Live music review: The Vamps - 3Arena, Dublin

4/5

Tall of hair and puppy-ish of demeanour, The Vamps have been hailed heirs to One Direction’s brylcreemed crown. But comparisons to the world’s biggest boyband/soap opera are not entirely accurate. With their guitars, sleeveless vests and penchant for mid-air drum solos, the group are in the tradition of cartoon punk troupes such as Blink-182 and Busted.

That is, they’re a rock band, with the edges blunted off. At a sold-out 3Arena, they performed medleys of ‘Seven Nation Army’ and Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’, and romped through over an hour of rollicking original material, showcasing their facility for zinging hooks and high-pitched vocals.