No one can argue that Sinead O’Connor is a once in a lifetime talent. When she’s at her best, she has one of the most remarkable voices on the planet and a knack for writing brilliant songs. I received an email from the O2 Academy that O’Connor was playing a one-off gig at the legendary Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, and I immediately jumped on this. A chance to see a living legend play an intimate venue? Count me in. The show quickly sold out, and the wait was on. Being her first UK show in more than four years, what could we expect? After years of O’Connor sharing her personal challenges in the public forum, one wonders if this was indeed a true comeback.
I’m happy to report that this gig greatly surpassed every expectation with a genius musician finding her groove again and truly rediscovering her love for performing. Any question of her emotional state or ability to mesmerize an audience and share the absolute perfection in her voice was immediately quashed within the first song, a stellar cover of John Grant’s “Queen of Denmark.” From then on it was a celebration and a reawakening of sorts as O’Connor proved that she not only still has plenty to say, but that her music is timeless and ready to be introduced to the next generation.
O’Connor now goes by the name Shuhada Sadaqat (Shuhada is an Arabic girl’s name; sadaqat refers to a voluntary sign of faith), but she still performs under Sinead O’Connor. She’s got a new lease on life and career with new management, a memoir in the works, and rumblings of two new albums. The 53-year-old O’Connor dresses in a traditional hijab and takes the stage barefoot, and she still looks as beautiful as ever. There was even a quick moment where she smiled, posed, and gave a wave to the row of photographers in the front—and the moment that I knew this was going to be a show of epic proportions during her only UK date of 2019.
The setlist that night pulled from O’Connor’s impressive catalogue, and the highlights never seemed to let up. If I had to choose a few standouts from the 90-minute set, I would start with a hauntingly gorgeous version of “I Am Stretched on Your Grave” from 1990’s breakthrough I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got where O’Connor’s voice was the only instrument needed, and the capacity crowd was dead silent hanging on every note. It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen at a show. Other highlights were “Take me to Church,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and an incredibly powerful version of “Black Boys on Mopeds.” Returning to the set is O’Connor’s most significant hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” which she refused to play at live from 2015 onward, quoted as saying she just didn’t emotionally relate to the song any longer.
