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Diamond is forever

Gary Benjafield told David Hennessy about Hello Again: The Neil Diamond Songbook which comes to Ireland this week.  

Hello Again: The Neil Diamond Songbook comes to Ireland this week with shows at Cork Opera House, Wexford-based National Opera House, Drogheda’s The TLT and The Helix in Dublin.

The show also has many dates across mainland UK.

The show sees Brookln Creed, played by Gary Benjafield, sing the songs of Neil Diamond.

Gary (63), who has worked with David Essex, Hot Chocolate and The Real Thing, and The Salvation Band, delivers a critically acclaimed salute to the Brooklyn-born icon.

The homage which was formerly known as Hello Again: The Story of Neil Diamond and Hello Again: A Tribute to Neil Diamond has played across the UK and abroad including Indigo at The O2, Spain, Belgium, Denmark and Ireland; enjoying full-houses at many venues such as Horsham-based The Capitol, Harlow Playhouse, Kilworth House and Milton Keynes’ The Stables.

Gary has also played Sweet Caroline for Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch when they welcomed him as part of their Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

This year’s tour marks 60 years since Neil Diamond signed his first record contract. The Grammy-winner put pen to paper with Bang Records in December 1965.

Gary says: “I am very passionate about the man and his music. He really is a songwriting genius. I have been listening to his songs since I was a child and being in the show and performing the songs has made me appreciate his songwriting skills even more. Neil Diamond is a true music legend.”

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TV and BBC presenter Steve Le Fevre remarked on the show: “Absolutely mesmerising”, while Nottingham Post said: “Close your eyes and you could be in the presence of one Neil Leslie Diamond. A spellbinding recreation of a Neil Diamond concert.”

Neil Diamond has record sales in excess of 125 million  making him one of the best selling musicians of all time.

Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

He also received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2018 and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.

We chatted to Gary last week.

Are you looking forward to bringing the show to Ireland?

“We can’t wait. We absolutely love it.

“It’s absolutely our favourite place to come. It really is.

“We can’t wait.”

Is an Irish crowd special?

“Very much so.

“The last time we were there was such a beautiful moment.

“There’s a little bit in the show where I sing the Neil Diamond song, Play Me and it’s just me on an acoustic guitar and when it came to the chorus, this beautiful lady started singing it in the audience.

“It was just magical and the whole place was just so quiet.

“We just let her sing it in the end. It was just so lovely. It really was.

“That is one really lovely memory that I have, and it stays with me.

“It’s really beautiful.”

Do you have any Irish blood yourself?

“Definitely. We’ve all got a little bit of Irish blood in us, haven’t we?

“I know my grandparents have definitely got Irish ancestry going back without a doubt.

“Cork will actually be only the second time we’ve done the new show.

“We’re actually bringing a new show to Ireland so it’s gonna be our 60th anniversary show, to Ireland which has been amazing.”

Has Neil Diamond and his music always meant a great deal to you?

“Yeah, totally.

“My parents were big Neil Diamond fans so his music was always played.

“It’s really strange because I don’t try and put on his voice too much but for some reason I can sound like him, so I think it is having his music playing around the house and getting to know how he sings stuff.

“I was always a big fan of Neil Diamond and a big fan of any songwriter because as a songwriter, the guy is just phenomenal.

“The amount of songs he has written is just ridiculous so I have a lot of respect for Neil Diamond, to be honest.

“The funny thing is before I was in this show, I was doing the normal musician thing playing pubs and clubs and things

which was brilliant and every song I used to sing, people used to say ‘you sound like Neil Diamond’.

“And that’s without trying so it didn’t matter what I was singing, I always got compared to Neil Diamond so it seemed to be a natural progression to actually sing Neil Diamond songs.”

You get comments that it is like listening to the man himself, that must be very gratifying…

“It really is because The Neil Diamond fans are such massive fans.

“The lovely thing about the show is after the show, when you actually meet the people that come to see the show and hear what the songs mean for them.

“It is always lovely when someone says that.

“In this show everybody gives 100%, all the musicians, everybody, because we know what these songs mean to people and when you’re outside and people are talking to you, every song has a memory for someone.

“We have tears out there. We have people crying and it’s so lovely because the songs mean so much.

“If you can put the songs over like that and people are happy, especially the big Neil Diamond fans, that means a lot.

“We have some Neil Diamond fans.

“There’s a guy called Ambrose from Ireland, who hopefully we’ll get to meet again.

“He’s one of the biggest Neil Diamond fans going and I think he’s seen Neil Diamond 60, 70, times. It’s just ridiculous.

“For him to come to the show and say, ‘You’re doing a good job’ is a great thing.

“As long as we’re keeping the Neil Diamond fans happy, we’re happy. That’s brilliant.”

Is Neil Diamond himself aware of the show?

“He’s aware of us.

“It’s funny.

“When it was his last tour, which I think it was 2017, we had just started the show and we were in- I think it was Birmingham and his show was on the same night.

“They asked us to move our show just to save confusion,” Gary laughs.

“But definitely the management were aware of us.

“I don’t know about Neil Diamond but hopefully he is.

“We’re on a few sites where you can actually chat to him and we always send him little messages and things. We sent him a birthday message last week, of course.

“Hopefully he’s aware of us and hopefully he’s happy with what we’re doing and that’s all that matters really.”

I’m sure he would be happy with what you’re doing because it is keeping the music alive and that’s the main thing, isn’t it?

“Definitely and hopefully we’re doing it with the right amount of respect as well because we really do respect the guy.

“It’s just the reaction you get from people. It’s just amazing and that’s down to the songs and down to Neil Diamond, that’s not us.

“We could only do what we do, it’s just that reaction and every song is a beautiful song- Love on the Rocks, they’re just such beautiful songs and just so lovely to sing.

“It’s just a wonderful show to be in with really great music.”

 

The England football team adopted Sweet Caroline as their anthem in recent years, that says something about the music and its accessibility..

“You’re exactly right and what a way to finish the night.

“How can you fail with that song at the end of the night?

“Something’s going on because it always brings the house down.

“The lovely thing is when you’re singing that everybody’s smiling, it’s absolutely lovely.

“Everybody’s smiling and that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

“Making people happy.

“I don’t think he’s going anywhere, his music.

“Just like The Beatles, just like all those great acts and their great songs.

“Hopefully we can keep it going.”

What is your favourite Neil Diamond song?

“It’s a lovely song called Morningside.

“It’s an absolutely beautiful song.

“It’s one that makes people cry, and it’s so emotional.

“Unfortunately it’s not in the new show so I’m very upset about that but luckily, we’ve got a few great new tunes in the new shows that are making up for it, but hopefully we can get Morningside back again at some point, because it’s definitely my favourite.”

The songs will go on for another 60 years and more, won’t they?

“Without a doubt.

“When you look at the songs- Forever in Blue Jeans, Love on the Rocks, Cracklin’ Rose, the list goes on and on.

“As a songwriter, the guy is just phenomenal.

“He’s got to be up there with the Beatles when you think the amount of songs that he has written.

“It’s going to be timeless.

“The only sad thing is, of course, he can’t get out and do it himself now which is absolutely awful.

“As long as we’re out there and we’re keeping the fans happy and keeping his music alive, that is so important.”

The show has toured all over Europe. There has also been talk of taking it to Australia.

“Ireland is our favourite.

“We can’t wait.

“It’s only a few days until we’re there.

“It will be absolutely wonderful.”

Hello Again: The Neil Diamond Songbook is at Cork Opera House on Thursday 6 February, National Opera House in Wexford on Friday 7 February, TLT Theatre in Drogheda on Saturday 8 February and The Helix in Dublin on Sunday 9 February.

It also tours the UK throughout 2025.

For more information, click here.

 

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