Marquee crowd filled with ‘Almighty Love’ for Damien Dempsey
Damien Dempsey lit up the Marquee on Saturday night. File Picture: Andres Poveda
If ever there was a time for prayer, it’d have to be this weekend.
With the European and local election results being gradually revealed in count centres across Ireland; and the Leaving and Junior Cert exams now both in full swing, wreaking havoc in many a household, sure the country’s nerves are in bits!
It’s good luck, then, that it’s on such a tense Saturday night that Irish folk rocker Damien Dempsey graces the Live at the Marquee stage.
It’s just the tonic for those looking for a fix of spirituality in these trying times — if slightly unorthodox. After all, the singer regularly nicknames the dedicated congregation of fans at his live shows ‘The Church of Damo’ – and boy are they all singing from the same hymn sheet throughout this Marquee set.
From the moment he races on stage, belting out his high-energy fan favourite ‘Almighty Love’ before launching into a defiant ‘Negative Vibes’, the crowd are hanging on his every word. They follow his lead, never missing a beat, throughout the well varied set.
There's a nice scattering of slower, more emotional moments where you could almost hear a pin drop; including during ‘Apple of My Eye’ and ‘Chris and Stevie’, a song that sensitively addresses the mental health crisis in Ireland, and how it’s affected young men in particular.
The standout of the night comes toward the end, when Cork’s own beloved John Spillane joins Damo on stage for a truly beautiful duet of ‘Ireland Free’ before finishing the night on a high with a stirring cover of ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’.
There’s also a moving tribute to the people of Palestine, as Damien dedicates ‘Born Without Hate’ to those affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Damo’s influences, from his late friend Shane MacGowan to the legendary Luke Kelly, shine through throughout the night. From his captivating stage presence to the very fabric of the songs themselves, it's clear that his heroes' legacy lives on.
The night is an undeniable celebration of Irish talent, kicked off in great fashion by special guests Hermitage Green, one of the country’s most popular bands in recent years, who whip the crowd into a frenzy early doors.
While it’s the Limerick quartet’s first appearance in the Live at the Marquee lineup, their warm welcome from this crowd makes it very easy to picture them headlining the festival themselves in the not too distant future.
They are, as Damo jokes, “a bit too feckin good”. But then, as the entirety of Saturday’s congregation must confess, so too is the main man himself!
A Dub through and through, he’s right at home here in the real capital none the less, rocking out in the iconic blue and yellow tent.
