Damian has recently taken to Instagram as above to reflect on his mini-tour of the Emerald Isle. And now that I reflect on my own week long trip to Ireland to follow Damian and the band from Cork to Dublin to Limerick, it was so many train rides, so many hotel rooms, so much gray skies, and so little sleep! And it was all WORTH IT for the fantastic music, fun chats, pints of beer and big laughs with people I adore! As I put in the title: Ireland, you were something else! Damian’s mini tour was packed with energy, good vibes, and those up-close moments that make live music so special.
Now that I’m back and have recovered from jet lag, I am ready to tell you all about how Damian ruled on stage and off – he made time for everyone, his guests and his fans, after the gig. He had pictures taken with them, gave autographs as well as bear hugs.
The smaller venues made it easy for Damian and the band to mingle with the crowd after each gig, rather than hosting guests backstage — which, I think, made the whole experience so much fun for the fans. I met so many wonderful people on the tour, and I have to say, the Irish are truly special — so friendly, so kind, and always ready with a smile. I don’t know how many times each person thanked me for the “I was there” magnet that I gave them.
So this post is my way of saying thank you to Damian and the band, my number one guy Lewisto, my dear friends Tsvete, Monique and Vincent and all the lovely Irish people I met on the tour for making it a fantastic trip! It was such a pleasure having a mini-vacation in Dublin followed by three evenings of brilliant music with my front row crowd! YOU GUYS ROCK! And I sure hope that we continue the tradition.
Now join me in living (or re-living) Damian’s mini Ireland Tour!
The gigs in Ireland were full of life, energy and charm. The audience was completely engaged from the start, responding to every song and story with enthusiasm. The Irish crowd is not shy, and there was plenty of playful banter, teasing, and cheeky back-and-forth between Damian and the fans. Oh, and some rugby talk too — a subject I’m completely clueless about! From what I gathered, the Irish team recently beat the Welsh team, and Damian… well, let’s just say he wasn’t exactly thrilled about that. Hahaha!
The result was a joyful mix of music, humour, and connection. Damian was his usual self on stage, confident, charming and relaxed. And the band supporting him is composed of ridiculously talented young musicians giving their all and more to the music: Dave Archer on guitar, Will Cleasby on drums, Pete Lee on keyboard, Una Palisser on the violin, tambourine and vocals, and Jack Tustin on the bass were simply brilliant!
The setlist for the Ireland tour was different than the one for last year’s UK shows. This time, they play 13 songs in total: all nine originals from Damian’s debut album Mission Creep, plus two new tunes we’d already heard on the UK tour, and two completely brand-new songs Damian’s written since then. In Cork, we even got the world premiere of those fresh tracks – an absolute thrill! Damian mentioned during the shows that his second album was expected to drop in March (though, as always, those dates can shift). My guess? The four new songs they played in Ireland are likely the first singles we’ll hear from that next record. I seriously can’t wait!
Here’s the set list that Lewisto heroically lifted from the stage at Cyprus Avenue for me — and got himself kicked out of the venue for it! Oh, yes, never a dull moment in our life. But more on that later…
So I start with the support act(s). Julia-Maria, a young irish singer-songwriter from Cork opened for Damian at Cyprus Avenue in her hometown Cork and at Dolans Warehouse in Limerick while it was Fingerz Kenny that warmed the crowd up for the main show at Whelan’s in Dublin.
Julia-Maria’s music draws deeply from the roots of Irish folk, her voice has a soothing quality. Her originals are beautiful, but probably because I am familiar with it, when she sang her cover of “Kathy’s Song” by Simon and Garfunkel, her delivery brought tears to my eyes. I’m a fan!
Fingerz Kenny, on the other hand, is a Dublin-based musician known for his eclectic blend of genres, including jazz, blues and hiphop, too. He is part of the band Bat Country with whom he opened for Damian at Whelan’s.
And on to the main act!
Since the set list is the same at all gigs, I will not talk about each gig separately but I will talk about particular moments worth mentioning from each gig… like Damian greeting the audience in every city with the slogan of that particular city.
“Hello Cork. Ireland’s real capital, right?”
Turns out, this is a local slogan in Cork — the residents love to joke that their city is actually the real capital of Ireland. And Damian, joining the fun, proudly declared that he and the band stand in solidarity with the people of Cork by drinking Murphy’s! So did Lewisto! But when the tour moved to Dublin, Damian switched allegiances — as any smart man would — and here he is showing off the custom-made Guinness glass I had engraved for him with “Damian’s very own pint” at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. Cheers, mate!
The opening song was Down on the Bowery, Damian’s first single from Mission Creep. I recorded the following at Whelan’s in Dublin, and the red light was so intense that turned our guy into a true carrot head!
Damian then shared a story with the audience. Once, he says, he spent a whole evening trying to chat up a girl in Soho which went deep into the night. This is Soho Tango.
Time for a new song! Love Bomb, my absolute favorite new tune, is now titled No Man’s Land. And maybe because it is about some kind of war/love/defense song between two individuals (“My defenses were weak, you tore my armor apart”), in Limerick, Damian talked about the Latin Motto for the city: is Urbs Antiqua Fuit Studiisque Asperrima Belli translated to “an ancient city well studied in the arts of war.” And he added:
“We don’t want any trouble, we just came to play some music.”
In Dublin, he talked about a pub he visited with Patrick Kielty who hosted him on The Late Late Show the week before.
“Kavanagh’s The Gravediggers. What a pub. I went there last week with Paddy Kielty What a pub!”
And he thanked all who gave him a free pint 🙂
“This is Hole in My Roof.”
Damian did his homework about Cork:
“Cork — Titanic’s last port of call… I’m not sayin’ anything… but maybe they’d been on too many Murphys”
“Some of you know who my Little One is. This is My Little One. She was a bawler.”
Here is a glimpse of Damian performing My Little One at Dolans Warehouse in Limerick.
“The same beautiful woman dreamed of growing old in Paris.”
Damian then talked about Kim Philby, probably the most notorious traitor in the UK history. He betrayed his country, his family and his friend Nicholas Elliot (whom Damian portrayed in the critically acclaimed A Spy Among Friends) of 30 years. When excommunicated, Philby went to Moscow and in one last attempt to reconcile with his bestie, he invited Elliott to a meeting in Berlin. His colleagues told Elliott that Philby was very clever and would manipulate him but Elliott went to Berlin. As he waited for Philby at the bar they were supposed to meet, he had cold feet and left the bar leaving the umbrella he brought with him, a gift Philby gave him years ago with letters KP and NE inscribed on it. When Philby came to the bar later, the only thing he found there was the umbrella. He went back to Moscow and destroyed his liver in vodka…
“missing cricket, missing The Sunday Times, missing marmalade…”
Next on the set list was Makin’ Plans.
“You know you makin’ plans… and they go to shit…”
In Dublin, a small slip with the lyrics turned into a big laugh for us, the front row girls! See the little video below and you will catch it!
Time for a brand new song! Damian and the band were very happy to play this one for the first time for the Cork crowd.
“Maybe appropriately for Cork? I don’t know. Sweet Chaos.”
I’m far from a music expert — mostly just a fan of 80s hits, jazz, blues, and world music. But I can tell this song has a beautiful Celtic vibe, and the violin — probably my favorite instrument — adds such depth and emotion that the feeling stays long after the song ends.
Now Damian took us back to his busking days in his 20s.
“When I was younger man… hard to imagine, I know…” 🙂
He had a motorbike, a tent, and guitar; and he rode his motorbike down through France and Spain in summers. One evening, as he was crossing the Pyrenees, he judged very badly. As a terrible storm gathered on the horizon, he decided to build his tent on the side of ta mountain lake, but when he looked up, he saw a hole in his tent…
Before the final song of the night, Damian took a moment to thank the crowd for coming out. He then shared something that the brilliant Shirley Manson — lead singer of the band Garbage — often says at the end of their shows: that live music, at a certain level, is disappearing. Even a successful band like Garbage, he said, struggles to afford touring because of industry economics.
And then — another world premiere! The song is called Advent. Damian mentioned he wrote it just before Christmas, and in Dublin he elaborated a bit: it’s not that he doesn’t like Christmas (he does!), but the stress of everything that needs to get done beforehand is… well, a lot. I think most of us can totally relate to that feeling!
What a fun tune! And the harmonica is a huge bonus!
“We’ll leave you with this one ladies and gentlemen.
She Comes is the first song Damian wrote for Mission Creep. It’s a truly great song. And this particular recording from Whelan’s in Dublin ended with Damian thanking his band and the audience, giving his guitar pick to a musician fan with whom I have become fast friends and a setlist to yours truly 🙂
Later, he signed my setlist like this! I’m still laughing about it.
And now let me tell you the backstory about this note!
The stage at Cyprus Avenue in Cork had a big barrier in front of it, keeping the crowd a safe distance away. It meant there was no chance of just reaching up and grabbing a setlist — torture for a fan like me!
But Lewisto, my brave and slightly crazy husband, can’t stand to see me disappointed. So, without hesitation, he climbed up onto the stage (yes, totally not allowed) to grab a setlist for me. Somehow, the security guards didn’t move. Then Lewisto made his fatal mistake — he went back for two more set lists for our friends. That’s when the guards suddenly remembered their job. They rushed in, all VERY serious, like he was stealing state secrets instead of pieces of paper.
Damian tried to save him, telling security that it was fine, that he knew Lewisto. But no. Lewisto was kicked out of the venue — a tragic hero, cast out for his kindness and enthusiasm.
That’s just who he is, though — always ready to sacrifice himself for others. And there they were: Damian, Lewisto, and the security guard, having a very “serious” talk about the terrible crime of loving music a little too much.
I get it, of course — the stage is full of expensive gear, and security has to protect it. Still, all Lewisto he wanted was to spread the joy of music!
After Lewisto left, I gave Damian a bottle of Red Breast, a good Irish whiskey made in Cork. And Damian told me to tell Lewisto to stop being crazy 🙂
The next day, in Dublin, when Damian asked where Lewisto was, I couldn’t resist.
“He got deported.”
Hahaha. He just had to return home for work.
Damian paused, gave me his trademark grin, and replied:
“I’ll keep a set list for him.”
And he did 🙂
While there were very long lines at the merch table for t-shirts and vinyls that Damian very graciously signed for everybody, we were able to have our little precious moments with him behind the scenes.
One thing I was dying to ask Damian — and this might surprise you — was what his favorite Robert Redford movie was. I’ve always loved Redford; I grew up with his films. My cousin, who is 15 years my senior and a movie buff, introduced me to his movies. I watched All the President’s Man, Brubaker, The Sting, The Natural when I was not even a teen yet, probably I did not understand half of them, but I loved Robert Redford. And I didn’t realize just how much until he sadly passed away last month. Since then, Lewisto and I have been watching his movies non-stop as a tribute to the legendary actor, independent cinema champion, and environmental activist that he was.
Naturally, I was curious what Damian thought about his films — and I had a guess about his favorite… and, of course, I was right!
When I asked him, he responded with a question:
“Yours?”
“Three Days of the Condor.”
“That would be my second. The first would be Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
“I knew it! I even told the girls that I thought your favorite would be Butch Cassidy. But you know what? Even you can’t be as cool as Robert Redford running through the streets of NYC in his tailored jacket in Three Days of the Condor.”
“Nobody can be as cool as Robert Redford.”
How amazing that Damian even had the chance to work with him in An Unfinished Life. He shares that Redford was guarded, not easy to get to know, and adds:
“I think it showed in his acting too.”
At the end of the day, who can say I talked to Damian Lewis about the late great Robert Redford on the stage of the legendary Dublin venue Whelan’s?
Me!
I’m this rare kind of fan — not really interested in looking at Damian’s pictures. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but I’m far more curious about the man’s brain: what he thinks, what he likes, and what he absolutely doesn’t.
So I had to ask this crucial question when he stopped by our dinner table at Dolan’s — and let me tell you, Irish venues are tiny, intimate, and delightfully informal, so you literally eat in the same space as the band.
“Favorite vegetable?”
“I love some sautéed, buttered, caramelized carrots,” he said.
“And any vegetable you can’t eat?”
He pauses, makes a face, and says: “Lady fingers.”
“What’s that?”
“Okra.”
Oh my God, Damian, okra is my favorite (along with eggplant)! But hey… nobody’s perfect! And perfect or not, that’s a wrap, ladies and gentlemen — gigs number 14, 15, and 16 with Damian, and I’m still not tired of it!
In closing, this year has been one of the most difficult yet — both personally and professionally. I was really counting on this trip to Ireland to lift my spirits before an upcoming medical procedure… and wow, did it deliver! I came back with my morale boosted and my confidence restored. Here’s hoping I’m back to full strength by early next year, ready for the release of Damian’s second album and, fingers crossed, the tour that follows. Watch out world — I’ll be fit, fearless, and fabulous… and probably singing along to every song at full volume!
Thanks for sharing little insights, Bahar. I, too, am more curious about Damian’s thoughts, rather than the visuals. Can you elaborate on his thoughts about Robert Redford’s reserved nature showing in his acting? Not sure that he would have said more, but I’d love it if he explained. Also, I haven’t seen Three Days of the Condor, so that will be on my list of movies to watch. I came across Life of Pi because Damian once mentioned that as a favorite film. I loved that one!
It’s so nice to see you comment here on the blog, Lyn! Many thanks from the bottom of my heart for all your support! Damian didn’t elaborate on Robert Redford having a reserved nature. He said he was guarded. “He was not easy to know” were his exact words. And he added that he thought this could be seen in his acting as well. OMG “Three Days of the Condor” is a fantastic movie (my first and Damian’s second in a ranking of his movies) and you should watch it! I knew Damian would go with Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid as his first choice, not because I deeply know him, only because I know he’s a boy! Boys love such movies. I like Redford’s more socially conscious movies such as Brubaker, a true story, which I believe is an incredibly underrated movie. And of course All the Presidents’ Men. When he wanted to make that movie, people said nobody would watch a movie about two journalists making calls and knockin on doors… 🙂
I’m happy to be here, Bahar! It’s good to be able to connect with other Damian fans. I’ve seen many of Redford’s movies, including all that you mention, with the exception of Three Days of the Condor, which will be put on my watch list, as spy thriller is probably my favorite genre. But, for some unexplicable reason, Redford never caught my attention in the same way that Damian has. Through your posts, I feel like I know you, and I’m sorry to read that you’ve had a difficult year. Here’s to wishing better days with each passing one! Also, I might mention that I fully appreciate your hubby’s sacrifice for the fans. An anecdote that surely brings a giggle.
Thank you so much for your good wishes ❤️
Once again a wonderful review of an amazing week. I had a blast with all of you, on to the next ❤️
Hmmm… is it you, Monique? Thank you so much for your kind words! And for your constant support! And for being our official photographer of especially B&W ones! Likewise, I had a wonderful week with you – not only the gigs but also our mini-tour of Cork was also so much fun. Thank you for being such a dear friend. And yes on to the next one!
THANK YOU so much for this beautiful recap of those precious moments! ❤️
I have to confess I’m ina such withdrawal, that I could gnaw the frames of my windows
Seriously, since then I’ve been listening to The ‘Celtic Anthem’ ❤️❤️❤️ (this is how I named it, altho I can only get 2 words from it)no less than a thousand times. Same with No man’s land – Oh God, No Man’s Land!!!!!!!!!! Same with Advent. I’m already in love with the new album and I don’t know how I could wait for it’s release till April or May.
Tsvete
Wow Damian Lewis gig withdrawals seems to be a serious health condition. Believe me, we’ll find ourselves in March before we know it… and there will probably be singles dropping before the album, too! All very exciting!