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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
12:53 PM 17th November 2014
arts

Gig Review: Hozier - Manchester Ritz

 
Hozier
Hozier
Hozier is a new artist from Ireland whose career is on the rise. His single Take Me to the Church is riding high in the charts across Europe and his debut album simply titled Hozier is also very successful in the album charts across Europe, notably Germany.

As he strode on to the stage he looked surprised to see the welcome response he received from the sell-out audience. His recent TV appearance on Later... with Jools cannot have done him any harm.

Having 4 females in his bands helps vocally to the show: their background vocals enhanced the show. It is not at many gigs that you get a cello on stage but this added to the delicacy of his tracks.

It is not until the third song in the set when he performs Jackie and Wilson that things become more up-tempo.

His band leaves the stage for a mid-set acoustic spot to perform Cherry Wine which shows off his folk and Irish influences.

Of course he leaves his best track to the end of the gig as Take Me to the Church shows that this is one of the best songs of the year. He encores with a cover of the Amerie song, 1 Thing, it is not a track that you would expect him to cover but he makes it work.

Hozier and the band may have been suffering from jet lag as he informed the audience that the band had just returned from America but it did not spoil the gig. The next time he tours the UK he will definitely be playing bigger venues.

Hozier's new single From Eden, is released on 1 December.