Live Report: Dani Larkin captivates The Workman's Club

Belfast-based singer-songwriter and folk artist Dani Larkin enthralled The Workman’s Club main room on Thursday evening.

She began playing without a word, and instantly, the crowd was at her feet. Not a phone was in sight, and the audience's attention was so absolute the room felt completely still.

Her first song was a haunting rendition of ‘She Moved Through the Fair,’ accompanied by a field recording Dani made in Nablus, Palestine, in 2016. “Free Palestine,” she expressed. The performance was beautifully evocative, her vocals flowing with fearless ease, leaving the room suspended in the moment.

“You’re all welcome to take a step forward,” she joked. Initially, the audience seemed timid and quiet, but Dani effortlessly worked her magic. With her humour and laid-back charm, she quickly gained the crowd’s full attention, transforming the atmosphere into one of warmth and intimacy.

The opening act was Ye Vagabonds’ Brían Mac Gloinn, who warmed up the audience during his short and folky set.

“Dani’s opened for Ye Vagabonds a bunch of times, so it’s nice to be able to return the favour,” he said.

Before Dani’s set, she joined Brían on stage for ‘Meeting is a Pleasure,’ playing banjo as he skilfully strummed the guitar. The two instruments and their voices intertwined seamlessly, creating a stunning performance.

Brían Mac Gloinn and Dani Larkin at The Workman's Club, February 13 2025. Photo Credit: Curtis DeSmith.

After singing one of her older songs, ‘The Mother Within’, she joked that her water bottle was “full of poitín folks”. She spent the entire night enamouring the crowd with playful remarks like this, showcasing her relaxed yet witty persona.

Straight after, she introduced a new song called ‘End of It All’, which had the crowd completely frozen in absolute reverence.

Her next song was followed by a dedication: “I can’t really go any further without pointing out this really beautiful guitar that I happen to have.

“I feel very fortunate to have had the lovely Frank Tate make this… This is for him, its ‘Bloodthirsty’”

“One of the things he [Frank Tate Lutherie] does when building guitars, is putting a hole in the side of them. And I’m just gonna say, I’m the first person to sing into that.”

“That might be untrue” she deadpanned.

Singing into the hole created a certain echo and reverb that flowed throughout the venue.

Dani Larkin at The Workman's Club, February 13 2025. Photo Credit: Curtis DeSmith.

Before singing stand-out track ‘Samson and Goliath’ from her album Notes For a Maiden Warrior, she opened up to the crowd about its meaning: “This is a song about coming out. And I’ve never said that before, so thank you for holding me Dublin”, arising cheers and applause from the crowd.

She immediately jested, “Shit, someone better tell my mum”.

Someone in the audience joked back, “I think she knows”, earning laughs from the entire venue and Dani herself.

‘Samson and Goliath’ can only be described as beautiful as the whole crowd swayed while her raw vocals dazzled the room.

The next song was ‘Come Home to Me', a song about forgiveness which had the audience singing along quietly to the lyrics, creating a feeling of connection between the singer and the listeners that transcended the music and lyrics itself.

After playing a beautifully acoustic version of her newest single ‘David’, she remarked “that’s about as country folk that I go”. Alone with her guitar and no production, the version of the song that she performed was nothing short of heavenly.

“I wrote that in lockdown actually when I had Covid and I had been isolated for seven days, and I was just full on hallucinating. And that’s when David arrived”, she mused.

“I actually didn’t write a setlist for this evening”, she confessed. “But we don’t have that long left together”. At that moment the timid crowd came together in a big awe.

She performed her song ‘Love Part Three,’ which was met with quiet participation from the crowd, careful not to overshadow Dani’s beautiful vocals.

“Fuck me, you sound class” she exclaimed. “No one's ever sang the “tell me it's alright” part, and tell you what, it felt pretty good to have people tell me that it’s alright”.

Dani Larkin at The Workman's Club, February 13 2025. Photo Credit: Curtis DeSmith.

She ended the night with her own version of Dougie MacLean’s ‘Caledonia’, which she dedicated to her wife “who doesn’t usually get a mention”. She went on to express how she tries to keep her personal life separate from social media.

Though she never mentioned it was the final song, the bittersweet nostalgia in the air gave the impression that she would be saying goodbye. The entire audience swayed, sang, and embraced one another throughout it, fully immersed in the moment.

Dani extended the instrumental section of the tune, her fingers gliding across the guitar with effortless skill. The crowd was jolted to life as she picked up the pace, transforming the atmosphere into one of pure energy.

The clapping reverberated through the once-quiet venue, now alive with euphoria after witnessing a stunning display of talent. Dani took a bow, thanking the crowd before exiting the stage, leaving the audience utterly bewitched.