Live review: Bambie Thug, Dublin The Academy

“Happy Halloween,” Bambie Thug swoons into the mic. Scantily clad but painted as a ouija board, they swagger across the stage in their platform shoes. A fully packed-out Academy in central Dublin is bewitched.

Shows at this time of the year were made for Bambie – the extravagance, the dark magic of it all. In fact, it feels as though this should be a yearly tradition. This isn’t their first Halloween gig rodeo, though, having conquered London for their Samhain celebration in 2023, but on Irish soil the significance of it all feels far more potent. This is where Halloween traditions began, and where they continue to spark.

Kicking off with a very Irish and rather experimental set is Limerick rapper Hazey Haze. Accompanied by a DJ, he spits through tracks like Ag Rith and Sirens as the crowd simmers with gentle head bops and shoulder jerks to beat. He chats in-between tracks with a calm and casual manner, making us feel at home. At first it seems perplexing for an artist of this type to open the show, but in the world of Bambie, genre is a meagre myth; Hazey’s $uicideboy$ beats and Kneecap-like lyrical attack actually make perfect sense.

As Bambie swishes onstage to the thumping Hex So Heavy, we’re pulled into a bubble of daring joy, unbridled sex positivity, and witchy antics. Bambie carries an aura of self-assuredness, and often retreats to their throne at the back of the stage.

They power through the set, with each song bringing new choreography and something else to marvel at. The run feels meticulously thought-through, and there’s consistently something to behold – whether it be grinding between Bambie and their dancers for Kawasaki, or a symbolic costume change.

Aside from the craic, Bambie winds things down for a cover of The Cranberries’ Zombie, which they belt while draped by a Palestinian flag, and Dublin poignantly sings back. They call on the crowd to use their voice, and to be aware of their privilege. While emotions remain high, they further treat us to the song they only ever play exclusively on Halloween: Love Bites. We’re allowed to revel in its rare bliss, and its scarcity from the setlist should be kept sacred.

But, this is still Bambie show, and they finish by teasing us with what at first appears to be a romantic embrace with a dancer, before they dramatically reveal a squishy prop heart that bleeds down their white ethereal gown. It’s flung into the crowd as Bambie shape shifts back into their furious form for Careless and Egregore. They even pop up mid-crowd from a black wheelie bin for, fittingly, Trash, and soak us with water pistols for Tsunami (with incredible aim).

As we arrive at Bambie’s new single Fangtasy, the crowd lose all sense of individuality – despite their varying Halloween outfits – turning into one dancing entity. Bambie walks through its steps, like Chappell Roan’s Hot To Go, but made gloriously goth.

We catch Bambie backstage just after, still presenting as a ouija board, clustered up on a small sofa. “It was super special,” they say of the show. “I feel like Ireland just gives me a different energy. I don’t know whether it’s just because I’m Irish and because it’s Halloween, but there’s definitely a different feeling to Irish crowds. They’re up for the craic, you know? Not that everyone else isn’t, but they really want to have a craic. It’s been beautiful.”

Bambie balances both nonsensical whim and real-life emotion in their artistry as a whole, but especially here this evening. Their craft is a vessel for celebrating individuality, making Dublin’s night at The Academy a place of unity and strength. They think about the community that has just stood before them: “I hope they had a really fun time. I hope they felt like it was a safe space… I’m really grateful.”

Their show finisher is a powerful one, as Bambie comes back out onstage for Eurovision belter Doomsday Blue – but only after Dublin syllabically chants their name along with, “Crown the witch.” Bambie’s rulership is a mighty one, and long may they reign.

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