DFI Renaissance - Crowbar Terrace, Dublin 28th October 2023

By

 


Saturday night saw the return of Don't Flop Ireland after a lengthy hiatus. The excitement had been buzzing about this event online for weeks and the packed venue was an obvious sign of that. In the lead up to the event, there was abuse flying from all sides which helped to create even more hype but thats all part of the pageantry as they embrace each other and show love and respect towards each other immediately after the battle has ended. 




The battles on the night included Kid B vs The County Hunter, Sea High vs Intimidation, RapThor vs Lizzie C and an on beat battle between Scauldy and JMAC. All four battles were very impressive and calling a winner in each is extremely hard. If I was to pick winners though I would personally have chosen Kid B, Sea High, RapThor and then I honestly couldn't pick between Scauldy and JMAC. All the battlers brought their A game.



This was my first time at a live battle rap event though I have been watching them online for almost a decade. As a huge hip hop fan all my life obviously I knew that battle rap existed but it wasn't until shooting a live performance of Collie in Alan Newman's apartment that I was introduced to it properly. A mention of the name Shotty Horroh had me intrigued so I went home and watching his battle with Arsonal and I was hooked. So shout out to Collie and Alan for piquing my interest. Since then I've watched hundreds of battles, some were incredible and some were absolute shite. The reason I never went before wasn't because I didn't want to but because from watching Irish battle rap's decline I didn't quite fancy standing in a field or on a balcony or the dreaded horse stable. This event seemed to be different so I went along and wasn't disappointed. I mean where else could you go to see amazing battles and the price of a pint of Guinness in the venue cost more than the ticket to the event itself? 



Walking into the venue was slightly surreal as I knew a majority of the people in there, not personally but from watching them on YouTube or listening to their music. To be honest I had slight trepidation but this community are inclusive and everybody's welcome. This was my first but it sure won't be my last.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Logan J Parker - Cry Cry Cry Single Review

By
Image
Logan J. Parker is a singer songwriter living in London but originally from Portugal. Logan is also a producer, pianist and guitarist with sound steeped in 60's rock n' roll, soul and blues. She is also a part of the musical wing of Extinction Rebellion. Her influences include T Bone Walker, Amy Winehouse and Leonard Cohen. Whilst working in a bank job that she hated, Logan had a health scare which showed her that life is short and time can't be wasted doing something you hate so that's when her musical journey began. In 2016 she moved to London to compose her own music which she recorded in a fully solar powered studio and through her own independent company meaning that she owns all of the copyright to her music. In late 2019 Logan released her self titled debut EP. She recently released a single from that EP called "Cry Cry Cry". Watch the video for "Cry Cry Cry" here: "Cry Cry Cry" is a bluesy jazz number. It's
Read more

Logan J. Parker - Blue Single Review

By
Image
Logan J Parker is a singer songwriter from Portugal but currently residing in London. Just a couple of weeks ago I reviewed her single Cry Cry Cry and now she returns with her latest single Blue. About the song, Logan says " Blue is another sad song I wrote about the lockdown and it's dedicated to my mother and best friend Rita. Without her, I wouldn't be a musician." Watch the video here: Blue is a quirky upbeat jazz track and is Logan's first foray into the ukulele. The happy vibes of the music and Logan's vocal delivery masks the sadness in the lyrics. This song will put you in a  good mood for the rest of the day.  Follow Logan J Parker: Twitter Instagram Facebook Spotify Official Website SoundCloud YouTube
Read more

Foot Squeaker - No Connection Single Review

By
Image
Foot Squeaker are a three piece rock band from Gorey, Wexford. The band is made up of Diarmuid Comerford, Mick Byrne and Mike Lynch. They formed in 2018 when Diarmuid and Mike wanted to start a band with one rule: keep it hard and fast. In 2019, Mick joined the fold and the band rehearsed for the next several months. Their first gig was at The Gap Arts Festival where they received a great reception. In January 2020, the band recorded four track at Hellfire Studios in Dublin. The first to be released will be the band's debut single  No Connection on May 29th. The song was tracked live during the recording session. The music video was shot on the deserted streets of Gorey within the 2km travel radius. Watch the video here: No Connection is a rip roaring hard rock song. The band's sound is immense with the bass being particularly delicious. The chorus is catchy as fuck and will be stuck in your head for ages after listening. Foot Squeaker are a really exciting ba
Read more