Combining traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock Hothouse Flowers have made their mark on the Irish music scene for four decades and with a motto of “Let’s do this thing” have plenty more to give.
The band has announced a series of shows across Ireland for 2024 and 2025 in Clare, Cork, Galway, Wexford and Kilkenny. Tickets go on sale 10am Friday, June 7, 2024. Tickets €30 plus booking available from Box Office.
Formed in 1985 in Dublin starting out as street performers it wasn’t long before they released their first album, People, in 1988 which saw them reach No. 1 in Ireland and No.2 in the UK. Their 40 year long career is bookended by their most recent album Let’s Do This Thing (2020) and Hothouse Flowers continue to bring their unique flavour of rock to their electric live shows. Something amazing happens when Hothouse Flowers step onto the stage – something that has been shaped by almost forty years of singing and playing all over the world, yet no two shows have ever been the same! There is a sense of musical adventure, an impulse to reach new heights and depths in music where the unspoken aim is that the band and the audience become one and the world becomes a different place for a while.
There is an unpredictable energy in the band that harkens back to their ‘Risk’ days playing on the dancefloors of Dublin’s late-night clubs. They call upon their grand repertoire to create a show that is unique to the time and place. Improvisation can come at any point and allow the band express their brightest and their darkest influences. “Rock and Roll is not about safety or politeness, it is not about perfection either. It is expression and it is spirit.” Humour is also never far from a Hothouse Flowers night. They do not take themselves seriously however, there is no mistaking the musical integrity among them as they open up to each other in musical dialogue.
Fiachna, Liam and Peter are traditional musicians. This allows for moments of ancestral connection. From a Doors-like musical workout one minute, to an earnest and timeless offering to the memory of Currachaí na Tra Báine the next. A song inherited by Fiachna describing the blow inflicted upon a community and a family due to drowning. This moment and moments like these set the Flowers apart from almost any other band of their time and trade. They are carriers of culture and all of what that entails.
Despite the bands lengthy career which is now not far off its fifth decade there is a sense of unfinished business. Every night they want to play the best gig they have ever played and take the musical risks that can maybe make that possible. There are still songs to be written and emotions to share. Whether it’s in a tiny club, an arena or in a festival field there is a sense that the best is yet to come.
2024 saw the band release a brand new documentary “Stick Around and Laugh a While” that followed their amazing journey from performing on Grafton Street, Dublin through to current day. “Stick Around and Laugh a While” isn’t just a look back—it’s a heart-to-heart, a story of persistence, passion, and the sheer joy of making music with your mates. It’s about sticking together through thick and thin, and why, after all these years, Hothouse Flowers continues to bloom.
Tickets €30 plus booking available Friday, June 7 from Box Office.
Tour Dates
*November 29, 2024 – Glór, Ennis
February 15, 2025 – The Hub, Kilkenny
February 22, 2025 – Leisureland, Galway
March 14, 2025 – Cork Opera House
March 15, 2025 – National Opera House, Wexford