2023 - Favourite Gigs of the Year

delbertgrady

We did this last year and it was for a Top Three, but most people had additional honourable mentions.

My own top three would probably be:

Wilco, Cork Opera House

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, RDS (night two)

Depeche Mode, Malahide Castle

Wilco were phenomenal in the Olympia, but somehow managed to surpass it in Cork.

Springsteen's three night stand was fantastic, but night two, in particular, seemed to be the night of choice for those who did more than one show.

Depeche Mode in Malahide was glorious. Apparently galvanised by the loss of Fletch, Dave and Martin delivered - in my opinion - their best album this century and were as great live as they've ever been.

The top two don't feature in my photo collage above, as I made the decision to just focus on the gig. Likewise, the PJ Harvey photo (from night two) was one of only a handful that I took.

Honourable mentions: 

PJ Harvey, Olympia (night one) - worth the admission price for Man-Size and Dress alone.

Elton John, 3Arena (night one) - I saw five shows on the tour and this and Cork 2022 were probably the best two.

OMD in St. Anne’s Park were magnificent (as always). It should be a showbiz maxim: Don't work with children or animals and never follow OMD on a bill. Soft Cell, never likely to work in daylight in a park to begin with, sank like a stone. Arguably the dud of the year.

spindex

Queens of the stone age at the point for me. Band were incredibly tight, a really enjoyable night.

Beasty

Best performance - the Darkness, Wolverhampton

2nd - The Who, Hull

3rd - Kaiser Chiefs, Galway

Honorable mentions - Elton, Sting, The Hollywood Vampires

Best overall show - Sting, Blondie, Lyra and Joe Sumner, Malahide Castle

Best support - Michael Monroe supporting Black Star Riders, the Tramshed, Cardiff

hamburgham

Pulp in St Anne’s.

PTH2009

Hard to pick but it was a great year

2024 looking solid

TheDocMan

Puscifer- Olympia

Whores - Grand Social

Muse - 3 Arena

Honourable mentions :

Thee Oh Sees - Button Factory

Billy Talent - Acadmey

Say Your Number

Black Stone Cherry - Academy

Aephanemer - Grand Social

Cruachan - Andersons, Sligo

Rodrigo Y Gabriella - Vicar Street

Eric Gales, Lawrence Jones, Grainne Duffy and Band of Friends at Rory Gallagher fest - Ballyshannon

Beast in Black - Academy

Iris DeMent - Knocknarea Arena

Stillill42

Go on so.

1. PJ -Olympia

2. Wilco - Olympia

3. Young Fathers - Olympia

Honourable mentions to BC Camplight at Whelan's and pretty much everything I saw at EOTR, particularly Angel Olsen, Geese, Sam Burton, Bodega, Personal Trainer and Divorce.

Cheers to a deadly 2024!

Dreamweapon

C&P from the other thread:

Had about 50 gigs this year plus 2 festivals. Plenty of good shows, a fair smattering of not so good but definitely two clear winners:

Weedeater and Whores. Both in the Grand Social and both heartily obliging in providing heavy, dirty riffs at a proper volume.

Honourable mentions to Loop (Whelans), Slowdive (National Stadium), Swans (Academy) Jim Jones All Stars (Upstairs@Whelans) and Thurston Moore (Whelans).

Hmmm...looks like the youth need to up their game.

davywalsh7

Qotsa - 3 arena

muse - 3 arena

noel Gallagher - kilmainham

will butler - whelans

Pulp - st annes

arctic monkeys - 3 arena

Blur - Malahide

davywalsh7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121532869#Comment_121532869

Agree. Great night

Ricosruffneck

3arena - Muse and Queens of the stone age

Olympia - the Darkness

EP - Viagra boys and Strange boy

mfceiling

Noel Gallagher - Kilmainham. Brought me right back to my youth.

Yard Act - Vicar Street. Excellent band.

Sleaford Mods - National Stadium. Absolutely love these lads.

Honourable mention to High Fade, Tom Meighan, Badly Drawn Boy and Kasabian.

keeponrockin

1. QOTSA The Point

2. BLUR Malahide.

3. Depeche Mode Malahide.

Mehaffey1

1). The Aces in Whelans, great performance and lovely atmosphere.

2). The 1975 in St Annes Park

3). The Vamps in the SSE Arena Belfast

davywalsh7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121534054#Comment_121534054

Kasabian in the Olympia as well gets a mention

rednik

Peter Gabriel 3 Arena, superb night with Peter and band. Several tracks from the new album blended in well with all the old classics.

Iron Maiden 3 Arena. I was not too impressed when I saw the setlist but on the night they were incredible and probably the best I have ever seen them. The sound was great and Bruce's vocals were excellent.

Robert Cray in the NCH. Great gig from a fantastic musician and very humble man, sound on the night was excellent.

Honorable mention. Elvana in the Academy. Great craic and a great band to get a crowd going.

I got to see Guns N Roses in the Hollywood Bowl last month which was unreal and I doubt I will ever get near the venue again. Black Keys supported and they were great.

fluke

Queens of the Stone Age - The Point. Nothing else came close.

LowOdour

Lana del ray - 3 Arena. Brought my daughter and personally was not expecting much but it was one of the loudest and best audiences I've ever witnessed at a gig. Great performance by LDR

Best of the rest

Young Fathers - Olympia

Lankum - Vicar Street

BoyGenius - kilmainham

Pavement - Galway

Most disappointing - Bruce, RDS, Night 1

colmufc

James at forest fest

Sam fender at malahide

Queens of the stone age at 3arena

Some of the best shows I've ever seen never mind just this year and I've high hopes for some more great moments next year

Jaffa3000

The top 2 for me were Springsteen on the second night and Extreme in London, head and shoulders above the rest.

Was at quite a few gigs I’d consider for third best, Sam Fender at Malahide (with a fantastic cover of The Boys Are Back In Town), Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher or even The Last Dinner Party a week ago.

Great year overall, though I think 2024 will be better.

RayCon

Top 3 :

1. Ghost - Berlin, 6th June

2. Iron Maiden - Dublin, 24th June

3. Overhead, The Albatross - Dublin 15th July

Honorable Mentions:

1. Scullion - Dublin, 14th April

2. Katatonia - Dublin, 6th Nov

3. Riverside - Dublin 18th April

4. Robyn Hitchcock - Dubln, 3rd Feb

thebronze14

1. Pulp - Transmt Glasgow
2. PJ Harvey - Olympia
3. Blur - Malahide
4. Inspiral Carpets - Leeds
5. Noel G - Kilmainham

Wooderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058328208/2023-favourite-gigs-of-the-year

Was at both Wilco's and all three Springsteens. Agree with your assessment here mate.

War ensemble

Airbourne in the Academy was a clear number one. Maiden & Steel Panther were superb too. Roisin Murphy was enjoyable, Trinity is a great venue.

Rothko

Black Country, New Road - Olympia

Weyes Blood - Vicar St.

Wednesday - Opium

bodhrandude

Inspiral Carpets - Wild Roots

Iggy Pop - ATN

Aphex Twin, Fever Ray - Field Day

Idles, De Danann - EP.

dasdog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncvSqj7i92U

Nice warm evening too like London two weeks before. This was nuts.

corm500

Sting/Blondie at Malahide was my standout this year

Shakyfan

Been a busy year with a total of 40 live shows attended. These would be my Top 10.

25 November Undertones Telegraph Buildimg

11 February Chris McCausland Mandela Hall

01 October Nik Kershaw The Live Rooms, Chester

08 October Busted SSE Arena

16 June Tom Jones Ormeau Park

03 June Lionel Richie Ormeau Park

19 August Stiff Little Fingers Custom House Square

07 May Showaddywaddy Waterfront Hall

03 November Saw Doctors Waterfront Hall

12 October Christy Moore Waterfront Hall

Beagslife

2023 was my gateway back to regular gig going, my attendances having dwindled to a few gigs a year since moving abroad in the early 2000's!

Last years best gigs for me were:

Natalie Merchant | Olympia Theatre | November

Lana del Rey | 3 Arena | July

PJ Harvey | Olympia Theatre | September

Luka Bloom | St Augustine's - Derry | May

Joachim Cooder | Hawk's Well - Sligo | September

Other gigs of note:

Arctic Monkeys | 3 Arena | October

Iris DeMent | ATU Sligo | October

The Saw Doctors | Olympia Theatre | October

Lloyd Cole | Olympia Theatre | October

The Blades | The Academy | December

Two great Comedy gigs:

Tommy Tiernan | TF Castlebar | March

Peter Kay | 3 Arena | April

2024 is shaping up well too 🎸

Happy New Year to all the Gig goers out there 😎

Wooderson

Wilco Cork, Springsteen night 2, Blur in Malahide, Boygenius, Johnny Marr at EP the standouts of the 30 odd shows I saw last year.

boomdocker

1. Young Fathers, Olympia
2. Corinne Bailey Rae, Cork Opera House
3. Viagra Boys, EP

Honorable mantions:

Sam Fender , Malahide Castle

Confindence Man, EP

Soda Blonde, Dolans

delbertgrady

Queens of the Stone Age are ahead of everyone here, in terms of number of mentions (6).

Several others on four votes apiece: Blur, Noel Gallagher, PJ Harvey, Bruce Springsteen and Wilco.

Arctic Monkeys, Iron Maiden, Muse, Pulp, Sam Fender and Young Fathers all with three.

Wooderson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564641#Comment_121564641

I enjoyed Queens too. Wouldnt be at that top level tho for me - recency bias?

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121564641#Comment_121564641

I'll give another plus one for Iron Maiden. Loved it. The songs from the latest album sounded great.

Another gig I really, really (and unexpectedly) enjoyed was Robbie Williams in the 3Arena. I wouldn't be a big fan, but knew most of the tunes from the radio. It was a cracking gig, and he is some entertainer.

A third choice for me would be between The Mary Wallopers and The Scratch. Can't decide between them. Had a ball at both.

Sean Seoighe

3 stood out for me - Blur at Malahide Castle, great set and the day itself was glorious, probably my favourite band of all time and it was great to see them again. Lana Del Rey at 3 Arena - never seen her before and thought she was incredible with a great mix across her back catalog. The fans there were wild and atmosphere was electric. BC Camplight in Whelans - I'd only got into him a couple of years ago after Shortly After Takeoff came out and saw him in Workmans Club just him and his piano and while that was amazing I wanted to see what he'd be like with full band and I wasn't disappointed. His latest album is one of the best of 2023 in my opinion and the songs sounded great. He's a natural at keeping the crowd entertained with his whims between songs too.

jacool

1. Wilco, Cork Opera House Excellent from start to finish, sunny day and huge positive vibe from the whole crowd. Could have stayed there all night. The buzz stayed with me for ages after.
2. Billy Bragg, Cyprus Avenue Got a ticket 4 hours before gig. The encore was "Life’s a Riot with Spy vs. Spy" delivered in 17 minutes. Had the crowd eating out of his hand, while warning us about building a house on a hill before the floods.
3. Bell X1, City Hall, Cork Have seen them a million times. Something about this gig surpassed anything over the last 10 years. Fantastic visuals to backdrop a mix of old and new, that transcended any (under)expectations I had. Crowd gave it socks too.

TurrikaN64

1. Feist - Cork Opera House
2. Stars - Cyprus Avenue
3. Orbital - National Stadium, Dublin

Honourable mention: Muse - 3Arena

Best Support: Gallus (Therapy?) - Cyprus Avenue

Sean Seoighe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121573356#Comment_121573356

Sorry I didn't catch Feist in National Stadium actually

skaface

MADNESS at the O2 in London in December.. Sold Out..20,000 on their home turf.. Their Album was No.1 in the Album Charts and they played 8 New songs off it, along with All the Hits.. Brilliant night and Atmosphere. Still going strong

larry1

1. Florence & The Machine, 3Arena, Dublin
2. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks at Sofi Stadium Los Angeles, CA
3. Tori Amos, Olympia Dublin
4. Bono, Beacon Theatre, New York City
5. Springsteen x 3 nights RDS, Dublin
6. Dermot Kennedy, Marlay Park, Dublin
7. The War on Drugs, Trinity College, Dublin
8. Def Leppard/Motley Crue, Marlay Park, Dublin
9. Mike Masse, Mill Theatre, Dublin
10. Inhaler, AFAS Live, Amsterdam
11. Deacon Blue, Olympia Theatre, Dublin
12. P!NK, Madison Square Garden, New York City
13. Inhaler, 3Arena, Dublin

greenspurs

QotSA - 3arena - Fantastic gig.

Muse - 3arena- powerhouse gig, great stage setup also.

The Clockworks - ATN - great performance

Honorable mentions:

Artic Monkeys - 3arena.

Iggy Pop - ATN

moby2101

Only got to 2 gigs last year, but they were 2 humdingers!!

Metric in Academy January

Queens of the Stoneage

mikekerry

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121590769#Comment_121590769

Muse - 3 Arena

The national - 3 arena

DMAS - Olympia

Bruce springsteen - RDS

kc66

QOTSA in the point was a great gig.

Also Pulp in St Annes Park.

Northernsoul

Foo Fighters - Glastonbury

Guns’NRoses - Glastonbury

Public Service Broadcasting - Body & Soul

B Springsteen - Night 2, RDS

Kruder & Dorfmiester - Burning Man, Nevada

808 State - Warehouse Project, Manchester

LCD Soundsystem - Opening night of 5 Borough's Tour, Brooklyn NY. (Easily the best of 2023 for me!)

Goldengirl

Best were

Depeche Mode , Malahide in July .

Beautiful weather and they were on top form.

Noel Gallagher, Kilmainham.

He was so much better than the wet concert in St Anne's the year before and Bobby Gillespie / Primal Scream and Happy Mondays support were an added bonus .

New Order 3 Arena .October .

Despite that shxxe location they were , just were , brilliant.

Looking forward to first of 2024 gigs , DM again at the weekend, but oh no , 3 Arena !

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703057#Comment_121703057

Raging I couldn't go to that Depeche Mode gig. Will be my first time in Malahide this year for LCD. New Order were class.