At least, that is what it felt like. It was not actually a forest, it was the AFAS Live in Amsterdam. Before Kennedy even entered the stage, there was a decor set up which resembled some very tall trees. When Kennedy did enter the stage, the whole stage lit up and projections of a forest appeared behind him. He started with ‘The Weight of the Woods (Reprise)’, followed by ‘Honest’ and ‘Wasted’.
Before he sang ‘Outnumbered’, Kennedy asked the crowd to sing the lyrics back at him. After this fourth song of the night, he expressed his gratitude for how Amsterdam has given him some very special shows in the past. He promised he would give a very special show back that night. He next played ‘Refuge’. During the instrumental part right before the bridge, the whole crowd started to clap along to the beat. It was so obvious the musicians who played in this band were having such a good time, including Kennedy himself. The passion and joy coming from the stage was rather contagious. Kennedy told his fans about how he wished that sometimes his loved ones could see themselves through his eyes. “If they could see what you see, how helpful that would be”.
This feeling is what inspired him to write ‘Lost’. It was remarkable to see how this crowd mostly wanted to enjoy the show and live in the moment, as there were barely any phones in sight. Kennedy asked the crowd for a round of applause for Amble, who had opened the show. The Irish band would be flying straight back home to play a massive show, so Kennedy mentioned how honoured he felt to have them play for his show. The next song Kennedy would play, means a lot to him. This song was the beginning of everything for him. He started out with music, busking in the streets of Dublin. He was really glad he did not have to do that anymore. “I loved Dublin, but I didn’t love busking,” he said.
For this song he had gathered enough money to go to a studio and record it. He was planning to just go for it this time and release one song every three months. The results were far from impressive as basically nobody listened yet. He was at a point in his life where he did not really have anything to lose anyway. At the same time he was going through some trouble in his personal life. During these dark times, there always was one person who was there for him and his family. He asked the audience if they could think of that one person in their own lives, who just made everything feel a little bit lighter and to sing this line to them: “You won’t go lonely”. During the bridge, where this line gets repeated again and again, everyone sang louder and louder until they were screaming the lyric.
Kennedy told us that a great fear of his is the moment he believed is inevitable, when he has to say goodbye to his loved ones. However, while writing ‘Often, Lately’, he came to realise he might actually be okay in the end. That is the message he wanted the audience to understand. The most quiet and delicate song Kennedy has ever written must be ‘Blue Eyes’. An explanation for this is simple, because he wrote it when everyone in his house was asleep and he did not want to wake anyone. He originally wrote the song as a fictional story, but he told his fans that the story came very true later in his life. The female backing vocals were loud and clear, almost as they were performing a duet. It made the song really stand out compared to the other songs in the setlist.
In between songs, Kennedy saw someone getting unwell in the crowd and asked for security to come help. He only continued when he was sure the person in question got the help they needed, which fortunately happened soon. Unfortunately, Kennedy suspected there would be a lot of people who could relate to this next feeling. It was the feeling when somebody you care about is struggling and you do not know what to say or do. Sometimes the only thing you can do is to just be there for them. Sometimes it is okay to comfort them with the lie that it will be alright. This is how Kennedy introduced ‘Endless’. When he finished the song, he took a moment to stand still and take it all in. The applause that followed was loud and lasted long, much longer than usual. The crowd was clearly touched by hearing this particular song performed live. Kennedy seemed to be touched by the crowd’s appreciation in return. After ‘Endless’, Kennedy announced he had one more song left to play. This must have been a mistake, because there were another 45 minutes left until the supposed ending of the show. Maybe he meant the last song of the new album. There were multiple confused whispers going through the room as ‘The Weight of the Woods’ started.
The fans had prepared something which became visible when throughout the whole room flashlights appeared in the air. The lights were green, as they were covered with a piece of green paper. It was beautiful to see the project come to life throughout the whole room. Before the last chorus, the band stopped playing and Kennedy sang the last lines acapella. The moment felt very intimate, even though there were thousands of people. Fortunately ‘The Weight of the Woods’ was not the last song on the set. Kennedy took off his jacket and performed his hits ‘Better Days’ and ‘Power Over Me’. There was no one in the room who did not know the lyrics to these songs by heart. He complimented the fans by saying they were such great singers.
Before playing the actual last song, Kennedy introduced all his bandmembers: Collins McLaughlin on violin, Elize Kellman and James Bradshaw on backing vocals, Benjamin Keys on keys, Simon Francis on bass guitar, Sam Killeen on guitar and Glyn Daniels on drums. Each introduction was followed by a long, loud and very deserving applause. Kennedy ended the night with ‘Funeral’. When people started moving towards the exit, the general state of the public seemed to be very content with the incredible performance they just witnessed.
