LIVE REVIEW: ORLA GARTLAND AT SANTERIA TOSCANA 31, MILAN 18/03/2025
It is 21.30 on the dot when Orla Gartland and her all female band, bassist Scarlet Halton and drummer Sara Leigh Shaw, take the stage running. “Holding Out For a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler is blasting off the speakers, filling the room and immediately introducing the theme of the tour, aptly named the Hero Tour, after Gartland’s second LP, Everybody Needs a Hero.
The band’s energy is contagious as they open with some of the singer’s more upbeat rock repertoire. After a handful of songs, she starts to slow things down with ‘‘More Like You’’, the second single off her debut album Woman On The Internet, a track that perfectly showcases the songwriting talent of the Irish born artist, exploring identity, anxiety and the struggles of constantly feeling like we have to compare ourselves to others.
Similar subjects are broached in “Who Am I?”, analysing the meaning of identity, and how easy it is to lose sight of it, as it relates to the people we love. And again in one of her biggest hits to date, “Why Am I Like This?” - as Gartland jokes herself, “she loves a question” - which was featured in Netflix’s Heartstopper.
But these are not the only themes explored throughout her discography and reflected in her setlist. She speaks of catholic guilt around discovering one’s sexuality in “Oh God”, dealing with past abuse in “Mine” - possibly her most vulnerable song to date -, and paints an honest and relatable picture of modern romance in “Simple”.
Even in a small venue, Gartland is both an incredible performer and a gifted entertainer. She works the stage and interacts naturally with her bandmates, momentarily stealing the drumset to perform a little solo, bringing out opening act Emma Harner to sing her song “Over Your Head” together and performing a powerful and super fun cover of Chappel Roan’s ‘‘Red Wine Supernova’’. She even has to do some stalling when technical difficulties arise, improvising with the audience and playing the first verse and chorus of her song ‘‘New Friends’’, usually not included in the setlist, with just her voice and guitar.
Before ending the show, an audience member is chosen by the singer as the winner of the outfit contest - Gartland has shared some cute themes on her socials, inspired by her songs, and the crowd was invited to pick one and dress accordingly - and the lucky gal gets to spin a wheel which will decide what song is performed next. Drunk with power, the girl very intentionally picks her song, the mashup ‘‘Bloodline/Difficult Things’’, slowing things down once again before the show ends with a bang with rock-pop anthem ‘‘Little Chaos’’, leaving the crowd of enthusiastic crochet flower-hat and tie-wearing fans very happy.
Full setlist below:
1. SOUND OF LETTING GO
2. Kiss Ur Face Forever
3. Codependency
4. Three Words Away
5. More Like You
6. Madison
7. Who Am I?
8. Oh God
9. Simple
10. Mine
11. Over Your Head
12. Why Am I Like This?
13. Now What?
14. Red Wine Supernova (Chappell Roan cover)
15. Backseat Driver
16. Zombie!
17. Late to the Party
18. Bloodline/Difficult Things (Wheel of Fortune spin)
19. Everybody Needs A Hero
20. Little Chaos