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Extra.ie
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
In Pics: Damien Dempsey and Supergrass take over Iveagh Gardens
Dublin's Iveagh Gardens transformed into a cathedral of sound over the weekend. Damien Dempsey and Supergrass were the latest acts to perform at Live at the Iveagh Gardens. The annual summer concert series is running at the intimate and atmospheric setting of the gardens throughout the month of July. Damien Dempsey. Pic: GMCD It marked the 12th year of Damien Dempsey playing at the venue. Dempsey has made the historic gardens his own by turning it into a sanctuary of song, spirit and soul. Familiar chants of 'Damo! Damo!' rang out once again as he took to the stage on Friday and Saturday. Damien Dempsey. Pic: GMCD 90s Britpop group Supergroup returned to Dublin on Sunday evening. The crowd were taken on a journey back to the band's heyday as they performed their debut album live. Gaz Coombes of Supergrass. Pic: GMCD This year makes the 30th anniversary of the release of I Should Coco. There was also room for a selection of fan favourites. Alex Warren will play the Iveagh Garden this Thursday. Mick Quinn of Supergrass. Pic: GMCD On Friday, it will be the turn of Unwritten singer Natasha Bedingfield. Dublin-formed post-punk group The Murder Capital perform at the venue on Saturday with Leon Bridges closing out the series on Sunday.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Damien Dempsey at Iveagh Gardens: Euphoric crowd revels in ‘summer singsong'
Damien Dempsey Iveagh Gardens, Dublin ★★★★☆ In Colony, Damien Dempsey sings of Freddie, who came from the Iveagh Flats, one of a cast of characters from the wrong side of the tracks. But the singer from Donaghmede on Dublin's northside has made the Iveagh Gardens off St Stephen's Green a home from home. This is his 12th year performing there and it hasn't rained once, he says. 'The sun gods must approve of this summer singsong.' On the afternoon before last night's gig, he tells the crowd, he stood on the Hill of Howth and looked down over his city, his heart beating like a surfer anticipating a big wave. If he was anxious, he need not have worried. This is a crowd he could surf on. In fact, Dempsey doesn't attract an audience so much as a volunteer choir of acolytes, amplifying every chorus. 'You're in fine voice tonight,' he says, often applauding them at the end of a song. READ MORE A marvellous rendition of Almighty Love, with his young nephew Cathal Dempsey joining him on guitar, kick-starts the night, followed by I Can Feel Your Presence, one of his best ballads, and the anthem Seize the Day, which allows the band to come into their own. The cellist struggles to be heard over guitars and drums but the uilleann pipes and flute give the concert a home-grown sound. Dempsey is an honest, impassioned singer, who leaves nothing on the pitch, even on weaker numbers. If the simplicity of his lyrics occasionally borders on the banal – the advice to tell the truth but tell it slant either unheard or unheeded – the sincerity of the delivery redeems it. He dedicates a song to 'our Celtic warrior queen fighting tomorrow night', Katie Taylor . It's a warm night and Dempsey, a former fighter himself, is breathing heavily between rounds. 'I couldn't wear skinny jeans tonight so I can't hit the high notes,' he jokes. He dedicates Chris & Stevie, about two friends who died by suicide, to his mother, who helped him through hard times. 'To all you people, be proud of who you are,' he sings and it resonates. He is a blue-collar mechanic for the soul. 'I'll give you a lift after that,' he says, 'but you have to grieve.' [ Damien Dempsey: Hold Your Joy – An infectiously wholehearted approach to singing and storytelling Opens in new window ] Ironically, perhaps, the upbeat number he chooses is Schoolday's Over by Ewan MacColl, about a school-leaver going down the coal mines. Far more uplifting and lively is Patience with its reggae vibe. 'You know I got no brakes!' 'We are travelling on a blue jewel around a burning star,' he tells the crowd. 'How could you not sing?' Serious is next, a powerful, believable ballad about a boy being groomed by a drug dealer, followed by the anthemic Apple of My Eye, his love letter to New York, on which the uilleann pipes come into their own. Then the crowd explodes during a full-blooded rendition of the Rocky Road to Dublin. Suddenly it's raining beer as plastic glasses sail through the air. It's euphoric. Dempsey prefaces Colony, an anti-imperialist song, by expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Jewish activists supporting them and he calls for support for Frances Black's Occupied Territories Bill . Negative Vibes reintroduces a welcome reggae beat – 'Lord won't you give me the strength to be strong and true?' – and as the night draws to a close, the singer pays tribute to our glorious dead – Shane MacGowan, Sinéad O'Connor, Seamus Begley and Christy Dignam – with a tender rendition of the beautiful Rainy Night in Soho. He has the measure of our dreams. Damien Dempsey plays the Iveagh Gardens again tonight
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Damien Dempsey at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin: Stage times, set list, ticket information, support acts, and more
Traditional folk singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey is set to play two back-to-back Dublin concerts in his hometown this coming weekend. The Dubliner released his 16-track double studio album Hold Your Joy in October last year – a mix of rousing words to live by and personal stories. Produced by long-time collaborator John Reynolds, Hold Your Joy is the most complete body of work Demspey has recorded in his career. If you are heading to one of the gigs to see Dempsey, here's everything you need to know. When and where is it? Damien Dempsey plays Dublin's Iveagh Gardens on Friday, July 11th, and Saturday, July 12th. What time should I arrive? Doors for the gig open at 6.30pm, with the music expected to begin at 8pm. Iveagh Gardens concerts tend to be finished up by 10.30pm. Traffic and entry delays are inevitable, so make sure you give yourself a couple of hours' leeway getting to and from the venue. READ MORE Who is playing? Support acts include Dublin duo ZEZTRA on July 11th and English singer-songwriter Ian Prowse on July 12th, with Damien Dempsey headlining. What songs will Damien Dempsey play? This was a recent set list performed by Dempsey at the Electric Ballroom in London in March this year. Seize the Day Patience Bustin Outta Here Apple of my Eye Chris and Stevie Colony Negative Vibes Party On James McClean Sing All Our Cares Away How do I get to and from the gig? The Iveagh Gardens are located right beside St Stephen's Green in the heart of Dublin city. As a result, you are advised to use one of many public transport options to get to the venue. Travel by bus: Naturally, a wide variety of Dublin Bus routes service the city centre. The 37 route, for example, runs along the northside of the quays and will drop you an eight-minute walk from the Iveagh Gardens. You can plan your journey with Transport for Ireland here . Travel by Luas: The St Stephen's Green Luas stop is a seven-minute walk from the venue. If you are heading southbound, take any green line Luas towards Sandyford or Brides Glen. If you are heading northbound, take any green line Luas towards Broombridge or Parnell. Travel by train: If you are arriving in Dublin by train, you can hop on the red line Luas from Heuston Station to Abbey Street. There, transfer to the green line Luas from the stop on Marlborough Street, hopping out at St Stephen's Green and walking seven minutes to the Iveagh Gardens. Travel by car: The closest car park to the Iveagh Gardens is St Stephen's Green's Q-Park. You can pre-book a parking space here , though it is recommended you use public transport as traffic delays before and after the gig are inevitable. Are there any tickets left? At the time of writing the Friday gig is sold out, but there are limited tickets still available for Saturday, July 12th. They can be purchased from Ticketmaster here . Remember to download your tickets to your phone, as there may be internet or connectivity issues at the venue on the day. Do not rely on screenshots, as Ticketmaster often use live or dynamic barcodes that update regularly. What is security like? The event is for over-14s only, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or above. Make sure to bring an official form of identification with you – a passport, Garda age card or driving licence will suffice. Bags size A4 or above will not be permitted entry, and all bags will be subject to a search on arrival. Avoid bringing prohibited items, including glass, cans, alcohol, garden furniture, umbrellas, flares, illegal substances or any item that could be used as a weapon. Recording and taking pictures using a camera phone is no problem, but professional recording equipment will not be allowed inside the venue. What does the weather look like? Friday is expected to be sunny with top temperatures between 22 to 28 degrees. A very warm Continental airmass looks likely to feed up across Ireland. The forecast for the weekend is somewhat uncertain, but with the potential for widespread hot and sunny weather to remain, Met Éireann said.
Extra.ie
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Irish music legends announced for festival this September
Tickets go on sale Monday, July 7. Tradition Now will return for its 14th year this September, with headliners including Damien Dempsey with National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, concertina player Cormac Begley, Irish folk quartet Landless and more. The festival is hosted by the National Concert Hall (NCH) and performances will take place across various venues at the NCH Earlsfort Terrace campus from September 25 to 28. NCH CEO Robert Readsaid this year's programmers aimed to spotlight Irish heritage while raising up contemporary voices. 'Tradition Now honours the roots of our musical identity while welcoming the new voices and ideas reshaping it,' Read said. 'This years edition of Tradition Now is particularly collaborative, and we are proud to present a programme that embodies the richness and diversity of Irish heritage while fostering innovation, inclusivity and connection.' Vocal ensemble Le Mystre des Voix Bulgares will open the festival on the main stage alongside composer Georgi Andreev and Quarto Quartet, all three acts hailing from Bulgaria. Landless will join them for a cross-cultural showcase of the vocal harmonies and ballad styles, which are found in both Irish and Bulgarian traditional music. Dublin's Damien Dempsey, who graced a holiday cover of Hot Press last year, will make his orchestral debut with the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland at the festival. Dempsey's most recent album, Hold Your Joy, was rated nine out of ten by Hot Press. Hot Press 's Will Russell said of Dempsey , 'Indisputably, this is an artist at the top of his game.' On Saturday, the main stage will be taken over by 'Room to Rhyme', a so-called festival-within-a-festival curated by Cork writer Theo Dorgan and co-produced with the Irish Traditional Music Archive. 'Room to Rhyme' will feature over 15 traditional Irish artists, including Colm Mac Con Iomaire, oghan Ceannabhin, Colm Broderick and Andy Irvine. It aims to honour the tour of the same name undertaken in 1968 by the late Irish poets Michael Longley and Seamus Heaney and folk singer David Hammond. The festival will also pay tribute to the late writer, artist and cartographer Tim Robinson in a special event commissioned for Crash Ensemble. 'Our Time in Space: A Tribute to Tim Robinson' will includecontributions from poet Moya Cannon, writer Fintan OToole, performer Olwen Four, folk duo Ye Vagabondsand more. Cormac Begley will wrap up the festival in collaboration with various other Irish traditional artists. Begley is fresh out of May's Drawing from the Well concert, where he took the stage with many of the artists performing at Tradition Now. Tickets go on sale next Monday at 10:00 a.m. on the NCH website.
Irish Times
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Swell Season in Dublin review: Not a dry eye on the balcony for Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
The Swell Season – Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová National Concert Hall, Dublin ★★★★☆ Many European tours by international bands conclude with at least one show in Dublin . When the gig is more a homecoming than a visit, there is always more reason to celebrate the end of living out of a suitcase. Saturday's show was more than just another performance for Dubliner Glen Hansard and his one-time partner, Markéta Irglová . It was a means by which to remember old times and reclaim lost ground, a time to dedicate songs to friends ( Damien Dempsey , John Carney ), family (Hansard's young son, Christy), and other musicians ( Billie Eilish , Van Morrison ). It was also, perhaps, recognition of relationships started in flurries of optimism and finished in squalls of despair. This is best exemplified by the delicate ballad People We Used to Be, one of several tracks from the Swell Season's forthcoming album, Forward, receiving its first live airing in Ireland. Irglová, who sits at her piano throughout, takes the lead vocal on a wise, semi-autobiographical song that outlines how, over time, the heart's heavy bruising can disappear. 'Things were easier once, when our hearts were light, we'd stay up talking late and put all the world to right,' she sings. 'How I miss the people we used to be and all those things that you brought out in me.' Was there a dry eye in the house? Not on the balcony, there wasn't. It was surely written in the stars that the pair would reunite for another outing. Hansard is a relentless seeker of collaborations, always on the mooch for a session or a singsong with like-minded musicians, and always true to his humane intentions. Irglová (the youngest ever recipient of an Academy Award in a non-acting capacity for her co-written Best Original Song, Falling Slowly, from 2007's lo-fi indie movie, Once) is on a hiatus from her solo career. Of the two, Hansard is by far the most successful, but based on Saturday's show, we should never underestimate Irglová's abilities to occasionally put a halt to her friend's unbridled gallop. READ MORE There are marked differences between the older and newer songs. Those from the Once years, notably When Your Mind's Made Up and the still untainted Falling Slowly, embody young love in all its naivety, insecurity, and commitment. The songs from Forward represent tension, doubt, and a world in disarray. [ Glen Hansard on fatherhood at 52: 'I can't believe I didn't do it before now' Opens in new window ] Factory Street Bells talks of leaving loved ones behind, the Nick Cave/Bob Dylan hybrid A Great Weight Has Lifted obliquely references Gaza, while Irglová's sublime I Leave Everything To You could be a lost tune from the Wicked soundtrack. The pacing throughout the 140-minute set is deftly handled, from tender ballads to string-breaking guitar shredders, with covers (Van Morrison's Into the Mystic and Gloria, Fergus O'Farrell's Gold, a snippet of Leonard Cohen's Bird On a Wire) as well as spoken word (Stephen James Smith performing his potent new poem, Talk to Me). The show ends, unsurprisingly, with a bunch of flowers for Irglová and a collective thumbs-up for Hansard.
