Orla Gartland could have been playing to a sold-out venue (and she was), or to a room of about a dozen people. Fact of the matter is, regardless of where, when, or to whom this Irish singer/songwriter performs, she will always put on one hell of a show, just as she did at the Albert Hall.
Preceded by two sonically opposite yet equally impressive supports acts – TWST, an ambitious vocalist bolstered by hypnotic electronic instrumentals and the silken-voiced Hohnen Ford, whose charming compositions echoed those of Lucy Dacus, as well as the headline act’s – Gartland’s ascension to the stage was characteristically flamboyant. With the knowledge that she released her sophomore record, entitled ‘Everybody Needs A Hero,’ in October of last year, anyone would agree that walking onto the stage to the tune of Bonnie Tyler’s classic ‘Holding Out For a Hero’ was a decision made out of necessity.
With the first song of her set, stomping banger ‘The Sound of Letting Go,’ Gartland and her band (Scarlet Halton on bass and keys and Sara Leigh Shaw on drums) let rip; each performer throwing herself into the music. The end of this song saw one of what would become many, many appearances of Jordan, the man tasked with swapping Orla’s guitars in-between songs, of which I counted a total of five – three electric, two acoustic.
Having five guitars on rotation for one gig is just one of the endlessly endearing Orla Gartland’s charms exhibited to us on this night. Others include her donning of an outfit that may well have been worn by a peasant boy in the Middle Ages, the quite frankly maniacal faces she pulls while strumming to her rockier tracks and her brief yet brilliant impromptu drum solo later in the show. A genuinely lovely person, her warmth could be felt in both the relaxed rapport she struck up with the audience – remarking on being ‘broke all the time’ in being an independent artist and her happiness at being back in the UK after touring elsewhere – and in every note she sang.
As you’d expect from the variety of guitars, Gartland’s set struck a satisfying balance between her high energy and more subdued songs, with the former just about outnumbering the latter. Some of the best moments of her show, though, were when she enlisted her acoustics for those quieter tracks. ‘Mine,’ for example – a gut-wrenching and yet “hopeful” song from ‘Everybody Needs A Hero’ – saw her stand in the centre of a raised platform further back on the stage, from which she delivered the composition’s stunning lyrics (which I would type out, but instead I recommend you give it a listen).
Attending this concert, I was reminded of just how many zingers Gartland has come out with over the years. Alongside those comprising her latest record, the audience was also treated to 2019’s rallying ‘Why Am I Like This’ as well as several cuts from her debut, ‘Woman on the Internet’. These included the refreshingly honest ‘More Like You,’ ‘Codependency,’ whose thrashing chorus is electric live, and ‘Bloodline/Difficult Things,’ the song landed on by the wheel Orla brings out every show to decide which extra song to play during the encore. (My friend was particularly gutted that her favourite of the lot, ‘Flatline,’ was just edged out.)
Reflecting its success, each track from ‘Everyone Needs A Hero’ was riotously received by the crowd. ‘Three Words Away’ (‘from absolutely fucking ruining your life,’ continues the chorus) and ‘Little Chaos,’ in being alt-rock bops, were a joy to witness live. Moreover, Gartland’s encouragement of audience participation during ‘Kiss Your Face Forever’ and ‘Backseat Driver,’ both of whose choruses are incredibly singalong-conducive, only added to the thrill of seeing such musical proficiency as that of Orla et al on display.
Great tunes, in a great venue, brought to us by an effervescent and captivating (and independent) artist? And a fun wheel that decides what songs will be played in the encore? Who could ask for more?
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