Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot performed at the O2 Academy Bournemouth, and what a night to remember it was.
This was a part of his recent tour, The Dream Ship, being met with an amazing reception, and it’s clear to see why. The tour follows the release of his second album, Little Dreaming in on the 1st August, and many songs from said album were featured on the setlist along with some other crowd favourites.
From the first song, it was clear that to Ducrot it wasn’t just about the vocals, but also the instrumentation that supported him. From the saxophone to the trumpet, harmonica to the Irish tin whistle, bringing a sprinkle of Ireland to Bournemouth, the overflowing range of sounds added dimension and uniqueness to the overall performance.
Who’s Making You Feel It, a song that feels more along the lines of pop, became a fun jazz/blues style performance, which immediately caught the audience’s attention. Litter Dreaming, carrying the same name as the sophomore album, also represented this factor.
During an instrumental break, Ducrot stood upon his glittery piano and had a fun time interacting with each member of the band, playing guitar to them whilst they played their instruments back. It felt like a group of friends just having a fun time, and we, as audience members, were a part of that too.
This song also became an example of another pivotal thing in Ducrot’s performances, that is, the importance of audience engagement. Fans were swept up in the call-and-response nature of the song, which showed a connection between the fan and the musician which is not always seen in live events.
This idea of fan engagement was best shown with his song The Book Of Love which is an emotional song which feels like a warm hug in times of heartbreak.
It’s during this song that Ducrot would bring a fan on stage who had experienced heartbreak, and everyone in the audience would sing the song to them, changing the word darling to the name of the audience member. This clearly meant a lot to the young girl selected for this show.
Other highlights of the show included Ducrot’s overall humour. Constantly having the audience laughing in a way that seemed like second nature. The song Rock Bottom, a song to talk about an unfortunate situation with an ex-partner, perfectly reflects how his humour on stage is translated through his music.
Definitely had newer listeners of his music’s jaws on the floor, which made it all the more enjoyable. Hallelujah felt like a stark contrast to the rest of the setlist in terms of visuals and general sound. Red lighting with Ducrot switching the acoustic guitar out for an electric guitar and shredding with the talented Eilidh McKellar in an entrancing duet. Definitely deserves to have a spotlight shone on it.
Rounding off the show with the song that did numbers on TikTok I’ll Be Waiting and it was clear to see why this song was a crowd favourite.
Overall, a brilliant show which shows how connections between experimenting with sound, a relationship with the fans and a true passion for the craft of the music you create can make for a truly wonderful evening.
