Anna’s Number sells-out at the iconic Mandela Hall

Abby Davidson

For those of you who have never heard of Anna’s Number, they can be described as a funk and soul infused quintet with an expansive and creative setlist. A self-defined “busking band at heart” they cover a range of genres from 60s rock ‘n’ roll to 00s club classics. One thing is for sure – they know how to bring the party.

For a band who got their start busking in Belfast’s streets to crowds of passers-by , selling out a 1000 person venue is a huge achievement. The band’s previous sell-out show at the Limelight was only a sign of what was to come at the Mandela Hall.

On arrival at the newly opened and iconically named, Mandela Hall, the crowd was met with a buzz of excitement and anticipation for a long-awaited show. Another upcoming local band Fat Munk opened the night with a mixture of original tunes and covers warming up the crowd for the excitement to follow.

After a tense interval of waiting, the stage lights went down, and the crowd could barely contain their excitement. A few moments later the lights came on and the band’s keyboard player Matt Evans was revealed playing the first notes of the beautiful classical piano piece Clair de Lune, an unexpected yet very much appreciated opening. Of course this didn’t last for long and the rest of the concert was a rollercoaster ride of energy.

Some of the night’s hits with the crowd included Abba’s Dancing Queen, Earth, Wind and Fire’s Septemberand Lionel Richie’s All Night Long, all funky tunes with a guaranteed to get your toes tapping and shoulders shimmying. Being in the crowd it was obvious how much everyone was genuinely enjoying themselves, something you rarely experience at gigs these days. The band’s lead singer and saxophonist Zacc McGloughlineven got the new Mandela Hall’s first mosh pit going and surfed the crowd.

The night was a spectacular sell-out and the band showed their appreciation to the audience in their heartfelt words. After the show we reached out to the band to hear their thoughts on the performance. They told us how they are so “humbled and amazed” for the support they have received, particularly over the last six months and how incredibly it has been to sell out “two of the most iconic venues in Belfast”. They also beautifully summed up the atmosphere of the show, “to say that the energy, support and vibes were off the charts last night would be an understatement!”

What makes Anna’s Number such a unique and joyful experience is their real and obvious love for what they do and the maximum energy that they put into every performance that leaves audiences what a smile on their face and a skip in their step.

They said it best themselves, “We already can’t wait to see what happens next”


 Abby Davidson is Deputy Head at The Scoop and a Liberal Arts student at Queen’s University Belfast