Picture This dazzle the Roundhouse with irresistible pop

Colourful and vigorous pop: Picture This’ sold-out concert at the Roundhouse released an incredible wave of energy and fresh sounds. With a biting new album out this year, Mdrn Lv, the Irish band is slowing but surely conquering young and more mature hearts.

The night opened with three singles from the group’s eponymous debut release. The explosion of white confetti on You & I, followed by Let’s Be Young, with mounting guitar and the lyrics smoothly encouraging their fans to enjoy the night, set the right tone for the event.

The extra pop charge arrived with If You Wanna Be Loved, after Ryan Hennessy greeted the screaming concertgoers. The singer kept up the whole performance with brisk dance movements and interaction with the audience. Owning the stage with true frontman skills, he directed the drums and the flow of music on the instrumental end of Dream, guiding the whole crowd on an elevated moment that contrasted with the bubbly atmosphere so far.

The good feeling set by the band wasn’t only mainly due to the vibrant music but also for their strong national character. Quite a few, small, medium and large Irish tricolours waved across the Roundhouse, with the pauses in between songs soon filled by stadium choruses, fully embraced by everyone, including the musicians themselves.

Sweeter notes arrived with 95, which takes its name from the year of birth of Hennessy; it followed a pretty-rhythmed cover of Sam Fender’s We Will Talk, with thunderous drums. The upbeat Modern Love, with which the four-piece electrifyingly opened their last London concert a few months ago, arrived only at this point. The unreleased track Can You Feel It, a slightly more felt piece, was gifted to the fans at this point. Bassist Cliff Deane, as a tribute to the enthusiastic supporters in the arena – who were sent into further frenzy when Hennessy picked up the phone of someone in the in the front row to take a selfie – introduced a classic Picture This number, Addicted to You.

A powerful guitar finale characterised Everything or Nothing before raining balloos accompanied the bouncy When We Were Young, adding to the playful vein of the gig.

As the singer confessed, it was hard for Picture This to leave the stage, even more so after One Drink and the romantic Take My Hand. With the four-piece bidding farewell to Camden’s iconic venue to more thundering unison choruses, there was no doubt this had been a dazzling performance.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina

For further information and future events visit Picture This’ website here.

Watch the video One Drink here: