Jamie McIntyre / Dawna / Johnluke – live gallery & review from Whelan’s Upstairs Dublin 09.05.2025

There’s something about a sold-out Whelan’s gig that just feels special. It’s intimate, it’s loud, and when the artist on stage is someone like Jamie McIntyre, there’s serious potential for the night to turn into something pretty special and that’s exactly what happened last night.

Before Jamie took to the stage, the night kicked off with not one, but two quality support acts. First up was Johnluke, who instantly won over the crowd with his infectious energy and charm. Cracking jokes between songs, rocking an Ed Sheeran guitar, and even dropping a cover of “Don’t,” he had people clapping along in no time. But it wasn’t just the cover that caught ears, his original material showed real promise. New track ‘City Lovin’ is a catchy tune and there’s no doubt he left the stage with a few new fans.

Next up was Dawna, who is consistently incredible. You can tell he’s been putting in work in every aspect of his career. I actually first saw him in Wexford opening for Darren Kiely, and he’s only gotten better since. He knows exactly how to work a crowd, funny, heartfelt, and totally committed to the performance. He has that appeal that you can only get after putting in countless hours. By the end of his set, the room was buzzing and more than ready for the main event.

Then Jamie stepped out, and honestly, he was nothing short of incredible. A genuinely humble and grounded guy, Jamie came across just as likeable between songs as he did while belting them out. His voice was spot on, just like the recordings, if not better live. Last night’s show doubled as a sort of launch for his new EP Chapter 23, which dropped today (and which we reviewed on the site yesterday, if you fancy a deeper dive).

He treated us to a solid mix of new songs and fan favourites (yes, he has many of those now, something he still seems amazed by). Watching his reaction to the crowd singing his lyrics back to him was one of the night’s highlights. You could tell it meant the world to him. Jamie spoke about creating music for years and nobody listening, he spoke about continuing to push on and shared how he travels from Galway to Dublin just to record music, a reminder of the graft behind the scenes. Last night felt like it was the beginning of all that work starting the pay off.

One of the standout moments of the night came during “Mo Chailín Mo Chroí” when Jamie hopped off stage and joined Dawna in the middle of the crowd. It was a brilliant moment and also made me think, with his current trajectory, this might be one of the last times we see him play in a venue this intimate. He hinted at bigger shows coming soon (we’ll let him announce it in his own time) but there’s no doubt it’s well-deserved.

He wrapped things up with “Over Galway Town”—twice, actually. After the first round, the crowd hadn’t had enough, and Jamie, clearly feeding off the energy in the room, gave it to us one more time. By that point, people were dancing together, smiles all around, and it just felt like one of those “you had to be there” kind of nights.

Jamie McIntyre’s show felt like a night of deserved celebration. Of a new record, of how far he’s come, and of what’s still to come. If last night was anything to go by, the best is yet to come.

Johnluke photos:

Dawna photos:

Jamie McIntyre photos & set-list:

Set-list:
Y.O.U
Girl Dressed in Gold
Last Name
Everything
Say You Need Me
Gra
San Diego
Not Nothing
Mo Chailin Mo Chroi
West Is Home
Outside The City
Over Galway Town

Photos & Words – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography