Meet The Bambir (photos)

We recently had the opportunity to discover a new band when we got invited to one of their gigs. They were introduced as “an Armenian band currently based in Dublin”. We also found out that they had a show at Knockanstockan. These were the only two things we knew about The Bambir, but it was enough to make us curious to find out more about them.

They have a nice description on their Facebook page, but the truth is you can’t really understand how the flavors mix, until you hear one of their songs. “The Bambir have gathered their childhood appreciation for hard rock and smuggled vinyl, Armenian traditional music and poetry, pulsing beats and whirling trances, ancient tales and pagan wails and pumped it into their own unique sound”.

Last Friday the Bambir had two gigs: at Whelan’s and at Sweeney’s Bar. We went to see them at Whelan’s where, we found out, they have an almost weekly gig. They were playing by the window so we could hear the music from the bike long before we got to the pub.

The gig was awesome! They play with so much passion and hearing them live is a totally different experience, but in a very good way. The energy of their songs, combined with the delicate sounds of the flute and their strong voices makes their music stand out. If System Of A Down (by the way, Serj Tankian – the lead, is also Armenian) and Jethro Tull had kids, The Bambir would be the the most talented one. Besides the music, seeing how much Narek, Arik, Arman and Vardan enjoy playing is a treat you can only get by seeing them live.

It seems that they’ll have plenty of gigs in the near future, so make sure you don’t miss them.

More info about the band on their Facebook page, YouTube channel and Soundcloud profile.

Check out their latest video and some shots from the gig in Whelan’s pub.