By Oliver Galbraith
In the centre of Belfast, local pop/folk singer Gareth Dunlop returned to The Belfast Empire – a venue he has played at many times throughout his career.
The Empire is one of Belfast’s most iconic venues, as it is very intimate, with a curved stage, and no barrier between the act and audience – allowing each of them to get up close and connect through music.
This evening was a musical showcase by Chordblossom under their newly revamped ‘GIFTED’ initiative. Chordblossom is an organisation supporting both established and emerging musicians from Northern Ireland, aiming to highlight the region’s diverse musical talent through regular gigs.
The night was opened by AOIBHA and Polar Bolero, both fantastic examples of rising local talent.
AOIBHA was an artist I had not heard of prior to the show, but I now consider myself a fan. Her voice has incredible range, with vocal influences from Billie Eilish. She paints a clear picture with her music, using very evocative lyrics, and a mellow backing instrumental that had the audience swaying to each and every track.
Polar Bolero is a band that will go far. Their music is some of the most world-building I have ever had the joy to listen to. The entire band is incredibly passionate and energetic in their performances; really giving it their all. A standout for me is The Bride, which featured a combination of traditional Irish music mixed with modern folk – and old timey writing, all tied together with an incredible violinist. I for one am very excited for their first EP which is soon to be released.
After Polar Bolero left the stage, there was a much-needed interval after all the dancing in the last set. This gave everyone plenty of time to catch their breath and get another drink (I may have gone and fangirled over Polar Bolero…) 👀
Just as the crowd started to grow restless, we were hit with a deep bass that could have almost changed the rhythm of your heart. Very soon after, a synth joined in and the anticipation hit an all-time high for the band to take the stage. The Belfast icon, Gareth Dunlop, walked onto the very familiar stage to rounds of cheering and applause, quickly setting the tone for the evening.
Dunlop opened his set with Every Little Inch, a song from his newest album, Welcome To The House Of I Don’t Know. His deep, raspy voice suits these stripped-back songs as it only heightens the emotional meaning of the lyrics. However, unlike the studio recording, this live version included the whole band, so there was not a single person in the room that wasn’t dancing!
The set did slow down, with more emotional songs including Sorrow and Humans. The range of the setlist was out of this world—one minute we were screaming the lyrics back to Dunlop, and the next we were swaying along to just him and his acoustic guitar. This wave was broken by laughter from Dunlop’s hilarious anecdotes (now we all know about the ABBA tribute band).
I spoke to a fan at the bar, who told me it had been years since she had seen Dunlop for only £10. She was very funny and a huge fan of his, and I can’t blame her. To quote her directly, “he’s 25 quid a gig but he could be Bruce (Springsteen)—he could be 100 quid a gig!” I think that quote perfectly sums up the evening—amazing local talent for a great price. Chordblossom helps keep the price low, allowing everyone, no matter their financial situation, to join in and have fun.
The evening came to a close with the band and Dunlop gathering round one microphone, with Dunlop on the guitar. It was a very intimate final song, and it really solidified that we were a part of the whole experience, as we sang:
“like there’s only you, like there’s only me, like there’s only us” (lyrics from All We’ll Ever Need).
When the very sudden lights came up at the end of the show, none of us were ready for the experience to end.
You could feel the emotion in the room as you tried to force yourself towards the door.
Two major standouts from the evening were The Bride, by Polar Bolero, and Go Down Swinging, by Gareth Dunlop.
If you ever get the chance to see any of these artists live, you should 100% take it and appreciate every single second.
Photography & Text Copyright 2025 © Oliver Galbraith/ADRENALINE Magazine. All rights reserved.
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