Aminé at The Academy, Dublin, on Friday 22nd February 2109
With his debut album ‘Good For You’, Aminé barrelled into the public eye bringing a new sense of colour and fun to the world of rap. Luckily, his live show delivers much of the same, showcasing the enthusiasm you’d expect from a 24 year-old at the top of his game (“Abbie signed my pants!” he announces gleefully after a fan takes a pen to his boxers).
From the off, it’s an assault on the senses – bright, psychedelic visuals accompanying fan favourites such as Wedding Crashers and RATCHET SATURN GIRLS. His delivery remains playful throughout, but really, there’s little he could do that would result in losing the crowd. They’re there, and they’re committed.
Spice Girl, his breakout hit, sees him fully take the reins, demonstrating that uncanny knack he has for taking a conventional rap sound and adding a pop flourish (see also, the segue into a Wannabe cover). Red Mercedes goes a little harder, in line with his newer material, characterised by significantly more bite. With that said, the sentiment on TOGETHER, from his most recent album ‘ONEPOINTFIVE’, is sweet – “You’re the main thing I need to maintain.”
Reel It In bring calls for the crowd to “open the pit up“, a request which the crowd are happy to oblige. In fairness, maintaining any sort of stillness is difficult when a chorus snaps as succinctly as this one does.
And just like that, it’s over. There’s a quick farewell from the man of the hour, a muted handover to his DJ hypeman, and he’s gone. Most fans filter out, some seem to stay under the impression that an encore performance is coming imminently. But it never comes.
Having played a show for 55 minutes (max), the abrupt end is enough to diffuse the initial spark that Aminé set off with his energetic demeanour and punchy back catalogue. With any luck, Longitude revellers will enjoy a more full-bodied set from the rapper this summer