Irish two-piece, Picture This, have quite literally come from nowhere, and in the space of forming to now, they’re here to stay.
The band made up of Ryan Hennessy and Jimmy Rainsford, are selling out venues all around their home country. Initially, they announced that they would be playing The Borderline, but after selling it out, they expanded to The Garage. From a capacity of 275 to 600, could they make their second London gig a sell out again? Yes, they could.
Over in Ireland, Picture This have topped the charts, toured the country, and have consecutively sold out one of Dublin’s most renowned venues: The Olympia. ‘The Journey Starts Here’ tour was their first UK tour, and it’s definitely not going to be their last.
Indie pop-rock band, Cape Cub, opened the show and had the crowd going before the main act hit the stage. They were a great support act because they’re nothing alike which brought a different feel towards the show. From original songs like ‘The Start’ to ‘Closer’, we left the show big fans of them.
Not long after Cape Cub were finished, Picture This hit the stage and the crowd went wild. Joining them on stage was their backing band members, Owen Cardiff and Cliff Deane.
The band opened with Saviour and the crowd of 600 were belting along the lyrics. Frontman, Ryan, made it clear that they meant business with such stage presence that made the atmosphere electric.
It’s fair to say that their setlist has potential future hits. That along with the fact the crowd was singing along to songs that the band is yet to release, or even record.
Throughout the show, both Ryan and Jimmy made it clear just how thankful they are to be in the position they’re currently in. After all, the band has only been together for just over a year, and they’re selling out venues in the UK with the release of just one EP.
Back to the music, with a variation of new and released content, the crowd didn’t hold back at all. During some songs, Ryan would stop singing to let the crowd sing the lyrics back to him.
It was when the band was about to sing fan-favourite, Jane, Ryan said something that is very rarely asked for. When an artist is performing a song, take One Direction’s Little Things, for example, the crowd would hold lights up. Ryan asked for the complete opposite and requested of the crowd to put their phones away. This is a moment of the show that we’re never going to forget.
The crowd sang along and in that moment, it was the most intimate the gig was as a whole. The feeling is almost impossible to describe, but as raw as you can imagine. Nobody was watching the performance through their phone screens, only with their eyes, and that’s something we’re always going to remember.
Before singing a hit from their debut self-titled EP, Ryan said, ‘we’re going to play one song you don’t know before we down to the real business.’ Ryan set down his guitar to dance along to another fan-favourite, ‘For You.’
If you were seeing Picture This for the very first time, you would’ve thought they’d been together longer than a year with the reaction they received. It goes without saying that they’re going to go on to play bigger venues in the future.
Songs that really got the crowd going were ‘You & I,’ and debut single, ‘Take My Hand.’
Before every performance of ‘Take My Hand,’ Ryan asks the crowd if they’ll sing along with the first verse.
Watch a clip below:
https://twitter.com/khyagott/status/797892267981737984
Effortlessly, the crowd sings along in unison as if this song has been released for years.
By the time the show is over and the band have left the stage — minus four setlists, a sweaty towel, and Jimmy’s drumsticks — the crowd is still on a high and if they could relive the show again, they’d do it in a heartbeat.
Overall, Picture This are brilliant songwriters as much as they are performers. Their music is a taste of love, upbeat melodies, and songs you sing your heart out to.
Their gig at The Garage marks their second in London, and their second being another sellout. Fans turned up in their numbers, some even flew over from Ireland to see the chart toppers live. And after that show, we can’t blame them. They’re arguably the next big thing, and with such brilliant and raw material, this is the honest truth.
What makes Picture This different is that they captivate you with their music. Their music is a breath of fresh air, and some say it’s the musical version of living in the 21st century. From falling in and out of love to making the most of your life and not letting it pass you by. They live up to what an Irish band is, and we can only expect bigger and better music from the pair in the future.
The band has only been together just over a year and in that time they’ve done more than most. Where next for them? Another EP? Another tour? Only time will tell, but the future looks bright and we’re going to be there every step of the way.
Photos by JMS Photo
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