There was plenty of energy inside Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre on Wednesday night as MUNA brought their Get So Hot tour to the city. Unfortunately, while the band delivered a fantastic performance, some questionable production decisions prevented the evening from being quite as polished as it could have been.
Opening the night was EMMMA, an artist I had previously seen supporting The Pale Waves. Sadly, this performance didn’t quite reach the same standard as that previous outing. Accompanied only by her drummer, something seemed to be missing. Perhaps the fuller sound of a complete band is what makes the difference, as tonight’s performance didn’t quite have the same impact.
The production certainly didn’t help matters either. The lighting during EMMMA’s set was, quite frankly, a disaster. There seemed to be little understanding of what was happening, with the house lights even coming on and remaining on for a period during her performance. Adding to the frustration, the large lighting fixtures positioned along the front of the stage blocked sightlines for much of the audience.
Those same lights, a row of eight moving heads, were a talking point among people on the barrier during the changeover. Many were questioning why they were there in the first place. Given how little they appeared to be used, their presence seemed largely pointless. For Emmma, they were even more intrusive, remaining upright throughout her entire set and obstructing views even further.
Thankfully, MUNA were a completely different story. The band played an absolute blinder, delivering a high energy performance from start to finish. It was obvious that every member was enjoying themselves, and that enthusiasm was infectious, with the Dublin crowd responding in equal measure.
However, production issues weren’t entirely confined to the support act. At one point during MUNA’s set, I found myself asking another audience member whether certain microphones kept cutting out, as I was sure at least one was experiencing problems and they agreed with me.
Ultimately, MUNA delivered the goods, but the evening highlighted how important the technical side of a live show really is. A brilliant band and an enthusiastic crowd deserved better production.
EMMMA photos:
MUNA photos & set-list:
Set-list:
It Gets So Hot
Dancing On The Wall
Wannabeher
Mary Jane
Crying on the Bathroom Floor
On Call
So What
Big Stick
Why Do I Get A Good Feeling
Buzzkiller
Kind of Girl
Taken
What I Want
Number One Fan
Solid
Girl’s Girl
Anything but Me
Eastside Girls
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Stayaway
Home by Now
Pink Light / Navy Blue / Good News (Ya-Ya Song) / Everything / Around U / It’s Gonna Be Okay, Baby
I Know a Place
Silk Chiffon
Photos & words – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic