Alanis Morissette at Malahide Castle, Dublin on June 29th, 2025

The evening began with a powerful statement as Irish Women In Harmony took to the stage, leading the crowd in a lovely version of The Cranberries’ Linger. Úna Healy sang one of her originals, a very sweet love song that showcased the collective’s strength. One of the great things about this group is each singer has such a unique voice and they bring something special to the harmony.

The setlist was a hit parade of Irish female vocal excellence: Sinéad O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U, The Cranberries’ Zombie and Dreams, and quite a few more hits from Irish women vocalists, just proving how talented the women of this tiny island are. It was a feminist and woman-centered evening that set the perfect tone—something we don’t always get to experience, and it was wonderful to see it all come together on such a big stage.

Next up was American artist Liz Phair, a master in her angsty rock field. She performed in full confidence, pulling people away from the queues for beer and food with her magnetic presence. The really cool trippy background was a bit retro and added to the vibe, but you could see that the musicality of the band was the real focus.

She commanded the stage in a shorts suit, joking about whether the castle has a ghost. We didn’t need any paranormal stories to have an extraordinary evening with a stage filled with iconic female musicians. Her cool hollow body guitar was the perfect accompaniment as she smashed through hits like Supernova, Polyester Bride, Fuck and Run, and of course, Why Can’t I. It was a night for nostalgia, and Fuck and Run truly proved to be a song that hits hard—Phair wasn’t shying away from her angsty feminine origins.

Then, it was time for our headliner to hit the stage and she hit the ground running. Alanis Morissette opened with Hand in My Pocket—what an amazing way to come out, instantly getting everyone in gear for the incredible set ahead. Her second song, Right Through You, was excellent, and she filled the backdrop with stats about violence against women, again highlighting her feminist values. She called out Jason Horne on guitar pretty early, showing a good example of bigging up the band supporting her.

Reasons I Drink was an unmissable hit. She was serving us a platter of excellent music all night, and what was so great about it was her enthusiasm, which the crowd mirrored. Her vocals were unbelievable, and the level of control and professionalism showed this well-seasoned performer delivering her much-beloved hits to a church of the converted. The retro music videos as background ignited the inner ’90s queen within all of us, and it was great to see the contrast between then and now.

For Ironic, she brought up Gráinne, a local woman, to sing the first verse—she did an excellent job, and the crowd was eager to help. Alanis also showed off her harmonica skills, proving she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve.

The show was packed with people from multiple generations, showing that all that’s truly needed to bring us together is an angsty musician. She looked like a kid having fun on stage whilst delivering the vocal control of a true professional—the joy was more infectious than the disease that shall not be named. Her accent was amazing and easy to pick out, really letting her Canadian origins shine through, something not everyone does these days, which I as a Canadian appreciated.

Midway through the set, she slowed things down with a few acoustic tracks: Rest, Mary Jane, and Flinch. During this quieter moment, if you looked to the left you could glimpse the sun setting over the Dublin mountains, and if you turned back to the right, the castle inserted itself into the skyline—it was a beautiful moment in time, one that we were lucky to have together. Alanis’s sultry and affectionate voice washed over the crowd, bringing many people through feelings of nostalgia.

Throughout the evening, there was nary a face without a smile, with so many people just having a good time reliving moments of earlier days. You Oughta Know was iconic to see live, played just before the encore, and ending the show with Thank U was just the cherry on top of a perfect evening.