Divine Comedy – NCH – Live Review – 29/03/26

To celebrate the release of their 13th album, Rainy Sunday Afternoon, in September of 2025, The Divine Comedy announced a 27-date tour of Europe, starting in Milan on the 25th of February, and culminating in a two-night stint in the National Concert Hall in Dublin. There was a six-year gap between Office Politics (2019) and their latest release, with Hannon dabbling in Hollywood, writing the songs for the 2023 musical film Wonka. Luckily, for those in the Concert Hall last night, he has returned to his first love.

On the night, the band featured guitar, bass and drums, alongside piano/ synth, violin, and accordion to give a full sound on stage. There were no stripped-down songs, with a full-bodied approach throughout. The set opened with album tracks from their new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon, with the low-key starters, Achilles and The Last Time I Saw the Old Man. As is often the case at the Concert Hall, the venue fell quiet between songs, with Hannon inviting heckles from the audience! He got the earnest response of ‘play more songs’, which he duly obliged (it was always likely).

The set then drifted through his back catalogue, with The Happy Goth, Norman and Norma and then back to the title track of the new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon. They then indulged the audience with a highlight of the evening, A Lady of a Certain Age.

If Neil ever wonders why he’s stuck at immigration control getting into the United States, it could quite possibly be due to “Mar-a-Lago by the Sea” with its cutting lyrics.

“Mar-a-Lago, how I miss
The golden johns in which I pissed
All that ostentatious wealth
The paintings of myself
When I was young and free”

After a brief intermission, with a drinks trolley wheeled onto the stage, and Neil acting as barman, he invited the audience to stand for a more upbeat finale of songs, including Generation Sex, Becoming More Like Alfie, and the final track, National Express. A three-song encore quickly followed, ending the night with the traditional Tonight We Fly.

While the set was heavy on the new album, there was more than enough from Neil’s extensive back catalogue to keep even the most difficult fan happy (the only notable omission being Something for the Weekend). Having recorded his first album over 30 years ago, Neil is now in National Treasure territory. We just hope there will be many more such evenings ahead. To quote his final song…

“If heaven doesn’t exist
What will we have missed
This life is the best we’ve ever had”

Setlist

Achilles
The Last Time I Saw the Old Man
The Happy Goth
Norman and Norma
Rainy Sunday Afternoon
Bang Goes the Knighthood
A Lady of a Certain Age
At the Indie Disco
Neapolitan Girl
Mar-a-Lago by the Sea
I Want You
Our Mutual Friend
Bad Ambassador
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Other People
Absent Friends
Generation Sex
Becoming More Like Alfie
I Like
National Express

Encore:
In Pursuit of Happiness
Invisible Thread
Tonight We Fly