The Grand Social in Dublin had a special atmosphere last night as Lusaint took the stage, giving the crowd a night to remember. The night was opened by Dublin’s own Kyla Belle who kicked off the night in style.
Kyla has this effortless way of making the room feel like a conversation between friends. She played a mix of upbeat pop songs and slower, more introspective tracks, songs about struggling with self-image, the passage of time, and the little things in life that weigh on you. Despite her young age, she carried herself with confidence and warmth, making it easy to connect with her. She also mentioned her experience busking in Dublin, which probably explains why she knows how to hold a crowd’s attention.
Then came Lusaint, wrapped in a long black trench coat, ready to bring her signature soulful sound to the room. Her voice was just stunning, rich, effortless, and full of emotion. A real talent.
A real moment of the night came when she performed “Wicked Game.” Before starting, she talked about how she almost never posted her cover of the song, she’d recorded it on a whim, wasn’t sure about it, and now it sits at 33 million views on YouTube. The crowd loved that, and once she started singing, you could see why the video took off the way it did.
Later in the set, she also performed “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, and it was unreal. She completely made it her own, with a slower, more intense version that had people hanging onto every note and singing along to the chorus.
At one point, she spoke about living in Manchester, which got a massive reaction from a group in the crowd who had actually flown in from there just for this show. When she realized, she laughed and said, “You know I’m playing there next week, right?” The whole room cracked up. But not all the stories were as lighthearted, she also talked about leaving Manchester for London, how difficult that move was, and the emotions that came with it. You could tell she wasn’t just sharing stories for the sake of it; she really meant every word. She mentioned how much it meant to be back in Ireland, especially since she’d been able to reconnect with family she hadn’t seen in years. They were there in the crowd, which made the night even more special for her.
The audience itself was a mix of people from all over, which just shows how far her music has reached. Lusaint’s voice is one you could listen to all night. She was effortless in her delivery and it just showed how talented she is. If this gig was anything to go by, her next visit to Dublin can’t come soon enough.
Kyla Belle photos:
Lusaint photos:
Photos & Words – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography