The Olympia was packed last night as old friends gathered together for the return of Deacon Blue to Dublin. As the band took to the stage with their opening song "Come Awake," it was clear that Deacon Blue haven't lost their touch. The house lights beamed brightly so that the audience could wave back to the band, and soon the room filled with with the sounds of a singalong. There wasn't a lyric from the setlist that the audience couldn't remember. Once the band made it to the classic "Real Gone Kid," the whole crowd, even those in the boxes, were up on their feet.
Frontman Ricky Ross also took the opportunity to tell stories to the crowd, opening the song “Birds” with a meditation on freedom. First, the audience grew quiet as Ross talked the refugee crisis that has been impacting so many around the globe, preaching a message of understanding and acceptance. “I was watching the telly, and all I would see was people coming across the sea in orange boats. You know, we’ve all been watching the same thing, the same stuff goes on, and we all feel a little bit paralysed, like we don’t know what to do about it. But I think one thing we can all agree on is that if we are scared, if we want to build a wall, if we want to turn people away, that’s when we have to ask ourselves this question, what should we do, what would we want others to do? And we’d want people to treat us in the same way, we’d want them to welcome us. So this is a song about people, about people just trying to live.” Sadly, Ross’s message of acceptance came in too late as the polls were closing in the States, but the message of love and freedom rang true for the rest of us in the theatre, as Lorraine McIntosh started the song with a lilting melody.
Another crowd favourite was “Wages Day,” which started the party right back up again. With everyone in the venue singing every word together, it’s a wonder that Ross’s vocals weren’t drowned out by the enthusiastic singalong. There was a strong spirit of togetherness in the room, as the band and their fans came together again to hear the same music they've loved for years.