Live Report: Orla Gartland caps off her Irish tour at The Academy, Dublin

Clad in sweater vests and corsets, pearls and safety pins, Orla Gartland's fans pushed excitedly towards The Academy's stage before the first opening act had even graced the stage.

The first opener (one of two) walked on stage with a single spotlight and acoustic guitar in hand. Maria Kelly introduced her set with a touch of self-deprecating humour, saying: "Here's some really sad songs." And yes, they were poignant and a little bit devastating, but they were also beautiful. In her soft, searching voice, Kelly serenaded us with songs from her most recent album, the sum of the in-between, and heart-wrenching anthems like her 2019 single 'i leave early'. The Dublin artist also blessed the audience with a "sad, folksy" version of the pop ballad 'So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings' by Caroline Polachek.

The indie-folk artist felt like shade on the other side of the sun, like the rain you can see in the soft glow of street-lamps at 4am. Her set, and her bittersweet songs, were laced with gratitude for the cheering crowd and the opportunity to accompany Gartland on tour.

Next up, milk. seemed to appear on stage in between blinks. Another Dublin act, the young group launched into their set without preamble. With The 1975 vibes and a sprinkle of something distinctly Ian Curtis-esque, the band played some of their most popular tracks like 'A Little More' and 'Drama Queen'. They also teased a track to ("hopefully") be released later this year.

With some of the most chaotic and intriguing stage presence I've ever witnessed, each member of the four-person group was totally in their own world. They were like planets on their own wild trajectories. And the crowd loved them. Maybe it was the angsty pulse of the lyrics or the lead singer's effortless style – either way, by the time they were done, the crowd was bouncing on their toes, ready for Gartland to take the stage.

When Gartland did jump on stage, in a flurry of colours and brilliantly clashing patterns, the audience go crazy (spot the song reference). She's accompanied by her drummer Sara Leigh Shaw and multi-talented musician Pete Daynes.

omg pic.twitter.com/NbKiQgKEtk

— sammy copley 📦 (@sammycopley1) July 17, 2022

The London-based singer took us through the entire scale of emotions – running from the dance-oriented 'You're Not Special, Babe' to heavy-hitting breakup songs. She also gave her parents, who were in attendance at the gig, a shoutout before songs like 'Madison' saying: "There's a line about my mom in here. She'll probably be rolling her eyes."

At the end of the set, Gartland and her band continued to dance on stage, laughing as they did the Macarena. The audience was delighted, and jumped along with them, reluctant to leave the night of dancing, crying, and wild abandon behind.

Clearly, this was an exciting show. But it was also deeply special, given that Gartland's first headline show took place downstairs in The Academy 2. Her return to the upstairs venue marked her biggest headline show yet. It was a night of celebration – marking just how far she's come since she started releasing music in 2012.

NO WORDS FOR LAST NIGHT. DEAD ! thank you to everyone who came down to @academydublin for my favourite show to date, 10 years on from my first ever headline show downstairs in academy 2

thank you for this whole week, you best believe I felt like THE PRINCESS OF IRELAND. pic.twitter.com/2tVPHeSfHg

— orla gartland (@orlagartland) July 17, 2022

The enthralling artist truly was the "princess of Ireland." From here, Gartland will return to the UK to participate in some festivals before returning to Ireland in September for Electric Picnic.

Check out our interview with the phenomenal artist about the making of Woman on the Internet here – and read our in-depth review of her recent Whelan's gig here.