Dublin hip hop crew Markievicz play Grand Social, Dublin stormer

Be to Jaysus, this town is full of talent. I was reminded of that at The Grand Social tonight watching the Dublin rap group Markievicz as part of this year's Dublin Fringe Festival.

Made up of Xcaliber, JFO and Objectsnwo – possibly not their real names – they delivered a performance packed with energy and confidence. The songs that stood out for me were 'Blackened Hands', 'End Like This', 'Close My Eyes' and 'Visions Of My Grave', all of which landed well with the audience and helped create a great atmosphere in the room.

The group were impressive, but so too were the crowd. Looking around, I saw a Dublin that rarely makes the headlines. Young and old. Mixed race. Mixed gender. People from different backgrounds and walks of life. It felt like the city at its best. Diverse, welcoming and connected through culture.

There was a genuine buzz around their set from start to finish. The audience were part of the performance, reacting to the lyrics, joining in and feeding energy back to the stage.

If I had one observation, it is that the stage almost felt too small for them. Watching Xcaliber, JFO and Objectsnwo work the room, I found myself thinking that Markievicz are ready for a much bigger stage.

The Fringe Festival exists to showcase creativity, and tonight showed exactly why it matters.

This town is full of talent. Markievicz proved it tonight.

https://markievicz.bandcamp.com