Calvin Johnson, Patrick Kelleher, Stevie Appleby & Hipster Youth

This is a secret gig. The rules? Buy a ticket, meet at the traffic island on O’Connell Street, look out for a man in an orange hat (not to be confused with the men in orange jumpsuits selling newspapers!) and await further instructions. Jason Bourne eat your heart out!
The operation is swift and in no time our carrot-top friend is leading us up a series of winding stairs, through a trapdoor in the floorboards and up to the Lafayette turret overlooking O’Connell Street.
After a few greetings and the offer of a cup of tea, all eyes turn to the makeshift stage: a Persian rug that’s been cordoned off by fern plants. Hipster Youth assemble shyly, muttering that this is their first gig before launching into a six-song set whose sound is so infectious that Calvin Johnson can’t help gyrating to their fuzzy, Gameboy melodies.
Next a fresh-faced Stevie Appleby makes the move from audience member to performer, warbling wrought love songs on an acoustic guitar.
By the time Patrick Kelleher reaches the stage, his soft voice wrapped around an incredible rendition of The Four Ink Spots’ ‘Do I Worry?’ the audience are well and truly settled, the atmosphere bubbly and the energy positive.
Calvin Johnson is the final performer of the night and his trademark sonorous voice carries across the silent audience who gulp it up and gasp for more. He himself gulps back some tea and launches into a fun set of songs spliced with dialogue and encased in flamboyant dancing. A sweet evening.