Sinéad O’Connor makes solid debut

It was an apt demonstration of O’Connor’s powerful voice, which three decades on, remains one of the best in the business.

Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor performs at Irish Village. Sarah Dea / The National

The unwanted sounds of a restaurant DJ nearby nearly spoiled what was a solid Middle Eastern debut performance by the Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor – even with the glaring omission of her biggest hit.

The 48-year-old was bewitching from the opening John Grant cover Queen of Denmark on Thursday night, on a stage outside the Irish Village. One can understand the choice, as the lyrics contain the introspection, bite and self-­deprecation that have long been hallmarks of her career.

It was also an apt demonstration of O’Connor’s powerful voice, which three decades on, remains one of the best in the business.

After cooing her way in with the chiming verse, the twin guitars suddenly crashed through the chorus and O’Connor’s voice erupted into a wail. It was the first of many hair-raising moments.

Next up was the jaunty blues shuffle 4th and Vine, which got a large part of the crowd grooving along. Take Me to Church was another endorphin release and probably the closest thing O'Connor came to performing radio friendly pop-rock.

O'Connor is best, however, when she turns inwards. The confessional 8 Good Reasons (­beginning with the touching lyrics: "Don't know if I should quite sing this song,") was spellbinding. It was a vocal masterclass, steadily building from uncertainty and concluding with steel-willed resolution.

The show was going well, with O’Connor’s self-described nerves eventually making way for some quick banter, until those DJ beats began wafting through in the middle of the set.

Feisty as ever, O'Connor demanded the sound to be turned off. Realising this couldn't be, she seethingly soldiered on, with quieter acoustic numbers Black Boys on Mopeds and the minimal Thank You for Hearing Me.

While both tracks were well-­received, O'Connor was by then clearly irritated by the unwanted intrusion and seemed in a rush to finish. The highlight of the last batch of tunes was a truly rocking cover of the early hit The Emperor's New Clothes and the piano-led encore of Street Cars.

Those expecting a second encore of Nothing Compares 2 U were disappointed, as O'Connor has stuck to breaking into the track only sporadically throughout her tour. Let's hope it was down to her mercurial ­nature, as opposed to the acoustics not being conducive for what is one of rock's greatest torch songs. That would be unforgivable.