Gig review: Simple Kid makes triumphant return for first gig in 15 years
Simple Kid - aka Kieran Mac Feely - played Whelan's in Dublin.
As Simple Kid - the alias of Kieran Mac Feely - walked out onto the stage in Whelan’s on Friday night for his first gig in 15 years a projector screen behind him kicked into life. Via rolling text in a green retro computer game font we’re informed that his two albums from the early 00s were followed by a hiatus - kids, a real job and a mortgage. A cheer went up from the soldout crowd as the screen declared Simple Kid’s return with his third album, last year’s SK3: Health & Safety. With his harmonica, fuzzed-up acoustic guitar and backing tracks he had us in the palm of his hand.
Three songs in the crowd sang every word of ‘Staring at the Sun’ one of the standout tracks from SK1, his 2003 debut album, and whatever cobwebs had been present were well and truly blown away. Mac Feely smiled as the crowd roared their approval, he seemed humbled by the reaction and very happy to be back on a stage.
