Five things we learned from Harry Styles at Slane, from fan safety to One Direction
Harry Styles on stage at Slane Castle. Picture: Lloyd Wakefield.
Harry Styles is part of a growing number of pop stars who keeps a keen eye on the crowd at gigs. Early in his Slane gig, he promised attendees that he was there to help them have fun but if he saw anyone in distress in the 80,000-strong audience he would stop the show until they were helped.
“Our job this evening is going to be to entertain you, I promise you we will do our absolute very best. Your job tonight is to have as much fun as you actually can, if you want to sing, if you want to dance, please feel free to do whatever it is you want to do in here tonight, please feel free to be whoever it is you have always wanted to be in this room tonight.
“There’s a lot of people gathered on this hill. If you need anything at any point let me know, we can stop at any time. We’re going to keep it safe, we’re going to have fun and we’re going to do it together.”
It may seem an empty promise to naysayers but Styles held true to his word, pausing the show at one point because he saw a fan “slip and fall” in the crowd before him. He directed help to them and waited until he knew they were okay to move on and sing ‘Matilda’.
At other times, the ‘halo effect’ was in use effectively. This saw attendees lift their phone torches up and point them towards the stage to make a ring of light around someone in difficulty in the crowd to get them help as soon as possible. From a higher aspect — like the stage — it could be clearly spotted and Styles often subtly pointed staff towards them.
It’s not unusual for a visiting pop star to attempt a phrase or two as Gaeilge but Styles clearly practices his cúpla focal before arriving at Slane. “Conas a tá tú? My name is Harry and I’m thrilled to be able to perform for you,” is how he greeted fans upon arrival on stage to much cheering and praise.
It didn’t end there. Styles also attempted a rather impressive farewell in Irish as well. Before wrapping up after two hours on stage, he thanked those in the crowd with a classic “céad míle fáilte,” before bowing out with “slan leat, go n-éirí an bóthar leat.”
Styles has won four Brit awards, two Grammy awards, an Ivor Novello award, and countless others in 2023 alone, so you would be forgiven for thinking he has moved beyond his One Direction days but you would be wrong. There is still a place in Styles’ heart for the Directioners, the fans who have supported him in his music and other ventures for 14 years.
During his set at Slane, he performed one of the group’s biggest early hits, ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ and the reaction from the crowd reached a fever pitch. Clearly, there is still a lot of love for the boyband that sparked a global fandom.
He gives a subtle shout-out too to his Irish bandmate Niall Horan too, encouraging the crowd to “sing out for Mullingar”, where Horan is proudly from, and he thanked his fans for supporting him since the start.
“If you’ve been supporting me for one year, five years, 13 years, whatever it is, you have changed my life and I thank you so, so much for being here tonight.”
Slane Castle has hosted some of the biggest music acts ever and some of the acts to grace its stage include Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Queen. When Styles was announced as a headliner there were disgruntled remarks from some because he wasn’t the typical rock act that fans have travelled for in the past.
However, the sea of pink and neon as far as the eye could see was a testament to his success and Styles briefly acknowledged his place among those icons from the stage at the beginning of his show.
“It is an absolute pleasure to be with you, thank you so, so much for making this happen. I haven’t met a single Irish person this week who hasn’t told me what a big deal it is that we’re playing Slane Castle tonight. This is going to be a special one: one, because we’re at Slane Castle, and two, because it’s a Saturday night."
Poor Niall Horan will never live down the party that went wrong. A few years ago during a One Direction concert at the 3Arena, Styles shared a story from the stage of a night out in Dublin with Horan. The destination: a party in Tallaght.
During their 2015 show, Styles asked Horan to explain to the crowd what happened to him in the Dublin suburb, to which Horan replied: “Some fella stuck you a headbutt.” Styles added: “I went to Tallaght one time and got the nut stuck on me, but luckily for him, he managed to run away quick, I could have had him if I wanted to but I’m a lover I’m not a fighter”.
He mentioned the incredible incident once more at Slane. “I got headbutted when I went to Tallaght. Is there anyone here tonight from Tallaght? It’s okay, I forgive you, Tallaght, I forgive you.”
