Irish singer-songwriter Darren Kiely may have never been to Wexford before, but judging by the crowd’s reaction last night, it’s safe to say he’d be welcome back anytime. As part of his Never Been Here Before tour, Kiely brought his growing discography of hits to the National Opera House.
The night kicked off with a set from rising Irish artist Dáwna. He was accompanied on stage by Aoife Nolan and the two were a perfect match. Dáwna’s vocals were exceptional and his songs were all heartfelt. He spoke about becoming a dad and how much it meant to him, he had a very good stage presence mixing in some jokes along the way too. Dáwna’s performance warmed up the audience perfectly, many of whom were hearing him for the first time but were all fans when he ended his set, with many quickly following him on social media and looking for selfies at the end of the night.
When Darren Kiely took the stage, the Opera House was full and fans were ready for an evening of being entertained by one of Ireland’s most exciting artists. He acknowledged that Wexford was a new stop for him, earning a mix of cheers and playful groans from locals. However, despite the name of his tour, he assured the audience he hoped this wouldn’t be the last time. Judging by the energy in the room, the feeling was mutual.
His setlist covered all the fan favorites like “Ocean” “Lost and found” “Mom and Dad,” “Late Texts” (which he jokingly reminded the crowd to pronounce slowly for obvious reasons), and “Avalon.” Each song was met with enthusiasm, but the biggest moment of the night came with his closing number, “Sunrise,” which had the entire venue standing and singing along in unison. I’ve been lucky enough to see this song ending the night three times and every time it becomes more and more of a spectacle.
Kiely also treated fans to live performances of his newly released tracks, “Mulcair Road” and “Old and Grey,” both of which we reviewed last week. The crowd responded warmly to the new material, proving that his growing discography continues to hit all the right notes with listeners.
Darren took the time between songs to tell the crowd how much they mean to him and how thankful he was. You can tell by him that this isn’t just part of the show, he really does appreciate each and every fan he gets. His next stop is Dublin this coming Thursday in a sold out 3Olympia, and if last night’s performance is anything to go by, those lucky enough to have tickets are in for a special night.
Dawna photos:
Darren Kiely photos:
Photos & Words – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography