A hesitation towards a once loved band was put to sleep at Rock City on November 8th when Irish rock band Kodaline took to the stage.
Kodaline rocketed to fame in 2013 after the release of their critically acclaimed album ‘In A Perfect World’ and tracks were featured in many shows and films complimenting moments as the perfect background music. But to the fans of these Irish sweethearts, these songs are much more.
Rock city is a venue that has seen talent like no other and is a daunting stage to step onto, but Kodaline made it seem completely effortless. At the start of the gig, people seemed slightly stagnant but as the gig progressed it was obvious that this audience was there purely to sing with their hearts and significant movement was simply not necessary. However, starting the gig with one of their powerful anthems ‘Follow Your Fire’ the audience was moving like no other.
Alternating their slow, love ballad type songs with the more upbeat from their three albums was the correct way to tackle the setlist. The set only contained a few songs from their newest album ‘Politics of Living’ which caused no objections as their better-known songs appear on the first two albums, and personally, the third album is not of the same standard as the others.
In the middle of the set, all members apart from Carrigan left the stage and couples grew closer knowing it was time for the love-ballad ‘The One’ to melt all hearts in the room. The lyrics rang around the venue like a chorus of cupids with couples confessing their love to one another, and everyone else pretending they couldn’t see this happening from every angle.
The next song, ‘Way Back When’ brought a wave of nostalgia into the room and a personal highlight of the night, leaving me with tears streaming down my face. The indie-folk side of Kodaline’s music becomes prominent in this song taking the listener on a journey through the music as any good folk song should.
At just an hour into the gig, lead singer Steve Carrigan stated that this would be their last song causing confusion in the crowd but making it evident that they would be back for at least a two-song encore. The quiet, unoffensive intro to ‘All I Want’ may be unassuming to the naked ear but to a Kodaline fan, it’s the first clue of the song that is about to unfold before them. Thanks to the encore, throats were hurting but grins were widening leaving the audience with the lyrics of ‘High Hopes’ ringing through their heads and hearts.
Pouring down the Rock City stairs at the early time of 9:30 left the audience wanting more from their Friday evening, as simply going home to bed after was just not an option.
Words: Amber Malley
Photo Source: BBC