Pictures: Girls night out at first Marquee gig

The sun was still high in the sky on Monahan Rd as the doors opened at Live at the Marquee on Saturday evening, and the 18th annual edition of Aiken Promotions’ summer season of gigs and entertainment events got under way at its usual spot on the city’s docklands.

Thousands of revellers filed in from all over the country as this year’s proceedings kicked off with the first of three nights of a live edition of the My Therapist Ghosted Me podcast, produced and presented by comedian Joanne McNally and media personality Vogue Williams.

Taking its moniker from a real-life story told by McNally about her relationship with her former therapist, the podcast sees the two longtime friends discuss their lives, relationships, sex, and their respective families and careers with a rapport that has endeared them to a huge audience — 3m monthly listeners, and a string of sold-out live dates around the country, including runs at Dublin’s Gaiety and 3Arena.

A big ‘girls night out’ vibe was the order of the evening, as one might expect, and drag queen Davina Devine was tasked with opening the show, flitting between her own routines and getting members of the audience involved, engaging in guessing games, quizzes, and challenges.

McNally and Williams took to stage to a thunderous ovation, and proceeded on a whistle-stop tour of rowdy chats, shared family pictures, anecdotes on their friendship, and the differences between their respective media careers, as well as commentary on the nature of light-entertainment telly and online influencer content, including excerpts from both hosts’ appearances on RTÉ reality show Fade Street, and their Covid-era teaming up on ITV’s Family Fortunes.

Fans of the podcast were also treated to a rendition of Williams’ 2000s excursion into pop music, ‘Good Girls’, which lent a redemptive air amid some of the millennial-era nostalgia on offer.

The podcast’s run under the Marquee continued with a sold-out excursion last night, and concludes tonight, after a third date was added by popular demand.

Live at the Marquee’s stay at its regular site on Monahan Rd continues this year, after confirmation from promoters that the search for a new home for the long-running series would have to be undertaken in light of long-term residential and amenity plans for the area.

Other attractions include folk legend Christy Moore, Irish indie icons Bell X1, retiring singer/songwriter Rod Stewart, UK pop phenom Olly Murs, folk veterans The Waterboys, as well as dance events, including Jenny Greene and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, and the One Day Festival featuring Sonny Fodera.