David Gray

David Gray is the kind of intimate balladeer who is perhaps not best-suited to a big outdoor gig. Despite the passion and vehemence of his work, his direct style of performance needs the intensity produced by getting up close and personal. So, given the choice, I’d prefer to see him in front of a comfortable-sized crowd, but due to his immense popularity, grander things are called for these days.

One could never accuse Gray of failing to hold his own, though – he’s a solid stage presence and never seemed lost up there. At the outset, he took us right back to the beginning with ‘Shine’, one of his earliest, and still most uplifting songs, his voice as full and resonant as ever. There was nothing lacking in sound quality, his band painstakingly filling the echoing expanses of the park and Dublin mountains beyond, without overwhelming the singer’s voice.

The Thursday show was blessed with intermittent sunshine, and without the weather-influenced technical hiccups of the ensuing gigs, the vibe was relaxed and easy-going, with the fresh air and the surrounding greenery a big bonus for the very laid-back audience.

Although the magnitude of the venue did dilute the poignancy and potency of earlier songs, his set worked best when the fans could sing along to the best-known and best-selling anthems from White Ladder, like ‘Babylon,’ ‘My Oh My’, and ‘This Year’s Love’, (the latter sparking off spates of hand-holding and hugging amongst the couples in the crowd).

The impending shroud of dusk created a cosier atmosphere, and complimented his more spangly sample-laden material, until the elegant encore of ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye.’ Not the most thrilling of live shows perhaps, but an excellent performance and an extremely enjoyable change of scenery nonetheless.

Fiona Reid