Fresh from his front row seat at The Helix, as one-quarter of the judging panel for The Voice of Ireland, Brian Kennedy returns with his latest album, named, funnily enough, ‘Voice’. Having debuted the title track Best Days on the show, the album is released tonight. Support for the night came from some of Brian’s contestants from The Voice – Alan Fitzsimons, Sinead Fox, and Brendan Keeley.
The first of two nights in The Olympia, the venue is far from full. There’s very little going on in terms of the stage production, which unfortunately hollows the venue out further. A staircase has been added at the front of the stage, leading straight down the middle of the crowd, which looks like a good addition for the night, but again it’s not put to use bar his stage entrance.
The set list is a mix of old and new, with a different set list for each night. However the audience manage to get their way with the addition of some unplanned tracks. The crowd seems to enjoy it but the content blends together due to similarity. Only the cover songs really shine through vocally and style wise. The contestants return once again for an ensemble performance of Life, Love & Happiness, which they previously performed on the show as “Team Brian”.
There is definitely room for improvement in terms of the overall presence of the show, and the set list could do with more variety in terms of arrangements, but flaws and all, it’s difficult to find an audience member who was left disappointed. The album signing after the gig is a touch we always like to see from acts. Humility across a long spanning career in the spotlight.
Brian Kennedy at The Olympia Photo Gallery
Photos: Abraham Tarrush
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