Azealia Banks lights up The Academy

After a delay to the start of her Dublin headline gig - which was punctuated by an impressive DJ set - Azealia Banks opened her Academy set with an a cappella verse, before launching into the fast-paced, punchy raps for which she is known. Lord, can she string those verbals together! The venue was rocking, and the crowd pulsing, hands up, to the beat. This was a special occasion for sure.

Despite her well reported Instagram drama with Aer Lingus, and then with several Irish fans pre-show, the sometimes controversial American singer put on an impressive performance. Azealia Banks raps like a demon, for a start. Not only that, she seemed genuinely concerned for the well-being of her audience, stopping mid-song in order to ensure the safety of an individual who appeared to have fainted from the heat. Later in the pulsating set, she threw handfuls of “freebies” out, including T-shirts and even bars of soap – which were received with outstretched arms by rapturous fans!

In common with her dancers, who appeared on and off throughout the show, Azealia gave everything she had to create a frantically energetic show, even dedicating her song ‘Liquorice’ to “all the beautiful Irish women in the room” (thereby putting to bed any disputes she'd been having earlier in the day). The big question is: why is she not playing bigger venues? Maybe her maverick streak has worked against her, but no one who was at the Academy could doubt that Azealia Banks' has the talent to carry it off.

Finishing the gig with her one of her best known tracks, ‘212’ – the audience singing along with gusto – Azealia Banks threw more of freebies to the crowd before leaving the stage. It is a jumpin' night that fans will not quickly – or easily – forget.

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