Lights - Speakeasy bar, Belfast

Published: 13th February 2012 - http://www.meg.ie/lights-at-the-speakeasy-belfast/

Lights on stage in Belfast. Photo courtesy of Nicole Alden

For 24-year-old Canadian musician Lights (yes, that’s her real name) any nerves were quickly swept away and replaced with awe and gratitude at the sight of the sea of fans who had turned out for her first Irish show. Lights started her career as a songwriter for Sony but was snapped up by Warner in 2008 and won the award for best new artist at the Canadian Juno awards in 2009. Since then, she’s toured with the likes of Keane and Owl City, embarked on a mini-UK tour, released an acoustic album and is set to release her second album, Siberia, in the UK/Ireland in March.

Her setlist included most of her new album, Siberia, but also managed to include favourites from her début album, The Listening, such as Ice and Second Go. One of the highlights of the night was most certainly her performance of My Boots during which she played the electric guitar lending more of a rock sound to her more recognisable synth-pop. It’s quite evident that she was born to be on the stage. She moves about to each song with such fervour that it’s hard not join in her enthusiasm. Her enviable energy lasted the full 75-minute set, with an elated crowd eager to welcome Lights on her Irish début. The feeling was clearly shared by Lights who seemed taken-aback by the afore mentioned enthusiasm .

Lights continues her Siberia UK/Ireland tour tonight with a show in The Academy 2, Dublin tonight (Monday 13 February). Check out Lights online for further dates.

Lights preview for shows in Ireland

Published: February, 2012 - http://www.meg.ie/lights-set-to-play-belfast-and-dublin-this-weekend/

Canadian pint-sized synth-pop artist Lights brings her Juno award winning music to Belfast's Speakeasy this Sunday, 12 February. Lights supported Owl City in early 2010 and did a mini tour of the UK in May of the same year but unfortunately never got over to Ireland during either.


She has just released her second album, Siberia, in the UK/Ireland and lead single Where The Fence is Low is set to hit the charts in the coming weeks. Siberia debuted in her home country, Canada, at number three and sold over 10,000 copies in the first week alone.


With tickets priced at just £11.25 each, this is one concert we certainly won't be missing!


Lights will also play The Academy 2, Dublin on 13 February. Tickets priced from €15

Christina Perri - The Olympia Theatre, Dublin

Published: 23rd January, 2012 - http://www.meg.ie/christina-perri-at-the-olympia-theatre-dublin/

Support acts are supposed to just play their 30/40 minute slot to keep the audience in anticipation of the main act. Londoner, Marcus Foster, however, nearly stole the show entirely. All it took was one song and the audience had decided that they liked this bumbling, kooky and soul-fueled singer. Watching Foster perform was like watching an artist perform in the confines of his bedroom. His performance was intimate and full of passion. It’s safe to say that their was a collective sigh of disappointment from the audience when it came for Foster to play his last song. The last time I was this blown away by a support act she had just won a BRIT award.
Kicking off the show with the infectious and loud Black and Blue, Christina Perri jumped onto the stage at the Olympia and was greeted by a sea of screeching fans. Perri made her presence known to the eager crowd, who had been more than warmed up by the support act, happily waving and smiling at what seemed like every member of the crowd. I was soon left dumbfounded at just how natural performing on stage comes to Perri and how easily she interacted with the crowd. The stage lighting and backdrop were fantastically executed and the scattering of flowers on the stage only added to the overall feel of the show.

Perri's setlist contained most of début album Lovestrong's tracks and all of the tracks from her EP, The Ocean Way Sessions. The younger part of the crowd looked puzzled by her cover of Roy Orbison's Crying whilst the older part of the crowd echoed Perri's warbles with glee. The encore consisted of, ''the song I'm most proud to sing to you tonight’, Jar Of Hearts, Tragedy, and her next single Arms.

The last night of a tour can go two ways. For Christina Perri, the screams and chants of the crowd were enough to seal the deal that she is well and truly on her way to success.

The Maine - The Academy 2, Dublin

11th January, 2012


Arizona-based band The Maine brought their catchy form of pop rock to the Academy 2 on Wednesday night. It was their second outing in Dublin having played in the Academy main room just last March when they were joined by Never Shout Never. The band, which formed back in 2007, have just released their third album Pioneer and are currently on a promotional tour around the UK and Ireland.

Having really only ever listened to their 2010 album, Black & White, I was pleasantly surprised to see that their set-list not only consisted of material from the new album but that it also featured a mixture of songs from all three albums.

It's safe to say that the band have a legion of fans who will no doubt buy a ticket any time the quintet announce a date in Dublin. I can also confirm that this legion of fans were out in full in the Academy 2 last night jumping around and mimicking lead singer, John O' Callaghan's every movement. The band created a great atmosphere, which was definitely helped by the small space of the Academy 2.

Any fans who arrived late to the concert were in for a treat as the band decided to play an 'extra-long' due to the fact that they had 'a lot of extra-time left'. The band's interaction with the crowd was fantastic and lead singer, John O', even managed to charm one of the crowd into hosting an after-party.

Favourites from the night were without a doubt the band's rendition of Inside Of You (which the band performed at a much slower tempo than the album version), Into Your Arms and I Must Be Dreaming which featured some wonderful of 'oohs' and 'ahs' from the crowd. Overall, I was very impressed with the band's stage presence and I left the gig knowing that I'd find myself downloading the band's new album as soon as I got home.