Live Report: Alanis Morissette's well-wrought Jagged Little Pill sparks rousing singalong at Malahide Castle

Alanis Morissette was just 20 years old when she wrote and released Jagged Little Pill, a superlative example of confessional alt pop-rock. Although she had already written two albums, it was the third that launched her into the musical stratosphere as a force to be reckoned with. Now, 30 years and seven Grammy Awards later, the album is just as impactful and relatable, so much so that its powerful and poignant lyrics rippled through each member of the audience at Malahide Castle on Sunday evening.

On one of those warm summer evenings that felt like it’d never end, the jam-packed venue saw groups pitch themselves picnic-style on the sun-scorched grass, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere. After perching on the grass myself and shovelling in piping hot chips from the Eddie Rockets stand, I felt adequately prepared to get screaming along to Morissette’s set (try saying that three times quickly).
As we waited in anticipation of Alanis appearing onstage, a background video played showcasing her cultural impact, through clips from interviews giving context to her political views, testimonials from celebrities and other artists, snapshots from music videos and awards shows.

We hear Morissette before we see her, singing the wonderfully optimistic rock anthem ‘Hand in my Pocket’, before walking onstage triumphantly in all black, wearing a blue sequin jacket with impossibly shiny hair tumbling down her back. Kicking things off with a bang, the crowd sang along to each and every word, and Morissette ripped into the iconic harmonica riff at the end of the track amid delighted cheers.

The Canadian musician launched into ‘Right Through You’ next, and as she sang troubling lyrics with a smile, stats on the ever-present inequality between men and women were displayed onscreen. Higher rates of anxiety and depression, experiences of violence and abuse, lower pay for working the same jobs as men, were some to name a few reflected behind the artist. The track itself makes an important commentary on those, mostly men, who treated the artist like she wasn’t capable.

The lyrics speak for themselves: “You took me for a joke, You took me for a child, You took a long hard look at my ass, And then played golf for a while, Your shake is like a fish, You pat me on the head, You took me out to wine dine 69 me, But didn't hear a damn word I said”.

This display of singing and performance alongside the simultaneous display of stark reality functioned cleverly as a reflection on how these moments of inequality and abuse experienced by women are so deeply ingrained in everyday life that if you blink you’ll miss them. Just as an upbeat song can play, while a woman is experiencing something she did not agree to.

The album’s cultural impact and thematic relevance felt fervent as ever Morissette’s astounding voice coupled with the powerful statements evident in her lyrics echoed through Malahide Castle.
The sweeter ‘Head Over Feet’ was another crowd pleasure, with the whole audience belting out the lyrics. A slick guitar riff ushered a grinning Alanis across the stage, sashaying coolly before stopping, closing her eyes and showing off her incredible vocal range, proving her ability to conquer both slow acoustic numbers and electric fast-paced rock tracks. A segue into the classic hit ‘Ironic’ brought a sense of unity to the show, with Morissette’s powerhouse voice in its full magnitude. Bringing a fan from the audience onto the stage, the song became a duet.

Jagged Little Pill’s hugely influential lead single ‘You Oughta Know’, with all its glorious female rage, sounded momentous live, and three decades following its release, demonstrated itself as one of the most important songs of its time.