I'm currently working with an ex-Van sideman...

would you need permission?

I don't believe it - seen him three times and each time I regret it.

He hates playing anything that the audience actually wants to eat and appears to begrudge people actually being there and him having to make the effort.

I gave up on him some years ago.

But can't give definitive proof one way or another.

Would love it to be true though.

Apparently there is some truth to this according to Brian Hinton's "Celtic Crossroads the Art of Van Morrison". Teacher Andy Lock got married at the parish church of St Stogumber near Avalon in 1989. He had written to Van's record company asking permission to use Van's music during the ceremony. His bride entered to the strains of "Connswater". During the reception there was a phone call to say that Van himself would be arriving shortly. They thought it was a joke, but sure enough Van arrived with his then gilrfriend Cathy McGhee and was very shy and nervous but stayed for an hour or so and then turned up again a few weeks later for a Saturday night chat with Lock. Lock asked him to play a concert in the church,for expenses, and he said yes.
On January 17th 1990 Van played what is supposedly one of his greatest concerts, 10 quid a head and a crowd of 300. He even walked outside with the crowd at the interval and was very chatty.
There is apparently a bootleg of this show entitled The Church of our lady St Mary" Hope this helps.

.... new and old Van stuff on BBC4 this Friday:

Details here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/listings/index.shtml?day=friday&service_id=...

After a gig in Southampton 89/90 Not only was in the queue for the chippy opposite the theatre,he got talking to my flatmates,both from Northern Ireland.He then invited all of their friends back to the Hotel for a late drink and sing-a-long at the piano.
The people who went-Van albums owned 0
me who was working and missed gig-Van albums owned 16