Rend Collective launched their Art of Celebration Tour in Ireland, beginning in Dublin before returning home for two sold-out nights at Belfast’s Mandela Hall. The Bangor-born band were joined by US-based Tenth Avenue North, creating a truly special evening rooted in joy, community, and celebration. Formerly known as the Rend Collective Experiment, the group delivers a vibrant, unmistakable sound with worship at its very core.
Growing up alongside Northern Irish contemporaries such as Two Door Cinema Club, Rend Collective draw from a broad musical palette that helps shape their distinctive folk-rock worship style, a sound that has earned them both respect and a dedicated following.
Rend Collective Belfast
True to their name, Rend Collective is exactly that: a collective. While the wider group is said to include around fifteen contributors, a core of six members tours regularly. Together, they support one another musically and spiritually, embodying collaboration in its purest sense. The Art of Celebration Tour coincided with the release of the band’s fourth studio album, Art of Celebration, released in March 2014.
Following the success of their first two albums on Kingsway Records, the band’s move to Integrity Music has proven equally fruitful, with Art of Celebration performing strongly across both UK and US charts.
Rend Collective strike a rare balance between worship and performance, bringing fresh energy and authenticity to modern worship music. Both Belfast shows sold out completely, and by the end of each night the audience appeared just as joyfully exhausted as the band. These were not passive concerts, but fully interactive experiences where performers and audience united in the art of celebration.
Refining this philosophy to near perfection, Rend Collective create a breathtaking live atmosphere through constant instrument swapping and a rich blend of acoustic and electric sounds. While their recorded work is undeniably powerful, it is in the live setting, amplified by thousands of voices singing along that Rend Collective truly come alive.
Support: Tenth Avenue North
Tenth Avenue North embarked on their first-ever UK tour in support of Northern Ireland’s own Rend Collective. The tour began in Dublin before arriving in Belfast for two sold-out nights at Mandela Hall, Queen’s University Belfast.
Hailing from Florida, Tenth Avenue North already boast a substantial following in the United States. Before signing to a major label, the band independently released three albums, building strong momentum ahead of their breakthrough release, Underneath. That success propelled them into the mainstream, culminating in a Dove Award for Band of the Year in 2009.
Renowned for crafting heartfelt, beautifully written songs, Tenth Avenue North continued their rise in 2010 by winning the Dove Award for Song of the Year with “Hold My Heart.” Their experience is further reflected in extensive touring alongside well-known acts such as Casting Crowns and MercyMe.
Their debut UK tour created a memorable atmosphere of celebration and community, shared with Rend Collective and an enthusiastic Northern Irish audience.
Beyond the music, the band’s partnership with Compassion International was a prominent feature of the evening. As a band, they sponsor children through the charity, and hundreds of sponsorship forms were distributed to the packed audience, encouraging others to help lift children out of poverty.
Thursday’s show also included a special on-stage birthday celebration for drummer Jason Jamison, complete with candle-blowing and a venue-wide acoustic rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
This was my first time experiencing Tenth Avenue North live, and it immediately led me to explore their back catalogue. If you get the chance to see them live, don’t miss it, otherwise, their latest release, The Struggle, is well worth your time.
Links
Rend Collective
Tenth Avenue North
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