Gigs of the Year 2024

Stillill42 · 10-12-2024 05:04PM #1

It's time, right? Give us the 3 that blew the head off you in the last 12 months

Fontaines 3 Arena
MJ Lenderman Whelan's
Public Service Broadcasting Olympia

Fabulous year for live music...I could have a different top 3 next week. Honourable mentions for Waxahatchee, Pixies in the Olympia, Øxn in Vicar Street, the Bug Club in the Workmans Cellar, Patti Smith, Les Savy Fav, Suede, Arab Strap, Johnny Marr in Athy, the trio of Big Special, Blonde Redhead and Mary Wallopers at Green Man....so many fantastic gigs this year. Go for it.

Electric Nitwit · 10-12-2024 05:30PM

I didn't go to any of the ones you mentioned 🙈

For me…

1. Enter Shikari, Academy (the new album is great, they really know how to honour the back catalogue and put on a great show. The mosh pit was nonstop and so friendly, such a great crowd, as always. The communal spirit is unmatched)

2. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, 3arena (it was almost spiritual, just such a wonderful gig. He's the arch-frontman and the band are tight as hell. Backing gospel singers just added the cherry on top)

3. Last Apollo, Button Factory (possibly recency bias here but it was simply wonderful. 8 piece string orchestra, full band, proper piano, possibly the best sound engineer ever making everything sound crystal clear. Reverential crowd. Close to perfect)

Very very close to taking third place was Fat Dog at the Grand Social. Just an absolute blast, had a massive grin on my face for the entire show.

Honourable mention to Fight Like Apes in the Olympia for the nostalgia hit, great fun

Seeing Sprints upstairs in Whelan's was special too, they were amazing but the crowd was crap so overall the gig falls short

Don't think I've forgotten anything...

scruff monkey · 10-12-2024 05:33PM

Suede, nuff said.

TenPicnics · 10-12-2024 05:34PM

Nick Cave + the Bad Seeds, November at the Point.
Anohni at the NCH, November.
Róisín Murphy at the Olympia in February.

Honourable mentions - Øxn at Vicar St in February, Bruce + E Street in Kilkenny in May.

delbertgrady · 10-12-2024 05:55PM

My top three:

1. David Gilmour, Royal Albert Hall, London

2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

3. Pearl Jam, Marlay Park, Dublin

I'm going with these, but it's very difficult to choose from an excellent, eclectic year of concerts. Superb shows from Suede, AC/DC, St. Vincent and Public Service Broadcasting deserve mention.

Bruce Springsteen in Croke Park was magnificent (I've a photo from each show above), but I don't want to give him two places on the podium. Kilkenny had the edge for me, for the unique, pre-show performance and a great setlist.

I was very impressed with Olivia Rodrigo, which was an unexpected surprise highlight. And Depeche Mode and OMD, always fantastic, were both as reliable as ever. A memorable year.

Dreamweapon · 10-12-2024 06:21PM

1. Acid Mother's Temple, Workmans, 12 May.

2. Horse Lords, Workmans, 14 April.

The two above were the clear standouts for me this year but honourable mentions to The Bug in the Button Factory, McClusky in Workmans, Meatbodies in Workmans Cellar and Godflesh at the Academy.

For the first time ever i appear to have broken the 50 gigs in a year mark.

hynesie08 · 10-12-2024 06:24PM

Best small show

Laura Jane Grace - Grand social.

Possible recency bias but just a ridiculously good 2 hour punk rock show laid out perfectly with a solid support set from pet needs.

Honourable mentions

Kacey Musgraves - Olympia Theatre

Craig Finn - The Workman's Club.

Best arena show

Postal service/ Death cab for cutie - OVO Hydro

Honestly ridiculous that Ben Gibbard was involved in 2 indy classics in one year but he was, and he played them both here. Jenny Lewis intro in district sleeps alone is musical manna.

Honourable mentions.

Vampire weekend 3arena

Billy Joel MSG.

BEST OUTDOOR/STADIUM SHOW

Taylor Swift - Era's tour N3

Taylor Swift runs the fcking world and she knows it, ambitious, exhausting 3 1/2 hour showcase of the biggest star in music at the peak of her powers.

Honourable mentions.

Paul McCartney - La Defense Arena

Bruce Springsteen and the E street band - Croke park.

Best Frank Turner gig. (He gets his own category)

Lost evenings 7 night 4.

Legitimately in my top 5 Turner gigs, the crowd, the support, the setlist, unbelievable.

This year was so good that my favourite band in the world played 2 nights and blew the roof off, but never even entered the discussion.

TheDocMan · 10-12-2024 07:17PM

Two more gigs for Dec but doubt they'll change my selections:

1st. Laura Jane Grace - Grand Social (Nov)

2nd. Jeff Rosenstock - Button Factory (Jan)

Joint 3rd. McLusky - Workmans (May) & Christian Holden ( The Hotelier)- Bello Bar (July)

Very close calls and brilliant gigs were:

Greg Puciato- Whelans

1000Mods - Grand Social

Johnny Marr - Athy

Suede -Trinity

Public Sevice Broadcasting - Cyprus Ave

And one of the few but memorable stadium gigs was of course Nick Cave first night 3 Arena

Stillill42 · 10-12-2024 08:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122943484#Comment_122943484

The fact that yourself and myself have such a big overlap in musical taste, EN, and still didn't get to each other's gigs is a fair indicator of the incredible volume of quality shows on offer this year. Long may it continue.

boomdocker · 10-12-2024 10:45PM

1: Fontaines DC 3 Arena

2: CMAT @ EP

3: Johnny Marr Athy

Wooderson · 11-12-2024 01:57AM

Underworld Berlin

Springsteen Kilkenny

Gizzard London

just off the top of my head these stand out. A good if not great year. Saw tonnes.

RayCon · 11-12-2024 09:58AM

Top 5 for me in 2024 :

Judas Priest - 3Arena March
The Hives - Olympia April
Riverside - The Academy May
Ghost - Berlin June
Opeth - Netherlands Aug

roll · 11-12-2024 10:01AM

Nick Cave
GS!BE
Public Service Broadcasting

sydthebeat · 11-12-2024 01:58PM

1. nick cave, the point (no one captivates an audience like him, and the new album is glorious)

2. idles. olympia (tangible wash of sweaty love)

3. Pearl Jam (for obs reasons)

honorable mentions

mitzki, the point (theatrical magic)

keane, the point (guilty pleasure)

paul weller, king johns castle kilkenny (mod father gets better with age)

20Cent · 11-12-2024 02:06PM

Nick Cave Point Depot

Ham Sandwich in Whelan's

Pixies in the RDS

Electric Nitwit · 11-12-2024 02:46PM

6 mentions for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, think we can safely give them the boards people's prize 😋

Rothko · 11-12-2024 03:27PM

Magdalena Bay - Button Factory

2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - 3Arena

3. Manic Street Preachers/Suede - Trinity

4. The Smashing Pumpkins/Weezer - 3Arena

homerun_homer · 11-12-2024 05:05PM

It hasn't been the busiest year of gigs for me since having a baby in April but my highlights have to be:

Depeche Mode - 3 Arena

Suede/Manics - Trinity

Pixies - Olympia

Confidence Man - Olympia

Ricosruffneck · 11-12-2024 05:59PM

The only answer is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

T.V Eye · 11-12-2024 06:30PM

1

Depeche Mode: Pure brilliance, haven't been that enthralled by something in quite some time.

2 - 5 in no order.

In The Meadows: Does a one day festival count? Summer night with a pint, standing in some grass watching Mogwai with the other half was a nice way to spend time.

Mercury Rev: Went on a big kick in advance of and after In The Meadows. The Funny Bird is a top tier show opener.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Spaced out, spent the gig watching the busiest projectionist in the world. Felt several emotions and floated home.

Idles: First time seeing them indoors, it was everything I wanted from an Idles gig, maybe it's a little choreographed at times which might start to be an issue for me if I went to future gigs.

Notable mentions

Nick Cave, Magnetic Fields and The Mountain Goats.

rednik · 11-12-2024 07:34PM

John Mayer - 3 Arena

David Gilmour - RAH

Mr. Big - Academy

Duff McKagan - Academy

Myles Kennedy - Academy

Still Ill · 11-12-2024 09:01PM

Gigs I enjoyed the most..

Arcade Fire - Malahide
Liam Gallagher - The Point
Baxter Dury - Button Factory

Dick Turnip · 11-12-2024 09:33PM

Haven't been to too many this year but

Fontaines DC - The Point
CMAT - Fairview
Kneecap - Vicar St

Young Fathers supporting LCD Soundsystem in Malahide were excellent too

dasdog · 12-12-2024 12:49AM

I didn't get abroad this year for anything as my landlady decided her son needed where I was living more than I did - if walls could talk kind of place. #1 was in no doubt as someone said in the gig thread it was a quasi-spiritual experience.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
St Vincent
Fontaines DC

Honourable mentions to Los Bitchos (Button Factory), Baxter Dury (Button Factory), Leftfield (National Stadium), Muireann Bradley (Upstairs in Whelans & Vicar St - I still can't believe an 18 year old from Donegal is playing Blind Gary Davis tunes impeccably) and In The Meadows was just such a lovely evening out. Strangest gig had to be Sun O))) filling the NCH with dry ice. The others I went to were a bit meh.

Goldengirl · 12-12-2024 01:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122943490#Comment_122943490

Second that !

Fontaines DC, Suede and still have the Pogues to come .

Peter Hook and the Light exceeded expectations . As did Bruce Springsteen and the Street Band ;)

Depeche Mode were excellent as well earlier in the year February .

Wooderson · 12-12-2024 08:44AM

Enjoying this thread! Wasn't there but Cave seems to have made the much maligned 3Arena his own...

swededmonkey · 12-12-2024 02:37PM

Idles, Telegraph Building
Fontaines DC, 3 Arena
Pearl Jam, Marlay Park

Close but didnt make the final cut; Interpol, Arcade & Liam Gallagher

bodhrandude · 12-12-2024 04:19PM

The Bothy Band at Celtic Connections, now the lads are getting older and the sound a little mellower but still an amazing concert.

Thievery Corporation at Beyond The Pale.

Human League at Forest Fest

Future Islands at ATN

And a tie between Faithless and The Waterboys at EP.

Ricosruffneck · 12-12-2024 05:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122946924#Comment_122946924

I had forgotten John Mayer was this year.

A solid no 2 after Nick Cave'.

Irish Aris · 12-12-2024 06:28PM

Great mentions all across the thread, fair play to everyone!!

For me the 3 that really stuck out this year were (in chronological order):

Rhiannon Giddens at Vicar Street, 25th February

Pink at Aviva, 20th June

Patti Smith at Vicar Street, 27th June.

First time that I saw Rhiannon Giddens and Pink, both great shows. And Patti Smith at her age, absolutely phenomenal.

Special note for Olivia Rodrigo at 3Arena (big surprise, very enjoyable gig) and Anohni at NCH (very unique concert).

Say Your Number · 13-12-2024 10:48AM

Loved Judas Priest, AC/DC, Flogging Molly and Gåte last night, but my favourite was The Warning at the Academy went in not expecting much and they blew the roof off the place.

Didn't enjoy Tommy Emmanuel or Rammstein but that was down to stupid c*nts all around me having a nice catch up.

Gigs of the Year 2024

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