Live Report: Night Five of The Next Big Thing Festival with Nancy Kate, Lavery and Ethan Hollan

The Next Big Thing Festival '24 came to a close last night with a lineup of dazzling performers. After an incredibly spectacular week, a crowd descended on Workmans Club mainstage for one final glimpse at Dublin’s emerging musical talents.

Nancy Kate opened night five with a rendition of traditional, Appalachian folk song 'O Death,' a dark, brooding reimagining suffused with booming percussion and soul-stirring vocals; a sound reminiscent of Lankum or Laura Marling, yet still entirely her own.

Blending Appalachian airs with Irish folk music, Nancy Kate is an unyielding performer who pushes new boundaries with a nod to the old. Supported by a six-piece backing outfit, the performance is propulsive and electric, so much so that a reverent silence fell over the crowd with each new song.

The singer introduced the beautifully harrowing 'Mother Wound' with the cordial invitation: "feel free to cry if you like." Across a rocky terrain of percussion and keys, Nancy Kate makes a blunt observation about troubled mother-daughter relationships with folksy vulnerability. Nancy Kate's distinctive style plays with textures, rhythm, and time signatures, offering a fresh perspective on folk music that is sure to captivate any audience before her.

The second act of the night, Lavery, followed up with a jazz fusion, neo-soul set that dazzled and impressed. The eight-piece band packed the stage with a stirring horn section, as well as guitar, vocals, bass, drums and keys.

Highlights include the incredibly lush tune 'What I Want,' which tells a tale of love and losing oneself in love. The track starts off with groovy, mesmeric instrumentation that seamlessly smooths into a jazzy guitar solo that causes a stir before closing, "I want something real, someone I can be myself still."

The song immediately sets the tone and the crowd were responsive with vibrant whistles and cheers at high points. The atmosphere was similar to an exclusive party rather than a gig, and the vibe seemed to suit Lavery's style.

Frontwoman, Anelise Furkin, honoured her Brazilian roots with her infectious, bossa nova vocal stylings. A deftly skillful vocalist, Furkin's scatting and warbling enchantingly bleed into the dynamic, responsive backing sections, bringing the inherent drama of Lavery’s sound into sharp relief. As they close with 'Anenome,' the crowd is spellbound to the band’s bewitching, at times hypnotising, sound. With the roar of applause and piercing whistles, it is clear that Lavery has a bright, exciting future ahead.

Closing the festival, Ethan Hollan confidently strolls on stage, guitar in hand, with his backing duo on bass and drums. In matching outfits — a black blazer, t-shirt and blue jeans — the three-piece are relaxed and cool-headed before diving right into the set. From the start, Hollan's sound is electrifying and disarming, with alluring airs and tones of the indie-alt persuasion.

Bathed in the violet overhead glow, the band continue their set with new song, 'Forest,' which needs no introduction. With lyrics that speak for themselves, Hollan’s captivating voice croons over the honeyed instrumentation: "I look at myself, I see someone else standing there, in front of me."

Hollan traverses the mesmeric, internal woodlands behind 'Forest,' as I take in the bright guitar and crisp sounds, arresting my senses like eucalyptus or pine on an overgrown trail. Ethan Hollan is a masterful world-builder when it comes to lyricism, situating the listener in the lush panorama of nature, a fitting metaphor for the songwriter’s narratives of love, life and the self. After a dazzling performance, the audience is left captivated; it is clear that Ethan Hollan has bigger and brighter stages ahead for the future.