BIIRD Bring The Party To Leopardstown Live Review
By BIIRD turn Leopardstown into one giant celebration
If it feels like Biird are everywhere right now, that’s because they are — and after catching their set at Leopardstown yesterday, it’s hard to argue they don’t deserve every bit of the hype.
Labelled an Irish traditional music collective, the band are quietly tearing up the rulebook, transforming centuries-old tunes into something that feels thrillingly immediate. Forget polite pub-session stereotypes: Biird’s live show is an electrifying, high-energy experience.
Performing as part of Bulmers Live at Leopardstown, Biird wasted no time in setting the pace, bringing their exhilarating live show to a sun-drenched crowd. They opened with a blistering run through Land, Hag & Reels, Stenson’s Lilt, Blacksmith and Holy Show Polkas, each tune tumbling effortlessly into the next with barely a moment to catch breath. It was the kind of opening that transformed casual racegoers into eager dancers, with impromptu jigs breaking out across the crowd.
Across a 14-song set, the tunes kept coming. Standout moments included Sweet Talker, Lovebuzz, Gold, Rollover, Wiyn and, naturally, the euphoric Finale. If Leopardstown needed any more heat, Lisa Canny supplied it. Banjo in hand, she prowled the stage from end to end, trading banter with the crowd while effortlessly drawing them further into Biird’s world. By the time Finale arrived, any lingering inhibitions had long since disappeared, with the audience more than willing participants in the celebration.
Biird are one of those rare live acts where blinking feels like a risk. Every member is a magnetic performer in their own right, meaning there’s always something demanding your attention—whether it’s intricate fiddle lines, soaring harp melodies, thunderous bodhráns, or the sheer joy of the band dancing and singing together.
If you’re expecting the kind of traditional session you’d stumble across in an Irish pub, think again. Biird take those roots and transform them into something bigger, bolder and unmistakably their own. Seeing them for a second time only reinforced that impression: the performance felt every bit as exhilarating and unpredictable as the first. If this is the standard they’re setting with traditional repertoire, their original material promises to be something special.