After being away for almost ten years since their free concert at the Athy GAA grounds in late 2016, hometown band Picture This came back after amassing a worldwide following and performing a sold out tour across the country in major venues like Dublins 3Arena.
No stranger to their music, due mostly to the town I call home, a massive band, doing a small gig, around the corner from my house, is something I would never miss.
After purchasing my tickets in person, which was the only way to do so, after waiting in line for over five hours, this concert was well earned.
The stage packed into what is currently a sports hall, but was once a magnificent ballroom, or so I’m told. The stage, in its grandeur, obscuring one half of the scoreboard that is tacked up on the top left of the back wall, unintentionally, but charmingly leaving only the word “HOME” uncovered and visible.
This is not a band I would ever find myself seeking out, and had they not played nearby I doubt I would’ve ever sought tickets to see them, but I am so glad these circumstances all seemed to line up for what would prove to be one of the best concerts I’ve experienced.
A band whose talent I would have been semi-familiar with, I was not aware of the extent of it. Lead singer Ryan Hennessy has one of the most natural and effortless-looking stage presences I’ve ever seen in live music. His constant moving and singing and crowd interactions flowed through him as if second nature by now.
Stage Setup: 7/10, A great stage for the venue that was played, with multi-level platforms elevating the drummer and offering great moving space for the rest of the band too.
Band Performance: 10/10, Looking at live videos of the band from earlier gigs, both recent and many years ago, I’m not sure if they’ve ever been this good, I wonder if that’s the effect of a hometown crowd. The drummer especially seemed to run the entire show from his platform up the back. With multiple crescendo that left you in awe, I wasn’t aware of the talent we had made in our small town.
Support: N/A, No support, straight into the main act.
Merchandise: 6/10, Merchandise was available, and was very cheap in comparison to standard prices, but that is because it is merch from the tour they were just on, without this particular night listed on the back, which takes it down a few points.
Crowd: 10/10, A crowd of people from near, and a few from far, including one coming all the way from Belgium, it seemed a crowd that finally had the opportunity to share in the musical success Athy had produced, and with the feeling that the band hadn’t forgotten where they came from.
Overall: 9/10, A wonderful celebration of both the music, the success and, of course, the heritage of Picture This. A concert I did not expect myself to enjoy as much as I did, nearly convincing me to go see them next time they’re in Dublin, remains to be seen.
Next up: The Boomtown Rats 31/01/26
Jays Concert Blog 