So I survive the Luas trip, battle through the masses of screaming teenage girls, only to have a woman ask me, “Aw, did your girlfriend dump you but you came anyway?” as she nods at the empty seat beside me. Surely I don’t deserve this. Do I? Especially after enduring lame Californian warm-up act TYGA, the acronym standing for Thank You God Always. He does at least provide the clarion call for the night with his ‘Bitches get nasty, hands in the air, it’s a motherfucking party’ call and (not a whole lot of) response.
After a deafening countdown, the self-proclaimed Barbie Bitch exits her pink starship and frantically struts her way through ‘Come On A Cone’, ‘Beez In The Trap’ and ‘Did It On Em’. Minaj seems genuinely lost for words at the crowd’s reaction to her first Dublin visit. She wasn’t the only one
The Trinidadian soon disappears into the stage for the first of five costume changes, but not before a celebratory run through of Drake collaboration ‘I’m So Proud Of You’. New frock donned, ‘Va Va Voom’ and ‘Super Bass’ are dispatched with similar pop star gusto.
A couple of ballads, a few “back to my roots” mixtape raps and two more costume changes and it’s time for the arms-and-everything-else-in-the-air anthemry of ‘Pound The Alarm’. Whether you appreciate her in yer’ face schtick or not, Minaj knows how to sing, work a crowd and generally give Rihanna, Beyoncé and Gaga a run for their money.
There’s another costume change before Minaj reemerges for an epic rendition of mega hit ‘Starships’ that gives the stewards a major headache as every single seat is abandoned for one last dance in the aisles.