Christmas came early this year for me. Never did I think that Me First and the Gimme Gimmes would be playing Dublin, and never did I ever think I'd get to shoot one of their shows! Well, that all changed last week when they played the Academy in Dublin on a cold, damp, Monday night! I've been a fan since 1997, when one of the lads I worked with, brought in a copy of Have a Ball . It was love at first listen! I did manage to catch them live back in 2019 when they played the O2 Forum in Kentish Town , London, and it was every bit as good as I'd hoped, but it paled in comparison to Monday night in Dublin. So, how did it come about? Well, back in 2013, I interviewed the band for a now defunct Irish website called Chunk.ie . Over the years, I've stayed on their PR roster, so I took a chance and emailed my contact there. Lo and behold, a few emails later and all was sorted, I was down to photograph the show. How was it? Brilliant, amazing, fantastic,...
I've seen The Pretty Reckless a few times, first back in 2011 at Oxegen Festival. Fast forward to 2016 and I saw them again in the House of Blues, Las Vegas. Fast forward 6 years and I'm getting to see them again, this time in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin.
How good was it? Well, it was awesome. They played to a sell-out theatre, and I'd say they could have played another night also, such was the demand for tickets!
The setlist on the night was:
- Death by Rock and Roll
- Since You're Gone
- Only Love Can Save Me Now
- Follow Me Down
- Make Me Wanna Die
- Miss Nothing
- Sweet Things
- Witches Burn
- My Medicine
- My Bones
- Going to Hell
- Heaven Knows
- Take Me Down
- Fucked Up World
I didn't have a media pass, so I couldn't bring the big lens, so all shots are from the audience using a small Sony DSC HX60. It was strange just being a punter for the first time in ages, but it was enjoyable!
Anyway, now for those photos: