The Academic Conquer Madrid: Concert Review and Gallery
This was the last stop of the Easy On the Eyes tour that took the band The Academic to Madrid at Moby Dick on May 23, closing the night with a very special magic.
REVIEWSLIVE SHOW
CIRUS VILLAMIZAR
5/31/20242 min read
Madrid 23-05-2024, Moby Dick.
Last Thursday, May 23, the Irish indie rock band The Academic closed their Easy On the Eyes tour in Madrid at Moby Dick. With their first headline show in Spain and a sold-out gig in the Spanish capital, Craig Fitzgerald, Dean Gavin, and brothers Matthew and Stephen Murtagh brought the best energy to the city and played a special final show of their European 2024 tour.
The band kicked off the night with Why Can’t We Be Friends? During the setlist's first songs, front-man Craig acted playfully with his bandmates, bassist Stephen and guitarist Matthew. His charismatic aura and amusing expressions while singing the lyrics brought some laughs and created a fun environment.
Before they played Don’t Take It Personally, drummer Dean Gavin captivated the crowd with an incredible and powerful drum solo in Buying Smokes that transitioned to the next song. Afterwards, the band played a cover of Reptilia from the New York-based group The Strokes.
The night was full of dancing, thrill and great interaction between the musicians and the fans. People started screaming “Guapo guapo guapo”, handsome in Spanish, in which Craig responded with “I love you too”. During Acting My Age, the frontman presented the band, came closer to the fans and put on clover sunglasses and a Hawaiian lei from someone in the crowd. After Television everyone began chanting “Ole ole ole” and the band followed the rhythm with their instruments.
The energy kept growing, especially in Chasers, when Craig asked the crowd to bend down and then jump as high as possible.
The atmosphere transitioned to an emotional and special moment throughout Northern Boy, in which the Irish frontman dedicated the song to the crowd and Girlfriends, and everyone screamed at the top of their lungs.
The band got off the stage after Girlfriends left the fans shouting for one more song, and soon after, they returned for their last three tunes of the night.
Before they performed their last single Easy On The Eyes, Craig said that night was “The best way to end the tour” and he promised to come back with more new songs. When The Academic announced the last song Bear Claws they thanked the crowd, the support, the crew, and the concert hall owners and promised to visit Madrid again.
Words and images: Cirus Villamizar