Thousands of people gathered in Co Down on Wednesday to watch Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody "Take Back The City" of his birth.
Bangor Marina was transformed into a temporary arena filled by an audience of 5,000 people as Lightbody arrived on stage to celebrate receiving the Freedom of the Borough of Ards and North Down with his band and fans.
Lightbody focused on music rather than speeches, opening the gig with one of the band’s best-loved hits, Chocolate, before running through a series of their classics, including Run, Crack The Shutters and Set The Fire To The Third Bar.
He described the performance as the band’s biggest acoustic gig yet, playing to the lucky 5,000 people who secured tickets before they sold out within 26 minutes of being released.
He said previously their biggest acoustic gig had been in front of 3,000 people.
Noting the band is almost 30 years old, Lightbody said he needed notes to remember all the lyrics, but promised he had indeed written them all.
The festivities also included performances from The Florentinas, Lucy Gaffney and David C Clements.
Tuesday evening saw the formal conferment of the Freedom of the Borough of Ards and North Down on Lightbody at Bangor Castle.
However, Wednesday night saw him share his celebration with the rest of Snow Patrol and their fans.
The seafront gig was part of the Open House Festival, with profits to go towards the redevelopment of the old Bangor Court House into a non-profit music venue.
Lightbody, described as Bangor’s most famous son, grew up in the Co Down town which was recently awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
He went to university in Dundee where he formed Snow Patrol.
Ards and North Down mayor Karen Douglas paid tribute to the music man putting Bangor on the international map with three massive gigs in Ward Park.
"He is a superb role model in the music industry and an ambassador for Northern Ireland so it is very appropriate for him to receive the highest honour that Ards and North Down Borough Council can bestow," she said.
Source: Press Association
