Orla Gartland gives us a peek into her mind’s garden, blooming with flowers that are anything but delicate. Instead, her floral headdress, seemingly hand-crocheted, provides a burst of color, bringing focus to the artist’s face as she opens with her intoxicating rock anthem “Kiss Ur Face Forever.”
The Dublin, Ireland, native released her debut album, “Woman on the Internet,” in 2021, which reached third on the Irish album chart, first on the United Kingdom Indie Chart and 10th on the United Kingdom album chart. In 2023, she formed the supergroup FIZZ with Dodie and Greta Isaac. Her sophomore album, “Everybody Needs a Hero,” was released in October 2024 and her 2024 North American tour launched not a month after. However, both of Gartland’s albums have an equal presence in the setlist as it’s Gartland’s first time to tour across the pond.
Much like the venue, Gartland’s fans are small but mighty. The Atlantis boasts a stage the size of a Village C East room, and its balcony, barely wide enough for single-file standing, contributed to a sold-out show for the indie artist. The railings were lined Nov. 9 with fans sporting everything from classic dad wear to quirky patterns to recreations of Gartland’s most iconic looks — including a replica of her petal headdress.
Gartland fed off her fans’ enthusiasm, taking every opportunity to jump around the stage when she didn’t need to sing into the mic stand. Even though it was mostly Gartland alone singing, her dynamic vocals brought her song “Codependency” to life. Drummer Sara Shaw had no trouble executing the track’s fun, dynamic beat that abruptly changes pace throughout the song. These tempo shifts create beautiful moments of intensity when the symbols crash and then abruptly stop mid-word during Gartland’s impressive vocals, letting her voice shine through.
While crammed, The Atlantis allowed for a host of intimate and odd moments. Fans were not afraid to yell at Gartland, hoping for a moment of interaction with the artist. It was also evident that there was a certain uneasy feeling among the crowd, as the show was three days after the presidential election. Gartland handled it gracefully and used her show to serve as an outlet for our pent up anger and anxiety. Gartland encouraged us to use our feral energy as we screamed her louder songs.
“The Hit,” though not her biggest hit, brought the energy down to a softer, more comforting tone as Gartland chronicles a relationship where boundaries blur. Her lyrics describe an entangling where it’s indiscernible where one person ends and another begins, two souls so intertwined that “It’s like you get the punch / and I feel the hit.” This “voodoo doll shit,” as she puts it, resonated through the crowd of empaths.
However, it was the song “Why Am I Like This?” — featured in Netflix’s hit series “Heartstopper” — that launched Gartland to wider fame and exploded her fanbase. As the lights dimmed and Gartland began to sing, the audience hung onto every word. During the chorus, where the recorded version features layered vocals her small band couldn’t replicate live, the crowd instinctively sang the background harmonies and vocals, creating a magical moment.
Gartland even brought out a carnival wheel her team had constructed for the show, letting two lucky fans spin to determine her next song — and you bet the dedicated fan in the flower hat made their way on stage. In the intermediary before spinning, Gartland asked the fans to go all out and dance as she played the wacky intro tune for the wheel. Her unabashed quirkiness allowed for fans to be more comfortable to let out their inner weirdo.
Gartland’s relationship with her fans shone through the concert. Her range helped us all leave our wide range of emotions out on the floor of The Atlantis. The impressive vocals and distinct sound produced by this three-woman band kept us in the moment and did not let our attention stray, allowing for a reprieve from a tumultuous week. If you are still on edge and feeling particularly feral, I would prescribe an Orla Gartland show.
