Damien Dempsey lights up the Olympia  

Damien Dempsey awoke the Olympia theatre with a soft and spiritual performance like flowers dancing in a meadow.  

Dempsey headlined the 10^th  anniversary of Rock Against Homelessness in the Three Olympia theatre on Friday, 7 February.  

He opened his set with ‘Almighty Love‘ and the room exploded with a loud welcome. 

He followed up with ‘Patience‘, as his high intensity carried itself through his set. He sang with soul and a bold attitude, proclaiming: “Let’s try blow the roof off the Olympia!” 

A warm feeling swept the crowd, who stood arm in arm and sang along to ‘Apple of My Eye‘.

Dempsey sang the chorus a cappella after the song had finished, bathing in the joy of the occasion.  

There were only good vibes as Dempsey sang ‘Negative Vibes’, then ‘Party On’ and ‘Sing All Our Cares Away’.

“The feeling of love in this room, go raibh maith agat,” he declared. 

As he sang ‘Chris and Stevie’, the room settled from the noise to a comfortable silence, with an emotional performance from Dempsey as he sang about his mates who passed away.  

Dempsey turned to ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’ and a ‘A Rainey Night in Soho’ to relight the noise in the theatre and let the embers of passion spark the theatre once again.   

Dempsey didn’t play anything from his newly released album Hold Your Joy ,as he tended to stick to an older and familiar set list.  

Dempsey received a standing ovation after his last song, ‘It’s All Good’ – the crowd again stood linking arms and sung back to him as he walked off stage.