Bon Iver, Dublin

Touring must be both an exhilarating and gruesome experience. Whilst the rapture of a crowd must enliven even the weariest and tired of souls, the repetition of the very songs which provoke the adulation must add to the wear and tear of the self. These very processes and their effects can be seen in Justin Vernon et al (aka Bon Iver) on his return to the stage where, back in June, with an exquisitely delicate yet forceful and spellbinding show, he confirmed the talent his much-loved debut album had promised. Tonight he is immediately more at ease, almost an entirely different stage presence as the one we met before. The constant touring has relaxed him. He jokes, he shares more stories, he can handle the gobshite in the crowd. Perhaps it is due to the presence of many family and friends in the crowd. A special shout-out goes out to his mother, Justine (aka Bon's Mom), who has flown in from Wisconsin especially to see this, again the last show of his tour before a 7 week hiatus, on the day of her birthday. Latterly, another goes out to his father, the most famous owner of a log cabin since Ted Kaczynski. The range and type of instruments laid out on stage offer a glimpse of what is ahead of us - not one, but two drum kits and more than 6 or 7 guitars, some electric. Whereas in the previous show, the delicacy was both the strength and medium, here the sheer volume and scope of the sound is used to deliver the message. To escape the ennui that playing the same songs may cause, he has shone them through a new prism. They reflect a new electric light with increased force and depth. The previous acoustic style allowed us to fill the gaps which were left in the natural rhythms played. Less was more. Tonight, these gaps are filled. In truth, some songs gain from this new approach and leave you a whole new kind of awestruck while some feel laboured under the force of this extra power. However, he is nothing other than wonderful and any criticism should rightly be condemned as nit-picking. As the show draws to a close, he invites the crowd to sing along to "The Wolves", a song that when played live truly deserves to be heard by many and bellowed by all. With this taste for song now at the tip of the crowd's tongue, they offer back their thanks for another wonderful gig with a song that everyone already shares... Happy Birthday to You Happy Birthday to You Happy Birthday, Bon's Mo-om/ Happy Birthday to You.