Hozier comes home: Olympia Theatre live review

Hot Press sharpshooter Kathrin Baumbach was front and centre - check out the photo gallery here.

Returning for an encore, Andrew Hozier Byrne grinned, and commented, “I haven’t heard an Olé Olé chant in a long time.” Granted, we’re skipping ahead here, but it paints a picture. This was not a gig, or a showcase for the extraordinary talents of the man who has the world at his feet. This was a national event.
Accordingly, The Olympia was packed to the rafters. ‘Take Me To Church’ might as well be our national anthem at this stage; to a man, the crowd stood when the opening chord sounded late in the evening. Indeed, from opener ‘Like Real People Do’, through ‘From Eden’, ‘Jackie and Wilson’ and a few other choice cuts from his incredible album, the reception was nothing short of rapturous.
Things changed, though, when his fabulous backing band departed, and the stage was left to the Bray man and his guitar. His voice soars like it always has, and his guitar playing is quite superb. The punters, though, haven't come for a pitch-perfect rendition of ‘Cherry Wine’, or a stunning rendition of Alvin Youngblood Hart’s version of ‘Illinois Blues’. It’s a moment to cherish a unique talent, in the sort of intimate environment he might not play for the rest of his career – what a pity it doesn’t seem to be enjoyed as it should.
It was a relief, then, when the band returned and launched into stirring performances of ‘Work Song’ and ‘Sedated’. The ever-present – or so it seems – cover of Amerie’s ‘One Thing’, and the rollicking ‘Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene’ brought the night to a close. There’s been bigger homecomings, and more significant, but the ovation at the end says it all. He walks among us, once again. Amen.