On Monday night, David Andrew Balfe – better known as For Those I Love, closed out his tour with a powerful homecoming performance at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre. Riding the momentum of his August release, “Carving The Stone”, Balfe returned to a sold-out crowd to deliver a set that was as emotionally devastating as it was cathartic.
From the moment he stepped on stage, there was a palpable weight in the room. With his signature blend of spoken word and electronic soundscapes, Balfe guided the audience through a deeply personal narrative – grappling with grief, resilience, and the fractured state of modern Ireland. His delivery was intense – each word landing with heavy purpose. At times, you could see the conflict in his eyes – caught somewhere between mourning and hope.
Highlights included the haunting opener “Of The Sorrows” and the transcendent, closing, “I Have A Love”.
Mohammad Syfkhan opened the evening with an exciting blend of “off the cuff” Kurdish and Syrian pieces for the Bouzouki.
Mohammad Syfkhan photos:
For Those I Love photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Of The Sorrows
This Is Not the Place I Belong
You Stayed / To Live
Civic
No Scheme
The Shape of You
To Have You
Mirror
The Ox / The Afters
Brendan
Aaron
Top Scheme
You Live / No One Like You
Birthday / The Pain
I Have a Love
Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto