An Upward Trajectory
If your only exposure to Hozier was mainstream radio, you might be getting a little tired of him by now. "Take Me To Church" has been seemingly on auto repeat for over two years - and whilst it’s a great record with a strong message, you could understand how for some it might just prove the adage that it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Listen to his album a few times though and you soon appreciate that the 25 year-old from County Wicklow is a truly consummate songwriter and lyricist whose music exudes a depth and soul that belie his modest years. The success of "Take Me To Church" has propelled Andrew Hozier-Byrne from a Dublin unknown to a global megastar. Following a string of festival appearances and an oversubscribed world tour in 2015, he is back for a series of sold-out European dates commencing with a three-night residency at London’s O2 Academy Brixton.
The Academy is an incongruous beast; the downstairs standing area is so steeply raked that brilliant sight-lines abound – even if you do need oxygen at the back. Meanwhile, the giant booming ceiling helps give the place the acoustic qualities of a lift shaft. One thing’s for sure: the venue can pack them in and tonight the place was rammed.
It was even pretty busy for the support, Wyvern Lingo. Also hailing from Wicklow, the all female three-piece with a good line in three-part harmonies have previously toured with Hozier and seemed entirely at ease on the giant Academy stage. They delivered six songs of tightly performed dreamy synth-pop, with a few rhythmic stabs and licks thrown in from stage right by guitarist Saoirse Duane. At the close, the crowd offered generous applause and then settled in for Hozier’s return to London.
I’m always amused by how audiences react whilst they wait for the headline act at a gig. Lots of whooping and cheering normally ensues to fill the silence between songs on the PA, when 99% of the time the music gets cut mid-song and the artist just walks out.
What I’ve never seen before though is the start of a show being heralded by the production of a lidded cup of char. But with Hozier’s infusion securely placed in a cup holder on his mic stand, the crowd went berserk and the show duly commenced.
Opening with the graceful ballad "Like Real People Do", Hozier established an immediate intimacy with his vocal and guitar, something not that easy in a warehouse like the Brixton Academy. It was not long though before the full band up-tempo numbers started ringing out: "Angel Of Small Death And The Codeine Scene" (a strangely jolly tune for such a dark lyric) and "Jackie And Wilson" put smiles on faces and had the audience swinging their hips.
With only a single album of material from which to create a show, the odd cover was always on the cards and we heard a really funky, syncopated version of The Beatles’ "Blackbird", complete with solo from cellist Alana Henderson.
Hozier re-introduced the audience to Karen Cowley of Wyvern Lingo, who came on to sing the duet "In A Week". She seemed very comfortable in her role and that’s not surprising given that she performed it with him on the album.
Their performance of this beautiful, haunting ballad was sublime, though marred by a significant minority of the audience whose attention span didn’t seem to cope with the lack of drums. Quite why some people spend their cash on live music performances in order to shout at each other through them is beyond me. There was barely enough time for my irritation to subside before the band played "Take Me To Church". At least everybody was united in taking interest in this one and with the sound of mass crowd participation still ringing in their ears; the band were off.
For the encore, Hozier reappeared with hair tied back clutching an acoustic guitar and delivered a sweet performance of "Cherry Wine". The audience was a little more respectful this time around. Perhaps it’s actually worth listening when you know you’re getting near the end of the show? With the full band returning one final time, they closed the set with "Work Song" – relying on the audience to supply the requisite hand-claps.
Before leaving, Hozier introduced the band and thanked practically every member of the production team, from lighting and sound engineers, to guitar technicians and caterers. This modest, understated approach is a mark of the man and you wonder even after such a meteoric rise, whether he truly appreciates just how good he is. If he continues this upward trajectory, you feel it’s only a matter of time before he catches up with the rest of us.
COMMENTS
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Nice first review, liking those wide shots of the full stage !
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Well, this was a pretty powerful read. I'm going to immediately share for the sake of fans who are mourning the end of the tour. All we have to do is read this to instantly be taken back to our cherished Hozier concert experiences. This review left nothing out and I learned something about this venue. I'm glad to have read it!
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What beautiful words, so eloquently written. I agree with you 💯, and cannot wait for him to take a break, & take it all in, & maybe it'll hit him like a ton of bricks, because he is AS Talented, AS he is a Genuine human being. It's no wonde'
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What beautiful words, so eloquently written. I agree with you 💯, and cannot wait for him to take a break, & take it all in, & maybe it'll hit him like a ton of bricks, because he is AS Talented, AS he is a Genuine human being. It's no wonde'
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What beautiful words, so eloquently written. I agree with you 💯, and cannot wait for him to take a break, & take it all in, & maybe it'll hit him like a ton of bricks, because he is AS Talented, AS he is a Genuine human being. It's no wonde'
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What beautiful words, so eloquently written. I agree with you 💯, and cannot wait for him to take a break, & take it all in, & maybe it'll hit him like a ton of bricks, because he is AS Talented, AS he is a Genuine human being. It's no wonde'
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What beautiful words, so eloquently written. I agree with you 💯, and cannot wait for him to take a break, & take it all in, & maybe it'll hit him like a ton of bricks, because he is AS Talented, AS he is a Genuine human being. It's no wonde'
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Sorry, so many editions, & never finished. ..That's what ,Cavana
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Sorry, so many editions, & never finished. ..That's what ,Cavana
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What beautiful words, so eloquently written. I agree with you 💯, and cannot wait for him to take a break, & take it all in, & maybe it'll hit him like a ton of bricks, because he is AS Talented, AS he is a Genuine human being. It's no wonder, he's at the Top of his Game. Sincerely, Donna Richardson 2-01-16
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Sorry, so many editions, & never finished. ..That's what ,Cavana
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Great read! :)
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Great read! :)
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LOVE THOSE SHOTS
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Love this review. I'm so jealous as I still haven't seen him live..
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He's been v. loyal with them! They've been touring with him since I saw him last year!
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Those photos are wonderful
