In celebration of their third studio album 'Life In Colour' which arrived earlier this year, Irish phenomenon Picture This hit the road for their highly anticipated 8-date UK tour. Kicking off in Edinburgh, which received glowing reviews, the 4-piece headed to Nottingham before playing a show in Newcastle's Boilershop.
First on stage was fellow Irish artist Lea Heart - her sweet vocals and melodic pop tracks got the ever-growing crowd nicely warmed up for the nights proceedings. The second support came in the form of English-Irish trio New Rules who are no stranger to the live scene. Having supported Little Mix in the past, as well as their own headline sold out shows, they know exactly how to work a crowd. They played a set of original tracks including fan-favourites '24 Hours' and 'Emily', new single 'Really Wanna Dance With You' and an infectious cover of 'Human' by The Killers.
Picture This are one of many bands to break in the UK out of Ireland over the years, with sold out arena shows in their homeland as well as supporting the likes of The Jonas Brothers on their 2020 tour and multiple festival sets over the summer. They found their signature sound and stuck to it; chart-worthy pop bangers with mass appeal, but on taking a deeper listen, we see that songwriting talent is as magnificent as it is catchy.
Their high-energy, 90-minute set included everything a fan of the band could have asked for. Frontman Ryan Hennessey is cool personified and Picture This are instantly likeable from the moment they step on stage; maybe it's the Irish charm! Their music appeals to people of all ages, which was proven by the Newcastle crowd who sang every word as they kicked off with 'Things Are Different', a single from the new album, which had everyone hooked instantly. Going straight into 'You & I', 'Never Change' and 'Addicted To You' - all from their debut album and all boasting Ryan's stunning vocal.
'Winona Ryder' is a fan favourite, it's big anthemic chorus is one that sticks in your head for days on end. 'LA House Party' is one of the catchiest from the new album; driven by a funky chorus the crowd were gripped by the ultimate crowd pleasing track. The fan interaction with Picture This is next to none, you can tell that they love every moment of being up on stage, probably even more so now than before COVID hit. The appreciation was definitely reciprocated by the band and fans alike.
Slowing down the set, Ryan played two acoustic tracks which he exclaimed 'These are songs about a girl, in fact, all of our songs are about a girl!" Both 'Jane' and '95' were played beautifully and lyrics were sang straight back to the sea of adoring fans. 'Saviour' and 'This Morning' brought the energy back up right away and the groovy 'One Drink' got everyone dancing. 'Everything Or Nothing' was probably our favourite of the night, the stadium sized anthem is both rebellious and totally captivating and you can tell just how passionate the band are, putting their hearts and souls in everything they do.
An encore of 'Unconditional' and 'When We Were Young' before chants of "TAKE MY HAND!" filled the room to end the set on a massive high. We can't wait to hear more music from Picture This as they are set to rise even further to the top. A top quality live set and top quality music to match.
Catch Picture This at one of their remaining UK dates this month. @picturethis
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