‘Cherry Wine’ and ‘Work Song’ were the final two performances of the show, as Hozier exclaimed that his time in Manchester had been ‘a joy and a pleasure’. The artist used the encore to thank each and every member of his band and production staff, even making time to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the drummer.

However, something else, which truly shines through at a Hozier gig, is how lovely his personality is. For, arguably his most well-known track, ‘Take Me to Church’, Hozier came down to the barrier and shared a special moment with his audience. The hits never ceased as ‘Moment’s Silence’, ‘Jackie and Wilson’, and ‘Almost (Sweet Music)’ all featured on the set list. He introduced ‘Shrike’ by explaining the meaning behind the song, which alludes to birds but is turned into a love song. A special highlight was a stripped back, slowed down acoustic version of ‘From Eden’ in which Hozier once again captured the entire venue.

He constantly praised his fans, stating that they had been ‘really lovely!’ in between tracks such as ‘Angel of Death and the Codeine Scene’ and the well-loved ‘Someone New’. ‘Nina Cried Power’ and ‘To Be Alone’ followed next, with the crowd staying true to their promise and singing along to every lyric.

Hozier then asked his fans to ‘not hide their voices away’, and join him in song, making it an incredibly interactive performance between artist and audience. He truly captured the room as he moved onto the next songs, ‘Would That I’ and ‘Dinner and Diatribes’, as the band lined up beside him and they treated the crowd to not just an incredible vocal performance, but a visual one as well. As Hozier finally took to the stage, he began with ‘As It Was’ off the second record, performing it while eerie red lighting filled the stage and every eye was on the artist and his band.

Dinner and diatribes meaning