Cian Ducrot took to the stage in Melbourne for the very first time at The Croxton Bandroom on May 4th, 2023, as part of his first Australian visit.
The Irish singer-songwriter has been making waves with his viral hits ‘All For You’ and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, however, I admittedly had only heard of Cian Ducrot in the past week due to a friend demanding that I pay attention to Ducrot’s talents (who also got to be my photographer for the night). After seeing Ducrot perform live in my city, I must admit, my friend was right.
Already performing in an upgraded venue due to high demand, accompanied by Fionn HH on the drums and Peter Wilson on the guitar, Cian Ducrot took to the stage with a beaming smile, clearly chuffed to be playing to a packed-out venue on the other side of the world. He verbally acknowledged this too, happily sharing upon seeing his Melbourne audience, “This is very, very cool”.
Beginning his gig with the stunning ‘Make Believe’, one of my favourites of his, complete with an excellent electric guitar solo, Cian Ducrot instantly impressed with his gorgeous vocals, lyrical prowess, and his magnetic stage presence. This multi-talented musician played on the keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and even the flute throughout the night, all while appearing effortless and having the time of his life.
Unlike many artists, Ducrot consistently interacted with the audience throughout his show. He checked to make sure everyone was having fun, was doing okay, and even gave a shout out to those at the back of the venue that came late, just like he used to when attending gigs.
His interactions weren’t limited to this, with fans frequently shouting out words of encouragement and requests, Ducrot signing items for them including an Irish flag that he wore for one number around his neck like a scarf, and he even took phones from the front row to take selfies.
One fan in the crowd even shouted, “You didn’t reply to my DMs”, to which the quick-thinking artist not only asked patrons to put up their hands if he also didn’t reply to them (which felt like a very funny Mean Girls moment when Tina Fey’s character asks the school who else felt victimised by Regina George), but he made up a song on the spot about not replying on social media which was both surprising and hilarious.
The night was filled with a healthy combination of old and new works. Ducrot managed to convince fans to get excited for his new songs which consisted of ‘Him’ that had heads bouncing, ‘Endless Night’ that had everyone clapping while allowing Ducrot to showcase his flute finesse, ‘How Do You Know’ that had patrons singing along like a beautiful choir, and ‘Heaven’ which Ducrot shared is his upcoming single and is probably my favourite of the new songs he shared with us.
Eloquent and honest, Cian Ducrot’s older songs also shined with ‘Crocodile’ penned about the past shit friends in his life, ‘Not Usually Like This’ addressing heartache, ‘Part of Me’ that inspired every inch of the Croxton Bandroom venue to join in song, and two most popular tunes in Ducrot’s discography ‘All For You’ and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ receiving a lot of love, as well as conjuring up a sea of phones. For good measure, Cian Ducrot also threw in beautiful covers of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and Bruno Mars’ ‘When I Was Your Man’, my favourite of Mars’ catalogue.
After finishing his set, Ducrot was summoned back for an encore and although he confessed that he didn’t have enough songs, he obliged to the chants with another rendition of ‘I’ll Be Waiting’. I’ve only witnessed one other time where an artist has played a song again, and that was during Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto Tour where they performed ‘A Skyful of Stars’ twice. And there’s a reason for it. It’s because that song, as well as Cian Ducrot’s ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ are that damn good.
As quickly as Cian Ducrot took to the stage, it felt like time had passed too fast and already he was leaving. Thanking the Melbourne fans for making him feel at home and loved, the Irish powerhouse vowed that he would be back soon. And with his debut album ‘Victory’ releasing this July, I believe his return is imminent. Although, his next Melbourne show may not be as intimate as his Croxton Bandroom gig. I’m predicting there will be an even bigger demand for him when he eventually and hopefully comes back to Australia for his Victory World Tour.
With powerful vocals, beautiful storytelling through his lyrics, and appearing both humble and genuine, it’s hard not to love Cian Ducrot. I may not have been familiar with him before, but I’ll definitely be paying attention to his talents from now on. Cian Ducrot is a star.
Cian Ducrot performed in Sydney and Melbourne as part of his 2023 Australian Tour.
For more information and future ticketing, visit:
https://www.frontiertouring.com/cianducrot
https://www.cianducrot.com
https://www.instagram.com/cianducrot
https://www.facebook.com/cianducrotsworld
Photography by Michael Nguyen.
