Hothouse Flowers

Formed on the streets of Dublin in 1985, Hothouse Flowers grew out of the partnership between Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin, later joined by Peter O’Toole. Their songs weave alternative rock and folk rock with shades of soul, gospel and Irish traditional music. Warm vocals, stacked harmonies and sturdy melodies anchor a catalogue that moves easily from driving riffs to stripped-back ballads. After the breakout of People (1988), the band followed with Home (1990) and Songs from the Rain (1993), before returning with Born, Into Your Heart and, more recently, Let’s Do This Thing.

On 22 November 2026 at O2 Academy Bristol, the group revisits that journey on stage with a fluid, song-first set that draws across eras. Piano and guitar sit at the core, voices up front, and arrangements leave room for the folk-tinged colours that shaped their beginnings. The current live nucleus brings together Ó Maonlaí and Ó Braonáin alongside Dave Clarke, Martin Brunsden and Peter O’Toole, a lineup tuned to connect early favourites with newer material without losing the band’s easy, lived-in swing.