Picture This are no strangers to Cork, and last night’s sold-out Live at the Marquee show felt like proof of that. The lads looked comfortable, excited, and ready to kick off this new tour. Maybe it was the brand-new stage setup, maybe it was the crowd’s energy, or maybe it’s just that Ryan Hennessy and co. have a knack for making every gig feel like the best one yet — but this one really did feel like something special.
Before the guys took to the stage, the crowd were treated to an electric support slot from Bradley Simpson, a lot of our readers will know Bradley from his other project The Vamps. He’s no stranger to the Picture This world as they’ve worked together a few times before. Bradley had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. The screams said it all.
Then came the main event, and what an entrance it was. The band walked on through side doors built into a cosy new stage setup that resembled a country pub, complete with warm lighting, stacked risers, and that iconic car from their Parked Car Conversations tour with license plate 241-PT-1.
They kicked things off with the high-octane LA House Party, a track that sets the tone perfectly and nearly blew the top off the Marquee. Ryan’s energy is something else. Genuinely. Every time I see them live, I wonder how he does it, he never stops moving, never stops engaging, and never gives less than 100%.
From there, it was Act of Innocence, the opener to their last tour, and the place was bouncing. You could feel the energy of the sold out crowd, and the smiles in the tent were contagious.
The hits just kept coming: Things Are Different, This Morning, and Call It Love landed back to back like a greatest hits tour. But there were fresh moments too like the new track Family Out of Friends.
They rounded out the set with A Thousand Times, Addict of Magic, One Drink, Parked Car Conversations, Never Change, and the beautiful Song to Myself.
There was hit after hit before wrapping it all up with the anthem that started it all: Take My Hand.
The whole night was a reminder of just how many bangers Picture This have under their belt and just how much the Irish crowd love them. If you missed it, good news: they’re back again tonight after the first date sold out in no time. I’m already counting down the days until they hit Waterford next month.
Picture This photos:
Photos & Words – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography