Snow Patrol
w/ Sorcha Richardson
The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, March 25th, 2025
Review/Pics: Manuel Gay
Last year, Northern Irish/Scottish band Snow Patrol released their eight album The Forest Is The Path, a beautifully produced album. Earlier this year, the band toured through Europe before making their way to this side of the pond. Their Northern American tour started at the end of March and will run until mid-April. On March 25th, Snow Patrol performed the first of two, back-to-back, sold-out nights at The Wiltern.
Irish singer Sorcha Richardson got thing started at 8pm. I wasn’t familiar with her and wasn’t the only one in attendance. However, she was received very well by the crowd. The Dublin singer performed a thirty-minute set during which she mixed up songs from her debut album First Prize Bravery (2019) and her latest 2022 Smiling Like An Idiot.
Alongside her was a bassist and a drummer that remained in the dark until she introduced her stage mates to the crowd. Sorcha invited us to join her at the merch booth were she was headed over after her set to connect with the audience.
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At 9pm the lights turned off and letters appeared on the backdrop which ended up spelling “Los Angeles” inside a heart. The trio was backed up by a tour drummer and bassist. The opener “Take Back The City” was incredibly catchy and the background visuals throughout the evening created an immersive atmosphere.
Gary Lightbody made us sing-along to most songs which contributed to the immersive aspect of the show. The setlist was a nice balance between their hits and newer material. Their most popular album Eyes Open (2006) was heavily featured too and made for about a third of the setlist. I love their last record The Forest Is The Path and “The Beginning” is one my favorites songs from the record, its live rendition was fantastic.
Snow Patrol definitely takes me to a nostalgic place when “Chasing Cars” was on heavy rotation on any radio station. However, revisiting their discography prior to the show reminded me of the songwriting talent that these guys have. No wonder they have jointly collaborated for artists such as Ed Sheeran, P!nk and many others. It was my first time seeing them live and was not expecting the whole audience to sing every word to every song. This was one of the most engaged audiences I had seen in a while.
Setlist:
Encore:
Snow Patrol has changed shape and line-ups, with Gary being the only constant. Over the past thirsty years, the band has evolved and explored different sounds, and they for sure know how to put on a good show. If the tour stops anywhere near you, I’d recommend checking it out. You won’t regret it.
Related Links
Snow Patrol
Sorcha Richardson
