Irish musician Hozier has practically been on the road ever since he released his third album, Unreal Unearth. The album is inspired by Dante’s Inferno and is framed around the nine circles of hell, showcasing Hozier’s musical and lyrical abilities in their truest form.
Being part of the festival circuit for this year, Hozier stopped in picturesque Zurich for ZOA City in late June, midway through the European leg of the tour.
The festival grounds offered a thoughtfully curated variety of foods and drinks and somehow managed to be set up in a way that the crowd would be in the shade the stage provided.
Picking up different accents and languages all across the site showed just how diverse and dedicated Hozier’s fanbase is. Traveling from far away and queuing for hours to secure a spot in the front row, even in the summer sun, all paid off for the fans, when Hozier went on stage and sang the first few notes of “Eat Your Young”.
With his band of seven, Andrew Hozier-Byrne brought his energy to Zurich. The intensity was visible from every seat in the house. Whether you were right there, front and center of the stage, or in the laid-back, elevated VIP area to dine and drink, songs like “Dinner & Diatribes” made the ground shake. With every member of the backing band also doing backing vocals during songs like “Movement”, the sheer power of voices showcased what Hozier is all about.
Whether you discovered Hozier years ago, when “Take Me To Church” was the groundbreaking hit, or you learned about his music more recently, when “Too Sweet” went viral on social media, there is no doubt that his voice, writing and energy are the elements that make him stand out.
Travelling through his three-album-discography, the musician from County Wicklow, Ireland played a festival approved setlist. Starting full force with the entire band, we heard the soulful and sweet “From Eden” off of the self titled debut album, the ever-energetic “Dinner & Diatribes” off of “Wasteland, Baby!” and the “must be true love”-song “Francesca” from “Unreal Unearth”.
Seven songs into the set, the band left the stage and it was only Hozier and his acoustic guitar. Before starting the next part of the set, he told the crowd how it had been ten years since he released his very first song, the song that started this journey for him. Playing “Cherry Wine”, a song he recorded live on a rooftop, can be described as the most intimate song of the night. Following up with the most gut wrenching song of the night, “Unknown” allowed the crowd to tap into the universal feeling of heartbreak.
You could see the waves of energy with which the setlist was created, coming in strong but still soulful, transitioning into high energy tracks, only to strip it down for the middle part of the set prepared people to bounce right back with “De Selby (Part 2)”. Soaring guitars, drummer Rory Doyle’s heavy hitting and a gripping bassline paired with incredible visuals and a fantastic lightshow, made “Unreal Unearth” feel so very real.
The crowd must’ve been the loudest when they got their chance to scream out the lyrics to “Too Sweet”, a song that didn’t end up on the album, but a later on released EP titled Unheard.
Using the “Unreal Unearth” themed stage setup, part of the stage design allowed for music videos to be shown during performances. Watching the “Take Me To Church” video alongside Hozier’s performance, made for one of the most powerful moments of the night by hinting at Hozier’s outspokenness..
Towards the end of his set, with the drums of “Nina Cried Power” looped in the background, Hozier gave a five minute speech to recognize student protest culture. He called students the “sharp edge of a society’s conscience.”
With the crowd cheering their praise, the Trinity College graduate began by appreciating the “grassroots movements” that helped women gain reproductive rights, emphasizing that Ireland only granted those rights in 2018 – after years of direct action organizing and “oftentimes agitation” to force politicians to listen. He then focused on the 1980s South African apartheid divestment protests, spearheaded by university students around the world, that led to South Africa no longer being an apartheid state. He drew parallels between that 1980s movement to Ireland’s own peace process in the 1990s, and present day anti-war protests around the world, urging fans to call their representatives and demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
He ended the speech with a quote from James Connelly, an Irish revolutionary, “No revolution was ever complete without its poetical expression,” and recognized the role of music in that poetical speech.
“There’s no other art in the world where thousands of people come together and enjoy music together. I can’t think of another art form where people do that, and where you get to witness so much human kindness and goodwill in one place. Thank you for letting me witness that here in Zurich.”
Not only does Hozier voice his gratitude for his crowds night after night, he also mentions every single member of his touring crew by name. This is a tradition at Hozier shows and speaks to the character behind the music.
Closing the night with a beautiful rendition of “Work Song”, a song used as the closing track for many years, Hozier and his band sent the crowd home feeling a sense of serenity.
Setlist:
Eat Your Young
Jackie & Wilson
From Eden
To Be Alone
Dinner & Diatribes
Francesca
It Will Come Back
Cherry Wine
Unknown
Like Real People Do
De Selby (Part 2)
Would That I
Too Sweet
Almost
Movement
Take Me To Church
I, Carrion
Nina Cried Power
Work Song
Photos & Words: Vanessa Jetwash & Chris Mendell
