Hozier in 3Arena: A sleek, polished and powerful performance from the Wicklow man

HOZIER

3Arena, Dublin

★★★★★

A lot can change in the space of a decade. Andrew Hozier-Byrne knows this only too well; this time 10 years ago, his debut single Take Me to Church was still gaining traction thanks to its zeitgeist-capturing lyrics, a powerful accompanying video and the majestic, self-assured swell of its commanding chorus. Tonight, the besuited Wicklow man returns to Dublin as a conquering hero, at the tail end of a gruelling tour that has taken him across the US and Europe in recent months. It’s the first of three sold-out nights at Ireland’s biggest indoor venue; no wonder, as he puts it himself, it’s “very good to be home.”

The result of that touring has meant that at this stage, Hozier and his superb band (who, with the exception of drummer Rory Doyle and bassist Alex Ryan, are all from Nashville and New York) are a well-oiled and finely-tuned machine. From the ceiling, upside down, bare-boned trees hang oppressively, a reference to his third album Unreal Unearth. The stage and lighting design – the latter courtesy of Dublin’s Steven Douglas (who also does The Killers’ lighting) – is particularly excellent. He steps into the spotlight to a deafening roar, flirting with Celtic mysticism on De Selby (Part 1) and lurching headlong into the jagged rock of De Selby (Part 2). Jackie and Wilson, taken from his 2014 debut, is usually a sweet, lilting singalong but tonight it’s a heavier, more ragged affair – although From Eden is deft and melodious, showcasing the range and potency of his glorious voice.

Everything seems sleeker, more polished; even the band’s outfits match the muted colour scheme. Yet despite his international success, Hozier has not been Hollywoodised. Not yet, anyway. There is a moment in the encore, when introducing the politicised Nina Cried Power, where he drifts towards Bono-esque sermonising, but his stage patter generally remains tinged with an endearing awkwardness. “Still feeling good, Dublin?” he asks at one point, before adding: “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to change that.”

[ Hozier: ‘This album was actually more not trying to be the control freak’ ]

[ Hozier: ‘If I wanted to make a f**king pop song, I would’ ]

In any case, it’s the music that rightly takes centre stage. The primal, bluesy stomp of To Be Alone reverberates around the arena. There is a flamenco-style flutter on Dinner & Diatribes, while Cherry Wine – as he reminds the crowd – was recorded “in an abandoned hotel in Greystones”. Tonight he performs it alone with an acoustic guitar, and the 13,000-strong audience go quiet in rapt devotion. The band come into their own as First Time brazenly doffs its cap to Van Morrison and on Almost (Sweet Music), which sounds like a lost soul song from the Stax catalogue, while Abigail Morris from support act The Last Dinner Party joins Hozier to duet on the dramatic flourish of Would That I, a song taken from 2019′s Wasteland, Baby album.

Hozier during his performance in the 3Arena. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Hozier and his band. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

When it arrives at the end of his set, it’s clear that Take Me to Church still has firepower in abundance – yet it’s also patently evident that it’s far from Hozier’s best song. The luscious-locked Irishman has a multitude of hits that resonate just as widely now, such as the hymnal Work Song, which brings what has been an excellent gig to a close. Really, it’s difficult to find fault with anything. Hozier is now a certified superstar who indubitably walks the walk when it comes to live performances, yet hasn’t lost sight of what ultimately matters: writing a good song and performing it well. Welcome home.