my first concert, so I got around for most of the evening with my eyes as big as saucers and my chin on my chest. I went with two friends - Jacquelyn and Adrian - which was fun to start with considering we only had TWO tickets between the three of us (How we pulled that off I'll never know!). We were squashed into our two seats just five rows from the stage and seated amongst some well-known faces in the music scene at that time. When Barry came on stage, I was just hypnotized by those blue eyes, I couldn't take my eyes off him. When he sang "Mandy" I was buckling at the knees. Later that year I moved to Australia with my family and was again lucky enough to see Barry in concert at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia. I had my own seat that time and was not so close to the stage but once again it was sheer magic. - Mandy Armstrong (Ocean Grove, Victoria, Australia) (7/31/2000)
First Show (January 15, Royal Albert Hall): On MY list this was the "I'll Never Be The Same Again Tour"! Having waited seven years to see The Man live, I was completely bowled over by everything about him - even the pink suit! And I've never been the same since -- LONG may it continue to last!! - Suzanne Wafer (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England) (11/13/2000)
First Show (January 18, Birmingham): First Show: Barry Manilow is beautiful. His music is everything! - Gilliam Walker (Birmingham, England) (1/19/2001)
First Show (Brighton) - Beverley Mitchell (St. Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, England) (1/18/2001)
First Show (Edinburgh) - Maureen Crichton (Glasgow, Scotland) (6/9/2001)
First Show (Royal Albert Hall) - Myra Foster Edwards (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England) (9/6/2001)
First Show (January 30, Edinburgh) - Carole Welsh (Newmilns, Ayrshire, Scotland) (12/29/2001)
First Show (Birmingham): The very first time that I went to see Barry Manilow, I had no idea who he was. I just went for a night out with my mum and sister and some friends of ours. Within a few minutes of Barry being on stage I knew that I was watching someone very special. I felt that he was singing for me and me alone even thought there were thousands of people in the arena and we were right up in the gods he made me feel special. At the end of the concert when he sang "We'll Meet Again" and everyone lit candles it just took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. I left the concert hall that night with my programme in hand knowing that I had to find out more about the man that is Barry Manilow, so I joined his fan club and have been under his spell every since. - Karen Reilly (Milton Keynes, England) (4/28/2002)
First Show (Birmingham) - Dave (of Newcastle, England) (5/15/2002)
First Show (Apollo) - Jacquie Pearce (Glasgow, Scotland) (5/17/2002)
First Show (Manchester) - Denise Wreghitt (Manchester, England) (5/19/2002)
First Show (Manchester) - Alison Noonan (St. Helens, England) (5/25/2002)
First Show (January 21, Manchester) - Jackie Taylor (Lancashire, England) (6/1/2002)
First Show (January 29, Edinburgh) / Favorite Show (January 30, Edinburgh): I was in shock at the first concert (a day earlier) and enjoyed the second one better. I was in the second row so got a great view overall. It was the start of a lifelong love and is still going strong. Roll on the next concerts. - Margaret Marshall (Falkirk, Scotland) (8/2/2002, 8/16/2003)
First Show (Royal Albert Hall) - Mandy Gooch (of England) (1/5/2003)
First Show (Birmingham) - Julie Taylor (Wigan, United Kingdom) (1/19/2003)
First Show (January 26, Brighton) - Sarah Louise Harris (Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex, England) (1/21/2003)
First Show (Birmingham) - Amy Carlman-James (Teignmouth, Devon, England) (2/19/2003)
First Show (Royal Albert Hall) - Angie Merchant (of England) (5/19/2004)
First Show (Manchester) - Debbie Latchem (Bristol, England) (7/15/2004)
First Show (London, January 14) - Karen Cook (West Midlands, UK) and Dot Buglass (Bucks, UK) (8/21/2004)
First Show (Edinburgh) - Angela Middlemas (Durham, England) (5/28/2005)
First Show (Royal Albert Hall): I have loved and adored Barry for almost thirty years. I went to see Barry at The Royal Albert Hall in 1982, and though the whole concert was more than amazing, the one thing I remember most was when he sang "One Voice" and the whole audience lit candles/lighters for him. It was a breathtaking sight which filled me with total wonder. Barry, if you are reading this, please know that you have touched my heart and my life in ways you could not possibly imagine, and I want to thank you so much for ALL of your wonderful, gorgeous, beautiful music, and your incredible performances, whether on your albums or on the stage. - Rosalind Winton (Hertfordshire, England) (9/21/2005)
January 30 (Edinburgh): I was 16 years old and it was my first Barry concert. I was looking at him through binoculars as our seats were so far away but I could still hear him! He came on stage wearing a KILT and sang the Scottish song "We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa." I was in seventh heaven! - Shirley Reekie (of Scotland) (7/17/2006)
First Show (Manchester) - Lynda Brazier (Manchester, England) (10/2/2006)
First Show (Brighton): My parents were fans and got me into Barry's music - no looking back - I was blown away and hooked! I was only 16 at the time, but I fell in love! I wanted to be the girl he picked out of the audience. I wore a red sweatshirt I'd had specially printed with "Barry who?" on the back, like on the back of one his albums... Dream on! - Sarah Hopkins (Plymouth, Devon, UK) (12/3/2006)
First Show (Royal Albert Hall): I was only 14 years old! - Mandy (of London, UK) (2/2/2007)