- Music
- 18 Jul 22
Performances by Alive and Dangerous, Tony Hadley, Tiffany, Heather Small, Bananarama, headliner OMD and more closed out the last day of the Forever Young Festival.
The Forever Young Festival came to a close on Sunday, an even hotter day than Saturday, with stellar performances by Alive and Dangerous, Tony Hadley, Tiffany, Heather Small, Bananarama, and headliner OMD. Shockingly, the crowd brought nearly the same energy to all three days of the 80's themed festival.
To start off the day was Alive and Dangerous: a Thin Lizzy tribute with the original drummer, Brian Downey. They looked like proper rockstars, most with long flowing hair and sunglasses. Matt Wilson on bass and lead vocals encouraged the crowd to get up and dance, joking "Come closer, we don't bite!" He got the whole crowd clapping along to 'Jail Break', and then everyone went wild for Thin Lizzy hit, 'The Boys Are Back In Town'.
Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet followed a couple hours of "Rockstar Kareoke", where festival-goers got on stage to perform themselves. Hadley came on stage ready to "have a bit of fun," and he certainly did. He had a classy look, suited up with a drink in hand. With a smile on his face almost the whole performance, he pointed and waved to the crowd. He asked, "Are there any funky people in Dublin?" before going into 'Chant #1' by his band Spandau Ballet. Then, he told everyone to hold on to their loved ones for romantic ballad 'True'.
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Hailing all the way from Nashville, Tennessee was Tiffany. Her enthusiasm made clear how thrilled she was to be back on stage. She made an exciting announcement that her new album Shadows will come out at the end of the year, and performed new single 'I Like the Rain', urging fans to clap along. She even got off the stage and stood on the barricade to get up close and personal with her fans. Her set came to a close with her 1987 hit 'I Think We're Alone Now'.
Heather Small of M People stormed the stage with her powerful voice in a sequined outfit. She made sure the audience was ready to dance before she strutted across the stage to M People's 'Sight For Sore Eyes'. The house band's saxophone added a groovy touch to the song. Small thanked the audience for supporting live music after "these hard years" by dedicating the song 'Search For the Hero' to all of them.
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Bananarama awed the crowd with their entrance in matching glittery tops singing their 1983 hit song 'Cruel Summer'. The band celebrated their 40th anniversary of being together by playing their new song, 'Masquerade', which is reminiscent of their '80s work. Performing with their classic choreographed dance moves, they had the whole crowd waving their hands and clapping. They closed out their set by having the audience sing a rendition of 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye'.
Finally, headliner Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark emerged wearing classy black collared shirts, with colorful flashing lights on stage behind them. They announced they'd start with their "oldest and fastest song": 'Electricity', a song fit with synth and melodic keyboard. They serenaded the Forever Young attendees with the song 'We Love You', which made for a great end to a weekend filled with fantastic music and loads of nostalgia.