Central to the story of Bricknasty are the experiences of frontman and guitarist Fatboy during his childhood in the Dublin suburb of Ballymun, a neighborhood known for social problems such as unemployment, high crime rates and drug abuse, particularly due to Dublin’s heroin epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s. External prejudices reinforced this negative reputation, so residents rarely had a chance to tell their own stories. “There was a lot of news at the time about Ballymun and the kind of people who lived there,” Fatboy says. “But anyone who lived in those flats will tell you it was unreal to live there and the sense of community was very strong.” Fatboy grew up between two of the famous Ballymun Flats, whose home was an unwitting symbol of the neighborhood. Built in the 1960s to house Dublin’s growing population, the flats were unceremoniously demolished in the early 2000s to make way for new developments, at the price of forced expropriation and displacement of residents.
BRICKNASTY
Xongs tour
Wednesday 4 December 2024
Bricknasty emerged from a chance encounter on SoundCloud between frontman Fatboy and producer Cillian McCauley, and grew into a full-fledged band featuring Dara Abdurahman (bass), Korey Thomas (drums) and Louis Younge (saxophone/keyboards). Their music effortlessly combines R&B, neo-soul, jazz and psychedelic influences from artists such as D’Angelo, MF Doom and Timbaland. Each band member contributes to both existing demos and the collective’s broader identity. Their musical harmony and energy have led to increasingly popular live performances, especially in Dublin and beyond. On December 4, they will perform at this free event at Paardcafé!
