Live Report: Machine Girl put on a domineering performance at Opium

Machine Girl absolutely rocked Opium Live on Thursday, bringing their unique brand of electronic and digital hardcore to Dublin.

With a line wrapped around the corner, I entered the venue to the earth-rattling bass of Bitten Twice. The local experimental rave collective featured Rory Sweeney, Julia Louise Knifefist, Fomorian Vein and E THE ARTIST. Bathed in darkness, the groups' shrieking vocals and gnarly beats enraptured the crowd, who were already lost in a vicious mosh. Red, black and white visuals danced in the background, preparing the audience for the wildness of Machine Girl.

The electronic duo from Pittsburgh, consisting of Matt Stephenson on vocals and Sean Kelly on drums, took the stage just past 9 p.m. Donning a black hoodie and graphic shorts which depicted Pinhead from the 1987 film Hellraiser, Stephenson wasted no time. Opening with the instantly recognizable title track off their 2017 album …Because I’m Young Arrogant And Hate Everything You Stand For, the crowd began shoving and pushing against each other.

“I thought I was gonna get trampled!” one fan exclaimed.

The audience was covered in flashing green lights, adding to the exhilaration and brutal frenzy. Someone lost their shoes to the pit. Another fan searched for the owner of a phone that was struck to the ground.

“How are you doing Dublin?” shouted Stephenson. “It’s really hot over here. Really fucking hot, just like last time we were here.”

The vocalist removed his black hoodie, and doused himself with water while leaning over the crowd. Fans went wild as Stephenson perched on the edge of the stage, locking hands with a few of them and screaming lyrics into their faces. One audience member held a pink plastic fan, sharing it with other sweaty listeners in the pit.

Each song blended into the last, with ‘Grindhouse’ standing out as a clear favourite. Coming off their most recent 2024 album MG Ultra, the song employed heavy bass and distortion. Stephenson’s commanding voice heightened the energy, while Kelly’s performance on drums was nothing short of explosive, making him an integral part of Machine Girl’s unique sound.

 

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Depending on the song, Stephenson would perform on bass while shouting into the mic. He attempted to crowd surf with the instrument in hand, but was quickly spat back out.

“Good news is we have more songs that we know how to play,” he said near the end of their set. “The bad news is, we’re gonna play them.”

As the show came to a close, the audience grew more excited. There was plenty of moshing and crowd surfing, before Stephenson stage dove two more times into the sea of fans.

“I want to thank y’all for coming out. We must go back into enemy territory,” he said, referring to their series of UK shows lined up for this month. After receiving impassioned boos from the audience, he added, “Don't worry, we're gonna sabotage them. We're taking them down from the inside, once and for all.”

As the music died down and lights turned on, Kelly approached the sea of fans, tossing his drum sticks and setlists into the audience before disappearing backstage.

With my ears ringing and clothes stuck to my sweaty skin, Machine Girl delivered nothing short of a bombshell performance.