2026/05/23 – Glen Hansard – The Roundhouse, London
Review & Photos: G. Rossington
The gig took place on a warm Saturday evening and was the penultimate date of a short 4-date UK tour. Glen was playing in support of his latest album release, Don’t Settle (Vol.1 – Transmissions East), and the Roundhouse was packed. From start to finish, Glen and his band were exceptionally tight — it was one of those sets where everything feels polished, but still has loads of energy and personality.
The band opened with a lively version of The Frames’ “Revelate”, which set the tone straight away. The momentum kept going with intense performances of “Don’t Settle” and “I’ll Be You, Be Me”, followed by a more fraught, emotionally charged version of “Didn’t He Ramble”. The setlist balanced punchy, upbeat tracks with more tender moments, so the crowd stayed fully engaged throughout.
Between songs, Glen also spent time chatting to the audience and sharing how some tracks were written. One story that stood out was his anecdote about owing 10,000 euros for still having a rented video tape — the same tape that later inspired The Frames’ “Fitzcarraldo”. It was a nice touch that added a bit of humour and helped the night feel personal, not just “song after song”.
On the softer side, there were big sing-along moments that really brought the room together. “Her Mercy” (with its gospel-inspired chorus), “This Gift” (building gently before hitting a huge crescendo), and of course “Falling Slowly” all had the audience joining in at full volume. These were the moments where you could really feel the connection between Glen and the crowd.
There were also some great contrasts in the set. A tender and delicate cover of “Something Right” by Interference saw Glen alone at the front of the stage, supported by Catherine O’Malley on piano. That calm moment was then followed by the heavier edge of “Down On Our Knees”, which segued into a cover of Discharge’s “Drunk With Power” — a proper switch-up in mood and intensity.
The main set ended with a standout rendition of “Bird of Sorrow”, where Glen shared that the song was inspired by the passing of his mother. It was a powerful finish to the main portion of the show and landed strongly with the audience.
After a short break, the band returned for the encore and were joined by the support act Courtney Marie Andrews for a performance of her track “Let the Good One Go”. The final song of the night was “When Your Mind’s Made Up” — a rhythm-heavy, rousing ending that brought the band and crowd back into full unison. (According to the official setlist, this was swapped around with “Bird of Sorrow”.) Overall, it was the kind of performance where you walk out feeling uplifted and properly satisfied. Glen gets compared to Van Morrison by critics from time to time, but honestly, he’s completely his own artist — and this show really underlined that.
