Damien Dempsey is set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his classic album Shots with a special vinyl release, out April 11. This marks the first time the LP – which features fan favourites like 'Sing All Our Cares Away', 'Spraypaint Backalley', 'Not On Your Own Tonight', 'St Patrick's Day', and 'Hold Me' – will be available on vinyl.

All those who pre-order the album on vinyl will receive a lyric card signed by Damien Dempsy.

Shots, which topped the Irish charts following its original release in March 2005, followed the Donaghmede singer-songwriter's similarly beloved 2003 album, Seize The Day.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Shots earlier this month, we revisited our original 2005 album review – with Kim Porcelli describing the songs as "full of the kinds of truths most of the media stopped bothering to highlight long ago, all delivered with a warrior’s fierceness and a good son’s humility."

"The number of images and ideas per square inch in these songs is remarkable: they stack up unstoppably one beneath the next, and their cumulative effect is as shocking and undismissable as war reportage," she wrote elsewhere in the review. "But with Damo, the truth never comes at the expense of a genius melody or a lightness of touch.

"In anyone else's hands, this kind of fiercely political songwriting/repeated exhortation to live well would be worthy, flaky, eat-your-greens-ish. In Damo’s, it’s smart, grounded and full of fun: he’s wisecracking as well as wise, the kind of older brother you’d idolise when you're growing up."

Back in 2023, Damien celebrated the 20th anniversary of his album Seize The Day with another special vinyl release – which subsequently sent the LP to the top of the Official Irish Albums Chart, two decades after its original release.

Pre-order the special 20th anniversary vinyl release of Shots here.

 

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Damien Dempsey plays a special Windmill Live show on Thursday, March 27. Apply for complimentary tickets here.