The band that raised the roof
Some live shows need to be seen to be understood. That's the case of Hothouse Flowers too. The band has been playing for over 30 years and getting great reception around the world. They're deeply spiritual, full of energy that goes way beyond just one night. And when you see them playing in front of a home audience, that's really something else. Vicar street was packed on Sunday night and you could feel the anticipation.
Lisa Lambe supported the band as well as she did in Cork on Friday and she seemed like an Irish fairy with her long dress, long hair and a voice of an angel. You could close your eyes and you were right in the land of Irish myths and legends.
Then Hothouse Flowers took the stage. The advantage of playing together for long time was obvious. Frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí is so charismatic that he wows the audience with a simple gesture. No matter if he plays the piano, guitar, bodhrán or just sings a cappella, the audience is thrilled and can't take their eyes off him. Fiachna Ó Braonáin is an excellent guitarist with a permanent smile on his face and he's also known for his work for RTE Radio 1. Every single member of the band is a fantastic musician with a passion for his art.
Mostly older songs were played including Don't go or Sí Do Mhamo Í. One of the highlights was Feel like living, written by Peter O'Toole about a birth of his son. It doesn't matter if they wear a suit or go on stage with bare feet - the musicianship is in there. Liam perfectly summed the night up towards the end saying "You had us, we had you so the circuit is complete."
An extraordinary night that certainly raised the roof.