Saying Farewell to Kodaline at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney

This blog post is all about my Kodaline concert review, seeing them for the final time on their Farewell Tour at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney.

Last night, I saw Kodaline live for what will probably be the last time.

And I’m not sure I’m ready to write that sentence.

Kodaline have been one of those bands that have followed me through some of the most formative years of my life.

I first saw them live when I was 16 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, back when I had only just started going to concerts with friends, gaining independence and travelling to the big city without any supervision.

Since then, I’ve seen them another few times in Ireland, including at Marlay Park and the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin, and some of my most cherished concert memories are tied to their music.

So seeing them again last night at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, more than a decade after I first saw them live, felt like a pretty significant full-circle moment.

The fact that it was their Farewell Tour made it all the more emotional.

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Seeing Kodaline Live Again

It had actually been around eight or nine years since I’d last seen Kodaline live.

In that time, I’ve moved away from Ireland, gone to university, lived in America, spent almost a year travelling around Asia and eventually ended up living here, in Sydney.

I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to see them live.

As the concert got closer, I found myself going back to their first two albums, In a Perfect World and Coming Up for Air, which were such a huge part of my teenage years.

Of course, I still knew practically every word to every song. I was feeling all the feels. Excited, nostalgic and, to be honest, a little devastated.

Because this wasn’t just another Kodaline concert. This would be the last time I’d ever see them live again.

And knowing that I was going to hear All I Want live for what would potentially be the last time was a particularly difficult thought to get my head around.

Steff came with me to the show (his first time seeing Kodaline live, and his last), and we arrived at the Enmore Theatre around 8pm to catch the support act beforehand, Isobel Knight.

The show was sold out, and I’d expected the crowd to be overwhelmingly Irish given how much Kodaline mean to Irish fans, but I was actually surprised by how international the audience was.

There were plenty of Irish people there, but I’d say they were in the minority, with a particularly large Asian crowd. Given how popular Kodaline are in places like Japan and Singapore, it made perfect sense.

We were standing around six rows back from the stage, which meant we had a brilliant view.

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Kodaline Take the Stage at Enmore Theatre

There were a few slightly nerve-wracking moments before Kodaline came on. You could see the band standing side-stage dealing with some issues with their in-ear monitors, and I was quietly hoping everything would actually go ahead.

Thankfully, it did.

Kodaline walked onto the stage and opened with Wherever You Are.

The production was relatively stripped back, which suited the Enmore perfectly. There were some lighting effects, but there was nothing overly elaborate or arena-sized.

I absolutely love the Enmore Theatre, and wouldn’t have wanted them anywhere else in Sydney for their final show.

There’s something about seeing a band this close in such an intimate venue that makes the whole experience feel more personal. After seeing Kodaline in larger, outdoor venues in Ireland, being just a few rows from the stage in Sydney felt very different, but in the best way.

The sound wasn’t perfect at the beginning. The instruments were a little too loud compared with the vocals, which made some of the early songs harder to hear clearly.

Frontman Steve Garrigan also seemed to be battling a sore throat or cold. His voice cracked in places and you could tell he was holding back slightly, which was a little heartbreaking given how excited I was to hear him live again. He was constantly drinking what looked like honey tea throughout the show, so I was very glad he hadn’t cancelled.

As the set went on and his voice warmed up, he sounded much better, and exactly as I’d remembered.

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The Farewell Tour Setlist

The setlist was basically a nostalgia party for anyone who had grown up with their music.

They played fan favourites including Wherever You Are, Brand New Day, Brother, Perfect World, High Hopes, Love Like This, and Love Will Set You Free.

And then for the final song of the night, inevitably, All I Want.

There were some huge reactions throughout the night, particularly for High Hopes, Brother, Brand New Day and All I Want.

The singalongs were exactly what I had hoped for, with Brand New Day, Brother and The Answer being particular highlights.

There was also a lovely moment during The One when a couple in the front row got engaged.

Steve stopped the song during the first chorus to congratulate them, before telling them that the song was now theirs for the night and continuing to sing it to them.

The One was also stripped back to just Steve and his guitar, which gave the song a much more intimate feeling.

My only real disappointment with the setlist was the absence of Honestly, which is one of my favourite Kodaline songs. I would have loved to hear it live one last time, but with so many songs to choose from, something was always going to get left out.

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And Then Came the Tears

Of course, my favourite song of the night was All I Want.

The first time I heard All I Want live was at that very first Kodaline concert at the Ulster Hall when I was 16.

I remember the band finishing the song and the crowd continuing to sing the famous “ohhh” refrain even after they’d walked off stage.

I vividly remember this moment, getting emotional, the goosebumps, and I remember thinking that this was what live music was supposed to feel like.

That memory has stayed with me for years, and I genuinely think this was the moment that made me fall in love with live music and going to concerts.

So when they played All I Want last night, I couldn’t help but think about that 16-year-old version of me standing in the Ulster Hall experiencing that moment for the first time, but at the same time knowing that this would be the last time.

I cried.

Not to get too deep or anything, but it felt like closure almost. Saying goodbye to those teenage years and that younger me was saying, it’s ok, let go, and move on.

What I mean is, All I Want isn’t just a Kodaline song to me. It’s tied up with friendships, teenage years, Ireland, my first concerts and the person I was when I first discovered the band.

Music is incredibly powerful, and it’s moments like the one I had when I was 16 hearing All I Want for the first time that played a part in me being where I am today.

Because of that moment of falling in love with live music, I write music reviews, I get free tickets to concerts, I interview music artists from around the world and music is now a huge part of my life.

A big part of who I am and where I am today, is because of Kodaline.

Ok, soppy moment over. Let’s get back to the review, shall we?

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A Final Farewell to Sydney

Interestingly, Kodaline didn’t talk about the farewell aspect of the tour all that much during the show.

Steve isn’t exactly the most talkative frontman anyway, so there wasn’t a huge emotional speech or a dramatic goodbye halfway through the set.

They did acknowledge it towards the end, thanking everyone for supporting them over the years, whether we’d been following them since the beginning or whether this was our very first Kodaline concert.

They also spoke about how much support they’ve always received whenever they’ve played in Australia and how much they love coming here.

And perhaps because their final album hasn’t even been released yet, it didn’t quite feel like a definitive ending.

But I think everyone in that room understood what the farewell meant.

There were tears around me, including my own, and for a band that has been around for so long, there was a real sense that everyone was saying goodbye to something that had been part of their lives.

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From Belfast to Sydney

Walking out of the Enmore Theatre afterwards, I felt strangely deflated.

I didn’t want it to be over.

I didn’t want to accept that I probably won’t be buying tickets to another Kodaline concert. I didn’t want to think that there won’t be another night of standing in a crowd and singing High Hopes or Brother with thousands of other people.

Selfishly, I wish they didn’t have to break up.

The Enmore Theatre was the perfect venue, the crowd was fantastic, and being able to stand so close to the band made the whole thing feel much more intimate than some of the bigger shows I’ve seen them play over the years.

Most importantly, I got to see them again, and for a final time.

Twelve years after that first concert at the Ulster Hall, I was standing in Sydney watching Kodaline play their farewell tour.

I’m not sure teenage Orlagh would have known what to make of that.

She’d have wanted them to be around forever of course, but she’d be glad that she got to see them one last time.

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Thank You, Kodaline

I think our teenage years are some of the most formative years of our lives, for both good and bad reasons. They’re when we start figuring out who we are, who our friends are, what we love and what kind of life we want to have.

For me, Kodaline were part of the soundtrack to all of that.

Their first two albums in particular are permanently attached to memories of being a teenager in Ireland, going to concerts with friends and discovering the feeling of being in a room full of people who all know the same songs.

And perhaps that’s why this farewell felt so much bigger than simply saying goodbye to a band.

It felt like saying goodbye to a little part of myself too.

Kodaline were one of the bands that taught me how much I love live music. Some of my favourite concert memories of all time happened at their shows, and I don’t think that’s something that will ever change.

So while I’m sad that last night was probably the final time I’ll ever see them live, I’m incredibly glad I got one last show.

From a 16-year-old at the Ulster Hall hearing All I Want for the first time, to standing six rows from the stage at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney twelve years later, it feels like quite a journey.

And if All I Want really was the last song I’ll ever hear Kodaline play live, then I can’t think of a more fitting way to say goodbye.

But Kodaline, if you loved me, why’d you leave me??

Sorry, I had to.

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