I’m a believer!

I’m a believer and when you see Bobby Bruce you will be too. In his uncanny tribute act, Bobby Bruce, otherwise known as Nearly Neil, is one of the worlds greatest tribute acts to Neil Diamond.

Bobby will be in Tasmania this week a few days prior to his concerts to sample and enjoy some of what our state has to offer. Bobby has some visits to wineries, sightseeing penguins and partaking of a chocolate feast as some of the highlights of his itinerary!

Later in the week Bobby will be taking to the stage to perform as Neil Diamond. Bobby’s great love is performing live and he believes if he can take people away for a couple of hours to enjoy the music and transport them from the troubles and cares of everyday life he is satisfied.

Bobby has been to Tasmania before with the ‘Legends of Rock’ tour in 1996 in which he visited Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.

It may seem appropriate that a Canadian actor who was trained to sing by a Russian voice coach should be perhaps the world’s greatest Neil Diamond tribute artist. Neil Diamond had a Polish and Russian emigrant background so somehow a Russian voice coach seems appropriate. Bobby always wanted to be an actor and his parents relented to his wishes and part of his performance training included singing lessons. Bobby worked with a voice coach formerly of the Moscow conservatory and then living in Canada.

Bobby has now been performing as Neil for 18 years. Strangely enough Bobby wasn’t always a Neil Diamond fan, in fact he learned about Diamond from his parents ,who were fans. Bobby much preferred heavy metal but in time he was won over by the man who wrote so many wonderful songs, that put into words the everyday thoughts of the every man.

It was in Australia that Bobby was bestowed with the moniker of ‘Nearly Neil’, by Ella Harris of The Adelaide Advertiser and it is in Australia, the country that embraced Diamond’s ‘Hot August Nights’ album that Bobby finds some of the most loyal fans of this period in Neil’s life.

Bobby has recently completed a successful tour of Holland where he discovered a strong Neil Diamond fan base that has aligned itself to another Diamond album. Bobby will return to Holland again soon, as well as tour Belgium. Bobby finds that the idea of where you were and what was happening in your life at that time is pivotal as to which Neil Diamond songs resonate with that particular audience.

During his performance Bobby intersperses the songs with stories of Neil and his influence on his own life. As Bobby’s own parents loved Neil’s music it adds further poignancy to his presentation

Bobby is very much a modern Renaissance man,as well as being a talented performer and songwriter (he plans to release material too as Bobby Bruce), stage actor he is an accomplished painter of Abstract Art using the medium of acrylic. Bobby finds his paintings are influenced by whatever song he is working on at the time and his paintings are very much like those created by many artists of the past, the continual painting of a subject to perfection.

Even though we will see original material from Bobby there will always be a place for Neil in his performances which are less a fastidious portrayal of every nuance of Neil but more a celebration of the man and his music.

Soon after this tour of Australia the man himself, Neil Diamond will tour Bobby’s homeland of Canada and after an interview on Vancouver television where Neil was informed of Bobby’s tribute act the two gentlemen will finally meet!

You can see Bobby painting a performance of perfection as Neil Diamond on Thursday July 5 at the Theatre Royal Hobart, Friday July 6 at The Princess Theatre in Launceston and on Friday July 7 at Burnie Arts Centre after which Bobby continues his tour of Australia. You can see further dates at

http://www.nearlyneil.com/Calendar_listing.htm
Paula Xiberras