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The Irish Times •

Olivia Rodrigo in Dublin review: Watch out Taylor Swift. This bona fide pop superstar is coming for you

★★★★★

Kicking off the European leg of her Guts tour at Dublin’s 3Arena on Tuesday night, Olivia Rodrigo left no doubt that she’s a bona fide pop superstar.

Hordes of teenage girls in glittering miniskirts shriek in excitement as the 21-year-old appears on stage in her own silver number, paired with matching crop top, sparkling eyeshadow and black Doc Martens.

Launching straight into Bad Idea Right?, the punchy, guitar-heavy second single from her sophomore effort Guts, it’s clear that Rodrigo...
The Irish Times •

Jamie Duffy at NCH review: Whether he decides to be Ireland’s answer to Hans Zimmer, the future is bright

★★★★☆

“Classical music can feel very boxed off for a certain group of people, and that shouldn’t be the case”, 22-year-old Monaghan pianist Jamie Duffy said with conviction at Dublin’s National Concert Hall on Tuesday night.

The rising star is playing his second sold-out gig this month at the venue tonight, kicking off with two brand new compositions, Resonance and Circles, filled with ominous, vibrating low notes and cinematic minor keys.

His hands fly along the open Steinbach with such ease...
The Irish Times •

Frank Skinner in Vicar Street: ‘You don’t get these jokes from the young comics. This is a craftsman at work’

In a new era of touring, radio and podcasts – rather than weekly prime time TV – British comedian Frank Skinner arrives on stage at Dublin’s Vicar Street on Wednesday night downplaying his enduring success.

“I used to be f**king massive,” Skinner says, gesturing at what may or may not be an empty seat near the front.

In truth, this current tour – the enticingly-titled 30 Years of Dirt – features 40 dates across the UK and Ireland, with the majority sold-out affairs.

Now 67 years young, the We...
The Irish Times •

Niall Horan at 3Arena: ‘Good Lord. Compose yourself Ireland ... It’s so good to be home’

With infectious energy and a winning smile, former One Directioner Niall Horan bounded on to the stage at Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday night for the first of three sold-out dates.

Decked out in black slacks, a white tee and a leather waistcoat, he looks less Bruce Springsteen and more like he is about to serve up a pint of plain at his Mullingar local. And wait: Is that actually a dish-drying cloth hanging out of his pocket?!

The instant giveaway that this is not your average Westmeath man is the...
The Irish Times •

Neil Delamere live review: rapid-fire jokes and quirky observations deliver a night of belly laughs

Comedian Neil Delamere bounded on to the stage at his sold-out Vicar Street gig on Saturday night with the frenetic energy of a newcomer but the performance nous of a veteran. Some two decades into his career, the enthusiasm doesn’t appear to have waned much.

He quickly launches into his trademark rapid-fire chats with the front row, with a participatory style that is perhaps more akin to a US club comic than an Irish one. Delamere swiftly deduces that his crowd tonight includes a Leaving Cert...
The Irish Times •

Chris Kent in Vicar Street: The Cork comedian’s relaxed style handles darker material with ease

★★★★☆

Cork comedian Chris Kent is on an upwards trajectory. Apart from on the property ladder, that is. His new show Back At It is currently touring across Ireland and the UK, and marks the biggest run of his career to date.

Kent has added a third show at Dublin’s Vicar Street this April, something he admits is “making my arse go in and out a bit”. On stage at Vicar Street on Friday, the comedian is introduced by surprise guests: his two children, Jack and Evelyn. A sentence like “ladies and g...
The Irish Times •

Jarlath Regan at 3Olympia: A slick stage performance with sincerity and warmth with occasional missteps

★★★★☆

Jarlath Regan arrived on stage at the 3Olympia Theatre with shoulders relaxed and a broad smile.

The creator of hit podcast An Irishman Abroad is currently embarking on the first dates of his new comedy tour Yer Man – including four sold-out shows in Dublin.

It’s his decade-long podcast, featuring interviews with high-profile Irish figures, that’s brought him here, as well as his huge online audience. He now has almost a quarter of a million followers on Instagram alone.

Regan, now app...
Buzz.ie •

Comedian David McSavage: 'You can't cancel me because I'm not that successful'

Legendary Irish comedian David McSavage says he's not afraid of cancel culture affecting his work. Speaking ahead of Galway Comedy Festival this weekend, the Savage Eye creator disagreed that social media has made it more difficult to speak freely as a comedian. "I think it's just as difficult or easy as it ever has been," the Dublin comic, 57, told Buzz. "And I think there's a lot more stuff to play around with nowadays." READ MORE - Galway Comedy Festival announces line-up including Deirdre O’...
Buzz.ie •

Comedian Justine Stafford on TV, trolling and the Paddy Power Comedy Festival

Justine Stafford is one of a crew of Irish comedians who you might know best from the internet. She’s also one of an even larger group who will be headed to the Paddy Power Comedy Festival in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens later this month. “It’s comedians’ Christmas, because it’s just such a gathering of all the comics in Ireland, and then international acts as well,” she told Buzz....
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