Dermot Kennedy @ Eventim Apollo- 03/12/19

A cold December evening in Hammersmith played host to the second of a run of two sold-out shows at the prestigious Eventim Apollo for Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy.
The night before, Kennedy was awarded a gold disc for “Outnumbered” in the UK and his number one debut album award. This is an example of just how far he has come over the past twelve months. I was very much looking forward to this show!

Dermot’s relentless touring schedule has taken him all over the world already this year. Clocking up well over 150 gigs, there is no doubt that Dermot Kennedy has grown into an international star this year. His debut album ‘Without Fear’, which, was only released a couple of months ago is already a number one album, that’s before I even mention the incredible amount of plays his songs have amassed on streaming sites such as Spotify.

Dermot strolls confidently onto the stage after his band. The packed Hammersmith venue erupts into a chorus of screams and cheers, even before a chord has been struck. I’m getting a feeling that this will be a special night. The dimly lit stage bursts into life as Dermot opens with his first song of the show ‘An Evening I Will Not Forget’ from his debut album. As soon as the first chord is struck on Dermot’s guitar, the crowd suddenly falls silent. The crowd comes alive singing along with Kennedy when the bridge hits. Kennedy sings accompanied by an enthusiastically emotional audience.

“I still love you, though
I still love you, though
I still love you always
So hold me when I'm home, keep the evenings long
Let's not crack and break and part ways”

I look around at the crowd surrounding me, most of whom are passionately singing along with Dermot. Half the audience upstairs seated. The other half downstairs, standing as still as statues enjoying every moment of this experience, already I can see tears streaming down the faces of more than one member of the audience’s face. On the first song, that’s a first!

Throughout the evening Kennedy told stories of his past and the origins of some of the songs. Where they were written, what they mean to him and how the idea was conceived. Truly inspiring. This is something he has improved greatly since I saw him in Brixton last year. Last year in London, his speeches between songs seemed to lack direction and he seemed to trip over his words. However, tonight is different. Dermot’s stories are truly enlightening and inspiring, the crowd hanging onto his every word.

It seems almost impossible to pick out individual highlights during this masterclass. Every track sounds massive in this set. For me, the highlights were 'Moments Past', ‘Rome’ and ‘Lost’. Honestly, I have enjoyed every second of this performance, but for me, these tracks stood out, am I biased? Of course! I could listen to all three of these tracks over and again. Dermot played much of the debut album as expected. He also treated the crowd to a few singles he released before the album. I noticed that many of the tracks are started by Kennedy himself, he has a great way of starting a track off slowly with only his acoustic guitar for company, before being joined ably by his band, this is accompanied by the stage lights jumping into life, further bringing the songs to life, when the audience joins in, it's a truly magical experience.

Having seen Dermot on three previous occasions in the past couple of years, I have seen his stage show and budget grow exponentially. The stage set was amazing throughout the evening. Whether it was Kennedy on stage on his own accompanied by nothing but his trusty acoustic guitar, dry ice and a single light. Other times utilising a huge screen behind him showing images of giant blinking eyes and various other visual delights, such as a person swimming.

The evening’s entertainment ended with a captivating performance of ‘After Rain’ which, was an amazing way to finish proceedings. I couldn’t see a dry eye in the venue, the whole crowd singing ‘You won’t go lonely, yeah’ back at him. Incredible.

After attending many gigs this year. I can confidently say that this show was certainly a highlight. A captivating performance from Dermot and his band just doesn’t seem to do him justice. If you weren’t there, you missed an incredible show.