Live Report: Villagers catch fire at Windmill Live

The Windmill Live series is starting to resemble a roll-call of some of Ireland’s greatest modern acts - a  Kaleidoscopic collection which includes Damien Dempsey, James Vincent McMorrow, Lyra, The Academic, Moncrieff, HotHouse Flowers, The Coronas, Lisa Hannigan and Gavin James.

It was fitting, then, that one of the nation’s most revered crafters of song should join the list, in the shape of Conor O'Brien aka Villagers. Since emerging in 2010 with bona fide classic Becoming a Jackal, Villagers have gone on to be showered in critical and commercial accolades, including Mercury Prize nominations, two Ivor Novello awards, a Choice Music Prize, and hundreds of millions of streams.

The lineup may have changed shape over the years, but the constant is Conor O’Brien’s ability to make music that reaches the recesses of the soul.

Villagers' sixth album, 2024’s That Golden Time, was praised by Hot Press as "another winning effort" – and during their performance in the iconic Windmill QTR, O’Brien and his posse proved why.

Before that good stuff, the audience was treated to a spellbinding set from Zoé Basha, a French-American artist - who also happens to be a skilled carpenter. Onstage she was anything but wooden. Her sonic palette is smudged with diverse shades of American ragtime, Appalachian folk songs and Irish trad. Basha’s intricate fingerpicking and rich, soaring vocals were perfect to deliver songs of longing, travel and love - which bled with an essence of old folk tunes while still feeling fresh and modern. One to watch, in every sense.

Zoe Basha plays at Villagers Hot Press Windmill Live Series show. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Then, after a quick introduction from HP's MC Stuart Clark, Conor O’Brien came out raring to go. He was alone for the time being - picking through ‘My Lighthouse’ as the room hushed in his presence. The band joined him for ‘Hot Scary Summer’, a cinematic love song about two gay men fighting the world before their relationship falls apart. It’s O’Brien’s storytelling at its best, tender, tragic and original.

The band added plenty to the mix. The rhythm section of Danny Snow on bass and drummer Brendan Doherty was tight and tasteful while the synths - a secret ingredient in the Villagers sound - created a floating and romantic atmosphere beneath the tracks, sustaining the sense that this was a proper, dramatic performance. Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Corcoran was virtuosic throughout, switching between keys, sex and clarinet.

This all came together on ‘So Simaptico’ and ‘Dawning On Me’, which highlighted O’Brien’s knack for starting a song slowly before erupting into a cathartic release of instrumentation. ‘Nothing Arrived’, with its addictive melody, finely wrought lurics and pensive broodiness felt suitably intimate, and the title track of his That Golden Time was another highlight, sounding like something right off of Dark Side of the Moon with its gorgeous acoustic guitar pattern and theme of temporality.

At the Hot Press Windmill Live Series with Villagers. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

There were crowd favourites littered throughout, and the fact that so many great songs featured on different albums was a testament to the depth of the Villagers canon.

One of their biggest hits, ‘Everything I Am Is Yours’ proved there is virtue in simplicity, with intimate lyrics of desire weaved between the track’s unmistakable guitar. ‘Becoming a Jackal’ delighted long-time fans, while ‘The Soul Serene’ lived up to its name, glowing with gentle beauty.

As the night deepened, the band locked into a powerful groove for a noisier slew of tunes. The emotional arc of the setlist was itself a testament to O'Brien's attention to every detail on every aspect of his craft.

‘The Waves’ crashed into a wall of tribal drums and cathartic noise, his voice rising above, needing to be heard. He was indeed a stellar performer throughout, mixing comic relief, physicality and calm in all the right measures throughout.

‘A Trick of the Light’ kept the energy flowing with its dark, funky bass-line and hip-swaying rhythm, before the band bowed out, leaving O’Brien and his keyboardist to close the evening with a poignant encore of ‘No One to Blame’ and ‘Courage’.

The latter turned into a gorgeous call-and-response moment with the crowd, sealing the night in shared emotion achieved only when a very special performer, audience and occasion come together.

A marvellous night of inspiring music.

Villagers play The Hot Press Windmill Live Series. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com