Lukas Graham are a pop and soul band from Denmark, but they have Irish roots, making their concert in Dublin extra special. From beginning to end the band engaged with the crowd as if they were family.
The night opened with support act Hein Cooper, who played valiantly to the half empty Olympia. While his vocals and lyrics were impressive, unless you were a fan who knows and follows his music, you wouldn’t have been blown away.
When the time came for Lukas Graham to come on stage, the Olympia was full to the brim. It’s evident the band have a mixed following of all ages which proves their music is for everyone and anyone.
They opened with an energetic rendition of ‘Take The World By Storm’ which showed the crowd they were in for a great night. ‘Drunk In the Morning’ had the entire crowd singing along and the couples dotted around the audience held each other and swayed.
Lead singer Lukas Forchhammer, who spent half his childhood in Cork and Kilkenny with his Irish father, put on an Irish jersey to massive cheers. The pyrotechnics were impressive and dazzling even in the small venue.
The mood changed as ‘What Happened to Perfect’ had all the broken-hearted souls on the verge of tears. ‘Better Than Yourself’ was moving and empowering, with the words ‘I hope you know you’re not alone in that hell’ letting the crowd know they are not alone.
‘You’re Not There’ is a song written about Lukas’ father, and hit home with those in the crowd who have lost a family member. Lukas talks a lot about the loss of his father throughout the show. It is clear he wishes his father could still be here to witness how he has grown.
‘Strip No More’ livened up the crowd again. They even played two of their unreleased songs which went down a treat. They left the stage and the crowd cheered and banged until they return for the encore.
Everyone was on their feet dancing as the band reappeared with an energetic rendition of ‘Mama said’. ‘Funeral’ had every of age audience member holding up their drinks singing “Welcome to my funeral, everyone here better be wasted.”
Lukas thanked the audience for being so amazing and said he really felt at home in Ireland. ‘Happy Home’ ws the second best song of the night, but the final performance of ‘7 Years Old’ blew the crowd away and left them in awe.
Lukas Graham put on a show that was a whirlwind of emotions. From love to loss, happiness to sadness, the night was unforgettable for the audience.
Emer Handly