Snow Patrol brought the full gamut of emotional nostalgia to St.Anne’s Park on Sunday night. The opening chords of their songs transport you somewhere else and for almost everyone in Ireland, their music feels familiar in the best way.
That feeling hit from the very beginning as the band came out to the brilliant Take Back The City. There was no other way to get things going – it’s loud, immediate, full of energy. The fans in their thousands sang every word back as the band fed off the atmosphere from the first note.
Frontman Gary Lightbody was all smiles throughout the night and looked genuinely taken aback by the crowds energy at times. There was something really natural about his presence – no rockstar ego, he was just glad to be there.
St. Anne’s Park as a venue suited the band so well. As the evening went on, the sunset stretched across the grounds, giving the whole show a warm glow. It added something extra to both the quieter moments and the bigger choruses.
Tracks like Called Out In The Dark, Run and Open Your Eyes got huge reactions, but the quieter moments arguably stood out most. Before the show, some fans had been wondering whether You Could Be Happy would actually make the setlist. When the opening chimes finally came, the reaction felt almost relieved. The park went nearly silent as thousands took in one of the band’s saddest songs. It was simple, delicate, and one of the standout moments of the night… and then came Chasing Cars.
Few songs are tied to people’s memories the way that one is. Weddings, funerals, breakups, everyone seems to have their own connection to it. Hearing it live under setting sun was special. The crowd sang so loudly at points that Gary hardly needed to add a word at all. For a few minutes, the entire park belonged to that song.
What has kept Snow Patrol going all these years is their honesty. Their music has never depended on spectacle or trends. They’ve always focused on strong melodies and real emotion. Last night only proved how well that still works.
An all-Irish support lineup on the evening included Morgana (One half of Saint Sister) and Orla Gartland.
Morgana photos:
Orla Gartland photos & set- list:
Set-list:
Kiss Ur Face Forever
Three Words Away
More Like You
Madison
Everybody Needs a Hero
Backseat Driver
Linger
Little Chaos
Snow Patrol photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Take Back The City
Chocolate
Called Out in the Dark
Run
All
Crack the Shutters
The Lightning Strike (What If The Storm Ends?)
You Could Be Happy
Love, I Guess
Open Your Eyes
Make This Go On Forever
Shut Your Eyes
Heal Me
Chasing Cars
You’re All I Have
What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get?
Just Say Yes
Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto