Live Report: Picture This delivers an explosive yet heart-warming performance in St. Annes Park

“This is literally the best feeling in the world” lead singer Ryan Hennessy declares only three songs into Picture This’ sold-out show last Saturday night, perfectly capturing the sentiments of every person standing in a crowd of 20,000 fans in St Annes Park.

In a nod to their latest album Parked Car Conversations, the band burst onto a stage with a sleek, black car parked under a streetlight surrounded by lit-up trees, as drummer Jimmy Rainsford spray paints ‘DUBLIN’ and a heart onto the car.

Kicking off the night with the energetic, contagious lead single of their newest LP ‘Act of Innocence’, the four-piece immediately have the crowd jumping and roaring every syllable.

Picture This at St Annes Park, 1 June 2024. Picture: Hannah Bocian

While alternating between songs from each of their four albums, the charismatic frontman simply couldn’t stay still for a moment.

From swinging the mic stand and clapping along with ‘Unconditional’, to acting out the words of ‘Call It Love’, to running laps across the stage during ‘Things Are Different’, to planting a kiss on the mouth of guitarist Owen Cardiff during ‘LA House Party’, the singer was completely energised by the sunny summer evening.

A welcome change of pace is introduced with the slower ballad ‘Lions Den’, giving the audience a much needed breather from dancing, with Hennessey’s powerful live debut of the song.

The band also graces fans with the live debut of ‘Tell My Heart’ and ‘If I Build A Home On The Moon’, as well as the first Irish performance of ‘Somewhere Close To Heaven’ with a surprise appearance from Rea Garvey, who immediately syncs to the band’s energy and accompanies Hennessy's spirited movements as though they had rehearsed a routine before the show.

Picture This at St Annes Park, 1 June 2024. Picture: Hannah Bocian

Between taking breaks between songs to start a chant of each band member's name, sing happy birthday to a 10 year old girl on her Dad’s shoulders, and endlessly thanking the audience over the course of the show, the band could not have expressed more gratitude for the energy of the Dublin crowd that night.

“We will never not be grateful for what is happening right now, 20,000 people in a field … you make our dreams come true every single day,” the lead vocalist reveals, sitting on the edge of the stage with a hand on his heart. “I was just thinking about it today, when we started the band. It was nearly ten years ago now and you’re still showing up for us in your thousands every time.”

‘Parked Car Conversations’ the titular track of the new album, evokes a sea of flashlights swaying back and forth as Hennessey shakes a tambourine along to the intimate, tender song before throwing it into the audience after the final note.

The gospel-inspired ‘Get On My Love’ follows, the last song before the band fully throwback to their debut album Picture This.

Picture This at St Annes Park, 1 June 2024. Picture: Hannah Bocian

Rounding out the night with ‘Jane’, ‘Addicted To You’ and ‘You & I’, the band’s establishing music has the Dublin crowd in full voice, while lead vocalist Hennessy has picked up the Ireland flag and will not let it out of his grip as he finishes out “the best show we’ve ever played”.

The more praise the audience gets from the frontman, the more everyone dances, cheers and belts along with the tunes, leaving nothing behind as the sun finally sets over the park.

“Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts, for giving us the most incredible night we’ve ever had on a stage anywhere in the world ever,” Henessy says with sincerity, before breaking into ‘Take My Hand’, instigating the loudest mixture of shrieking and applause of the night, undoubtedly heard across the surrounding Northside suburbia.

Picture This at St Anne's Park, June 1st. Copyright Hannah Bocian.

The four-piece, unwilling to relinquish the buzzing atmosphere they’ve created, dance around the stage as ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ plays, throwing miscellaneous objects from the stage into the audience.

The Europop song can be heard sung by the crowd as they filter out of St Anne’s Park, left worn-out but exhilarated by Picture This’ electric performance.