Dermot Kennedy at the Forum

2025 has been an incomparably impressive year for Irish artists across the board, and bringing the so-described “Irish indie summer” to a close was Dermot Kennedy, who brought his intimate, acoustic tour dates to Kentish Town at the end of this week. Characterised by a rawness of vocal and vulnerability of spirit that speaks to and invites in listeners of all ages and walks of life, those who attended on Thursday evening experienced a warm, introspective and highly moving offering from Kennedy, who revitalised his most popular tracks and deeper cuts to present them in an entirely new light.

Kicking things off solo to set the tone, the audience was over the moon to reunite with their idol, whose last album, Sonder, was released in 2023. Progressing from Lost into Two Hearts, and adding in the double bass, the set built into a full-band production, undulating between crowd favourites and unreleased sneak peeks. A man of few words, Kennedy took time between songs to pause, absorb the energy that was being exuded and reciprocated, and to delineate the psychological battles that had inspired some of the songs played. Innocence and Sadness especially marked an emotional peak and were accompanied by a particularly poignant musing on music as resistance to the passing of time, a sentiment undoubtedly shared by everyone in the room at that moment.

Hand in hand with a cosy, home-studio style set, the show was consistently cathartic, and there were pockets of the crowd that were distinctly present. An Evening elicited tears from balcony spectators to those in the front row, and though some of the new material failed to connect as closely, Often, Lately pleasantly pulled the audience back in. Let Me In and After Rain punctuated the second half, with attendees providing a compelling, choir-like response to Kennedy’s call. Fans expecting an animated hour and a half may have been dismayed at the lack of full-scale fanfare, and some of the bigger, fuller songs, such as Moments Passed, felt incongruous with the overall laidback tone of the show, yet the stripped-back nature of the set gave way to an undeniably invigorating, life-affirming scene.

Ending as usual with Carrickfergus, a traditional Irish tune calling back to the quintessence of his style, Dermot Kennedy demonstrated a respect for lyrical and melodic craft that oozes out into his entire discography.

Tallulah Allen
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events, visit Dermot Kennedy’s website here.

Watch the video for Let Me In here: