Concert Review: Dermot Kennedy – Powerstation, July 21, 2019

Dermot Kennedy performed his first-ever New Zealand show at Powerstation last night. Despite self-proclaimed swollen vocal chords, the Irish musician proved he possesses a raw and immeasurable talent as a singer-songwriter.

The 27-year-old Irish singer-songwriter has been described as a darker, melancholic Ed Sheeran, which after last night’s performance feels painfully insufficient in capturing the depth of the young musician’s talent. Much of Dermot Kennedy’s set felt closer to the restrained power of Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne, comfortably balancing tender vocals and growling howls of emotion with the natural skill of a musician twice his age.

Opening for Kennedy was Jeremy Redmore, former frontman of local band Midnight Youth, who took to the stage half an hour later than his expected set time. I wasn’t expecting much from Redmore due to his prolonged absence from the music scene, and felt immediately underwhelmed when he appeared alone on stage, placidly picking up a guitar before diving into his set.

Underestimating the talent of Redmore was an immediate regret, as the musician proved to be one of the most impressive and controlled opening acts I’ve ever witnessed. Performing a selection of songs from his forthcoming album, Redmore put the audience through a number of tests – Could they light up their phone spotlights when needed? Could they scream with joy and appreciation for Kennedy, backstage? Could they become silent and respectful on command? Could they sing along in gentle unison? – each punctuated by his powerful voice and equally powerful lyrics.

Finishing with Golden Love and Travellin’ Song, though Redmore confessed to only recently returning to music after a five-year hiatus, the authentic nature of his stage presence indicated a mature musician embarking on a memorable and prolific solo career. With Redmore announcing his new album release scheduled for later this year, he is an artist who everyone should be watching closely in the coming months.

The immense effort by Redmore to calibrate the crowd toward a suitable energy for Dermot Kennedy was a blessing, as the Irish singer-songwriter appeared on stage to roaring cheers before the heavy piano of All My Friends gave the crowd their first taste of Kennedy’s deep, growling voice. This, as Kennedy mentioned to the crowd, was partly due to swollen vocal chords, which despite the admission seemed to in no way reduce the clarity or power of his voice across the 90-minute set.

Kennedy prefaced many of his songs with an intimate expression of how they fit into his life and career which, although possibly seen as a momentary respite for his voice, felt deeply personal and genuine. Kennedy found early success busking, and the face-to-face, normalised manner that he presented on stage was a clear depiction of someone whose music is created directly from the soul. Songs such as Found You, Outnumbered, The Corner and Couldn’t Tell allowed Kennedy to switch between electric and acoustic guitar, with supporting musicians Kieran Jones, Jonny Coote and Micheál Quinn weaving heavy drum beats with delicate backing piano to magnify the beauty of his lyrics.

The remarkably tender and gentle For Island Fires and Family saw the crowd providing restrained assistance during the chorus, fading the song out in a soft and swaying manner, while An Evening I Will Not Forget lyrically captured a collection of crucial life moments for Kennedy and gave him an opportunity to reach the higher points of his vocal range.

Closing numbers, Power Over Me and After Rain, followed another address to the crowd, in which Kennedy expressed his gratitude for their energy and assistance throughout the performance, fittingly reflected by the subject matter of After Rain – a song about being hopeful and the people close to our heart who support us in maintaining that outlook. Despite the persistently crass heckling from a loud, but small pocket of the crowd, Kennedy managed to maintain the purity of performance that has seen him rapidly obtain success, and will no doubt continue to mark his career as a standout emotive musician.

~Oxford Lamoureaux

Click on the galleries below to see full size image of both artists – photos by Trevor Villers!

Dermot Kennedy

Jeremy Redmore

 

Dermot Kennedy Setlist:

All My Friends
Found You
Outnumbered
The Corner
Couldn’t Tell
Moments Passed
For Island Fires And Family
An Evening I Will Not Forget
Malay / Stockholm
Shelter
Glory
Power Over Me
After Rain