It’s been quite the month so far for Irish duo Orláith Forsythe & Mollie McGinn, AKA Dea Matrona (which translates to “divine mother goddess” in Celtic mythology). Not only are they blazing a trail across the UK & Ireland on tour, but they’ve also dropped their debut album “For Your Sins”, from which the tour takes its name.
To describe DM, imagine a Venn Diagram consisting of Fleetwood Mac, First Aid Kit, and Larkin Poe. Not a bad space to exist in, I’m sure you’ll agree.
The Belfast-based dyad stepped onto the stage at a busy Exchange to a very warm welcome. This is the third time the band has graced a Bristol stage, and it’s clear that many in the crowd are here having been suitably blown away by DM’s previous appearances. The stage presence is playful, full of Irish charm, and Orláith & Mollie have a girl-next-door way about them that’s impossible not to connect with.
As you can imagine, the brand new 12-track album features heavily in the setlist, making up 9 of the set’s 16 songs. If you think tracks such as “So Damn Dangerous” & “Wilderness” sound great on record, we can testify they sound phenomenal live. Renditions of “Stamp On It” and “Black Rain” showcase the depth of the album, while “Glory, Glory (I am free)” is still giving us goosebumps more than 24 hours later.
It would have been easy for the band to simply play the album in its entirety and call it a night, but that previously mentioned playfulness was evident again as the crowd were treated to exquisite and fun covers of “Kiss” by Prince & Sophie Ellis Bextor’s “Murder On The Dance-floor”.
We close out with the heavyweight of the album, “Red Button”, which is already pushing half a million streams. And of course, for those who’ve been with the band from the beginning, 2020’s viral hit “Make You My Star”.
“For Your Sins” is such a strong album, to hear it so early and fresh after its release was an auditory kiss sealed by a duo that has no glass ceiling.
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@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
