Live Report: Tommy Cash brings a bizarrely entertaining set to the Electric Arena

The first thing that stands out about Tommy Cash’s set in the Electric Arena is the mix in the audience- there’s children in protective earphones, rave heads, and GAA jerseys all eagerly streaming in.

We are given ample time to prepare ourselves for his appearance- a five minute countdown appears on the screen, to the delight of the colourful crowd.

As the last minute finally rolls around, the excitement is beginning to reach boiling point. Chants of Tommy echo around the tent, as fans pile around the barriers in anticipation.

The theatrics are evidently a big part of the show- as the timer reaches zero, it becomes clear it was a ruse, as Cash’s DJ asks the crowd to hype up the yet-to-be-spotted Estonian.

There’s a degree of Eurovision to the tension- the drama is manufactured, but the crowd eagerly play along. Everybody knows Cash will appear at some point, but the crowd’s cries seem genuinely desperate.

When the Estonian careens onto the stage, in a school uniform, the bubble of tension bursts, as his hard, aggressive techno sound kicks in and the front barrier is mobbed.

There are very few moments that Cash is singing alone- his explicit lyrics are joyously shouted back at him by the audience, accompanied by equally bizarre visuals.

It’s almost europop- the high bpm and simple lyrics have traits of the genre, and the singer's thick accent only adds to their impact. Even then, the sound is far too unique to summarise so simply.

Like the artist himself, conventionality doesn’t apply.

Cash’s energy is inhuman. He leaps left to right, runs behind the decks, and at one point flies offstage to change. The audience love it, as his energy inevitably seeps into the crowd.

One point sees him request that “Mr lighting man” turns off the stage lights, as the crowd are recruited to swing their flashlights left to right, illuminating Cash in all his wildness.

Though the techno backing is heavy, Cash is not- he is giddy, airy, and clearly delighted by the crowd’s input. He’s joined out front by the DJ as he commands his followers to do a left to right line dance that sees the pit become as hectic as the stage.

When he is told that time is up, he’s as disappointed as the rest of us. He’s performing but also clearly enjoying himself. He thanks the crowd, and disappears as abruptly as he first appeared.