The rain may have dampened spirits for Patti Smith’s Kilmainham appearance but the weather gods were shining on Beck when he took to the stage for one of the first outdoor gigs of the summer last night.
Despite a few showers earlier in the day, there were clear skies over the Royal Hospital for the Grammy winner and it was clear from the off that the American singer-songwriter meant business.
Blasting straight into a rousing version of Devil’s Haircut, Beck shook the slightly lethargic crowd out of their post-work slumber as he snaked across the stage with the enthusiasm of an inmate just let out of prison.
Having set the tone for the gig, he proceeded to play a cleverly-paced blend of old favourites and tracks from new album Morning Phase and bravely included crowd favourite Loser (which sounded as great as it did in 1994) into the middle of the set, rather than holding out for the inevitable encore.
As well as his rare genre-defying musical talent, the one thing that stood out time and time again throughout the gig is how much the veteran performer seemed to be enjoying it.
Hopping from a subtle and gentle version of Think I’m In Love to a raucous rendition of Hell Yes, Beck’s quirky sense of humour is infused throughout the live show and makes the performance look so effortless that it’s easy to forget the level of musicianship that you’re witnessing.
From his unbridled dancing to the predictable but endearing speeches about his love for Ireland, it’s safe to say that the Mellow Gold star had won the entire crowd over by the time a piece of yellow police tape erected across the stage signalled the end of the a great night.
High point: The energy, the dance moves, the epic encore
Low point: A rambling dialogue about our place in the universe fell on deaf ears
Special mention: An excellent graphics display
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