Expectations for this show were always going to be high; rapidly growing Galway singer/songwriter, competing in The Voice of Ireland, John Gaughan, the well known quirky Dublin singer/songwriter, Orla Gartland, and of course, the beautiful sounding, UK genius that is Lewis Watson, all in the intimate setting of The Academy 2.
Opening the show was talented singer/songwriter, John Gaughan, who presented us with a number of compelling originals, tied in with an extremely energetic cover of I Need A Dollar. Urging the crowd to sing along, this guy definitely has the performance mechanisms to make it big. With fantastically written lyrics and an energy and enthusiam that started the show with a bang, John was definitely worth the long wait. Having racked up a serious amount of support from his inclusion in The Voice, it’s not long before John will be headlining this venue, and bigger.
With very little delay, next to spring up on The Academy 2 stage, was a pretty much “regular” to this venue, Orla Gartland. Raising the bar, and setting a high standard is something Orla is accustomed to at this stage- Performing a well structured and balanced set, going through her clearly well-known Originals, as well as an uplifting cover of Another Brick In The Wall. Bringing every bit of energy in the crowd to the fore, all in mighty anticipation of Lewis, Orla, with her personality, her stage presence, her lyrics, and her catchy melodies, definitely had the crowd in that “gig mood”. Evidently forming her own unique sound, showcased in some shiny new originals, Orla’s not so distant future is looking extremely positive.
Following two outstanding performances, Lewis made his highly anticipated appearance on the same stage he played not so long prior, beginning his set with the smooth, relaxed song, Once Before, sounding exceptional- even over an entire venue of screaming girls! The expected instense performances of each song, played with utter meaning, just flowed out of Lewis. When Lewis performs live, it’s all about the music; it’s just him and his music, in a room full of people. But, for four minutes of this show, it was all about the fans.
Stepping into the middle of his infatuated fans- they having formed a seated circle in the middle of the floor, to perform intimately and personally, as the crowd sang the lyrics of ‘Calling’ back at him. This obviously being the stand out moment of the entire night, was there really any need for Lewis to leave just to be encored back? He certainly didn’t think so.
Residing on stage to perform two “encore” tracks, concluding this beautiful performance intricately and with power, performing ‘Into The Wild’ reigning from his new EP- ‘The Wild’ EP, which was actually released earlier in the day (and had apparently already been purchased by half the crowd!).
Exceptional songwriting accompanied by professional, flawless stage presence; a true sign that Lewis Watson will be a massive name on the music scene- and you won’t be long waiting!
(Photos by Adam Ellison- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Ellison-Photography)