It was double trouble at the Academy last night as superstars Emei and Haiden Henderson took to the Green Room stage.
Self-described ‘one man boy band’, Haiden Henderson opened the night and the whole place was bouncing right from the off. The low ceilings and low-key lighting of the academy green room were the perfect complement to his dark, gritty basslines. Henderson dedicated one of his tracks to an audience member in the front row, who was completely smitten. At another point he was thrown an Irish flag as his diehard fans in the front row proudly declared the American pop-star as one of our own. His track ‘Sweat’ was a real highlight in his set. The track packs a huge punch and somehow sounds even better in the live setting. New fans were undoubtedly made.
Then came Emei, storming the stage in a red football jersey emblazoned with the title of her latest EP, Rabbithole. From the second she stepped under the lights, she had the audience in the palm of her hand. If Haiden hadn’t already turned up the heat, Emei took things to a whole new level, demanding an energy from the crowd that had everyone screaming every lyric back at her.
One of the most memorable moments of the night came midway through her set when Emei asked the audience to sit on the floor. Without hesitation, she climbed down into the middle of the crowd, the spotlight following her as the room fell silent. With nothing but her voice and a live looping pedal, she built a stunning, layered piece right then and there – a rare, intimate moment and a bit of magic for her many fans there.
Emei kept the surprises coming, debuting unreleased tracks that were met with immediate approval. If the deafening cheers were anything to go by, her upcoming releases could make real waves.
Just when the night couldn’t get any better, Haiden Henderson made an unexpected return for a chaotic, high-energy cover of Justin Bieber’s Baby. It made for a a lighthearted moment that had the entire room singing at the top of their lungs. It’s not often to see an opening act play the role of support so literally and so well.
Both acts will be received here with open arms, and more likely than not in a larger venue next time around. The high energy and sprinkling of unique moments throughout this gig made it one you just wouldn’t forget.
Haiden Henderson photos & set-lits:
Set-list:
Hell Of A Good Time
Dump Him
???
Sorry To Your Next Ex
K.O.
Good Side – Acoustic
Bleachers – Acoustic
???
Pretty Little Addict
Sweat
Emei photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Cynical
Love Me Not
Better People To Leave On Read
Ferris Bueller
Late To The Party
SUGARCOAT
You Are Bad
Crazy Stupid Love (Unreleased)
Human Being
Baby (Justin Bieber Cover with Haiden Henderson)
Bad Advice (Unreleased)
That Girl
9 LIVES
THE PART
Don’t Know About The World
Irresponsible
RABBITHOLE
Scatterbrain
Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto