Live Report: Gavin Friday takes Vicar St by storm on a night of musical magic

Stepping into the Vicar Street box office on Thursday night, I was immediately met with puzzled looks. Or so it seemed to me! Similar glances followed me into the bar area and theatre, where Gavin Friday's long-time fans seemed to be pondering where this 22 year-old woman might fit in.

Was I sufficiently well versed in his discography, or capable of fully grasping the legacy I was about to bear witness to? Would I be drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid within mere minutes?

Maybe I was projecting onto them an inner turmoil I was feeling. Either way, I was here as a Gavin Friday neophyte, with a mission to offer an unbiased assessment of one of Dublin's most iconic musical figures of the past (can you believe it?) 50 years.

An icon of the late 1970s and 1980s scene Ireland, Friday was the lead vocalist with the Virgin Prunes, emerging at the same time that his close friends in U2 were beginning to make a name for themselves. Friday's most recent album Ecce Homo, released in 2024, was his first in 13 years, and features powerhouse dark-cabaret tunes, including the hypnotic 'Church Of Love' and 'Cabaerotica'.

Gavin Friday at Vicar St. on March 12th, 2026. Copyright Colm Kelly/www.hotpress.com

Tonight, Friday was covered in a shimmering layer of silver glitter, and his intense aura, and almost diva-ish attitude, wooed the audience, who were absolutely ravenous at the mere sight of him: a couple of super fans were in my ear telling me exactly what I could expect from my first-ever Gavin Friday show.

A mother sat beside me in the balcony, prepping me for her favourite songs and letting me know when he'd switch over to the Virgin Prunes discography. She'd seen him all over Ireland, and reminisced on the early days of his career, as if recounting periods of her own life. It was a family affair, with her daughter in tow: she and I agreed that you frequently take on your parents musical taste with age.

Everyone around me was absolutely delighted to be there - that much was clear.

Gavin opened the show with 'LoveSubZero' and noted that the track is dedicated to "the man I love." Though he's been in the spotlight to one degree or another since the 1970s, Ecce Homo  was the first time Friday opened up about his sexuality, with his newly open expression of queerness breathing further freedom into the performance.

"Inside ourselves there's a whole new another world," he sang on 'Ecce Homo' with its chorus, ultimately optimistic against a turbulent backdrop. "Fight fire with fire, we can walk on water/ We will die, we will live forever/ Ecce! Ecce homo!"

For 'Guys And Dolls' Friday donned a bright red feather-boa, an unashamed and effortless display of sexual liberation.

There was a real sense of style evident throughout. Two young women musicians stood elevated behind him, adding enchanting backing vocals, as well as superb instrumental accompaniment. Indeed the standard of musicianship on display throughout was extraordinary, with long-time collaborators and newbies alike working furiously to deliver what were stunning arrangements: tight where it was needed and narvellously free-flowing and improvisatory elsewhere.

"I think for the first time in 25 years all of the Virgin Prunes are all in the same room," Friday remarked spotting his bandmates among the increasingly enthusiastic crowd.

The gig ran for close to two and a half hours, with Friday talking humorously and provocatively at times between songs. He called out the world's grim drift towards the alt-right, with countries like the United States specifically targeting immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community.

Gavin Friday at Vicar St. on March 12th, 2026. Copyright Colm Kelly/www.hotpress.com

"Can you imagine what Sinead would say about today's politics?" he asked, referencing his long-time friend Sinead O'Connor, before performing 'Spirit Of The Cross', a track he'd written with her in mind – and which she planned to record, prior to her death in 2023.

Throughout the show, he looked back on his time with the Virgin Prunes with great fondness, playing an extremely muscular 'Caucasian Walk' as well as the band's 1982 single 'Baby Turns Blue', which he introduced as their "one great hit." The crowd of course completely lost their minds: it was a powerful moment.

He rapped too about being a young artist without a map to guide you, having to find your own way. It was a moment caught beautifully in 'When The World Was Young'.

Still, he expressed an appreciation of the journey of it all, reminiscing on a time when the Prunes and U2 were sharing amps, and the concept of creating something completely fresh and new from the ground up. He had words of encouragement for up-and-coming artists, and especially for the marvellous wave of younger acts emerging now on this island, sending out his prayers that Dublin might usurp London's place and become the next "epicentre for music."

The voice of experience was evident too. He did a powerfully expressive version of Jacques Brel's 'Amsterdam' transposed to the Irish capital, with its Joycean heritage, opening with the lines "In the port of Dublin city there's a sailor who sings/ Of the dreams that he brings/ From the wide open sea..." Perhaps the most emotional moment came with 'Amaranthus (Love Lies Bleeding)', a loving tribute to his mother who was plunged into the terrible void created by Alzheimer's before she died. And then there was an updated version 'Tainted Love' – originally recorded by Gloria Jones and a hit for Soft Cell, whose David Ball co-produced Ecce Homo.

It took us full circle. Yes, I came to Vicar Street as a Gavin Friday neophyte – and to witness such a dedicated fanbase so eager to devour every aspect of, and stage in, Gavin Friday's musical journey left me considering the idea of legacy and what it means.

Tonight's performance was like absolutely nothing I'd ever seen. It really was that good...