Spellbound by Ireland: Scream for Bambie Thug!
12 April 2024 at 08:31 CESTExperimental singer Bambie Thug faced tough competition at Ireland’s The Late Late Eurosong Special, where the country chose its Eurovision 2024 entry. But this star came out on top — and actually they stayed on top, when they performed on the bar at the Odeon Dublin straight after winning the competition. With Ireland and Sweden tied for the most ever Eurovision wins, Bambie knew this was the perfect year for them to compete — especially as they’re half Irish, half Swedish.
Bambie loves to mix genres. Their Eurovision entry Doomsday Blue mixes alt-witchy verses, killer screams, and pop choruses, and their aesthetic is just as striking. This song is an ode to the queer community.
The Irish star has performed on huge festival stages around the world and been supported by the likes of NME, Kerrang!, and Rolling Stone. Now, they’re ready to put a hex on Eurovision. We’ve got shivers.
At one show in Cardiff, Bambie remembers the audience looking confused (perhaps not used to their experimental style), but there was one fan dancing, having the best time. If you’re that fan, Bambie loves you.
As well as singing, Bambie has some incredible choreography in their performances. Bambie met their choreographer Matt when they went to study musical theatre in London, and they’ve stayed friends ever since. They both shared a lack of talent for tap dancing, and remained in the bottom class the whole time. Bambie says ballet is more their thing. But, they still have their tap shoes.
Hailing from Cork, Bambie lives just down the road from Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy of Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders fame — and, more fitting with Bambie’s visuals, 28 Days Later. Could Cork be in for more trophy-winning sorcery?
This Irish musician didn’t need long to think about who their Eurovision hero is. The only answer for Bambie is Céline Dion, who took the crown for Switzerland in 1988 with the song Ne partez pas sans moi, and whose career (and heart) went on and on.
Open up Bambie’s Spotify playlist and you’ll understand where they get their influence from, be it pop, jazz, or witchy-goth vibes. Ukrainian Eurovision legends Go_A’s Shum makes the cut, as does Amy Winehouse’s Love Is A Losing Game. They also love Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name, Fleetwood Mac’s Silver Springs, and Apashe and Alina Pash’s creepy tune Witch.
Just to really prove that Bambie loves a whole range of genres, if they could collaborate with any artist, it would be Dolly Parton. Their favourite Dolly song is I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven. This collaboration, we have got to see.
Bambie is looking forward to 3 things in Sweden: Salty liquorice, seeing their staging vision come to life, and meeting all the fans. Get ready Malmö, Bambie is ready to paint the town doom.
You can hear from Bambie on Episode 12 of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast.
You can learn more about Bambie Thug from Ireland right here.