Blindboy Boatclub
David Chambers, commonly known as Blindboy Boatclub, is an Irish satirist, musician, podcaster, author, and TV presenter.
Blindboy Boatclub | |
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![]() Blindboy Boatclub | |
Birth name | David Chambers[1] |
Born | 1984 (age 37–38)[2] Limerick, Ireland[3] |
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Alma mater | Ardscoil Rís, Limerick, Limerick School of Art and Design[3][4] |
Genres | Satire[5] |
Boatclub is from Limerick and is best known as one half of the Irish comedy hip-hop group The Rubberbandits, who wear plastic shopping bags as masks to conceal their identities. He regularly discusses mental health, masculinity, and other socio-political issues.[6][7]
Since 2017, he has been making The Blindboy Podcast,[8] a podcast featuring interviews and coverage of social issues. He has also published two collections of short stories,[9][10] and appeared on a number of television and podcast programmes. Between 2018 and 2019, he produced a BBC Three documentary series, Blindboy Undestroys the World.[11]
Personal life
David Chambers was born in Limerick in 1984,[2] where he attended secondary school in Ardscoil Rís.[3] While at school, he met Bob McGlynn and formed the satirical comedy pairing The Rubberbandits (performing under the pseudonyms "Blindboy Boatclub" and "Mr Chrome" respectively).[4] Chambers later attended the Limerick School of Art and Design.[4]
Chambers was diagnosed with autism in his 30s following comments from Blindboy Podcast listeners.[12]
Podcast
Originally touring and performing as part of a duo, Chambers (under the name Blindboy Boatclub) has produced a number of "solo" works, including a podcast which covers topics such as mental health, politics, culture, music, and history.[7] In the Blindboy Podcast, Boatclub sometimes provides "hot takes" and social commentary alongside personal stories and "absurdist riffs".[7][13][14] The podcast has also included interviews with people such as Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Spike Lee, Emma Dabiri, Colm O'Gorman, Cillian Murphy and other comedians, activists and academics.[14][15][16][17]
The podcast reportedly has 250,000 weekly listeners in Ireland and over a million worldwide listeners monthly.[13] Boatclub has also played live tours of the podcast around Ireland and the UK,[18] also touring in Australia,[19] New Zealand,[20] and Canada.[21]
Twitch stream
Beginning in 2020, Boatclub began a regular Twitch stream, which to date has featured him playing Red Dead Redemption II, while also creating live music using a combination of guitars, keyboard, drums, cowbell and his own ad-libbed vocals, and interacting with fans. From January 2021, he reduced the stream to just Thursday evenings, in order to concentrate on other work.[22][23]
Television
Boatclub made a five-part documentary series called Blindboy Undestroys the World for BBC Three which explored contemporary issues in the UK.[11][5] The 2018 pilot episode, which covered the housing system in the UK, was long-listed for a BAFTA award.[24] This was followed by a four-part series in 2019 which looked at precarious employment, anxiety, the internet, and modern slavery.[25]
Boatclub has also appeared on several Irish programmes, including The Late Late Show and The Tommy Tiernan Show.[26][27] He has also appeared on Russell Brand's Under the Skin with Russell Brand and The Trews web series.[28][29]
Books
He has published two collections of satirical short stories:
References
- "Complaints over Rubberbandit's Holy Communion comments rejected". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- "Blindboy Boatclub: the man behind the mask". thetimes.co.uk. The Times. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- "Rubber Souls". advertiser.ie. Galway Advertiser. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- "Jokers unmasked as middle-class lads". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- "BBC Three – Blindboy Undestroys the World, The Broken Housing System". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "Blindboy Boatclub reveals why he wears that plastic bag on his head". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Blindboy: 'Being recognisable is absolute hell'". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "50 of the best podcasts to listen to right now". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 18 April 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Blindboy Boatclub book: A mixed plastic bag of mad ideas". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Blindboy's new book is a bestseller – but I don't get it". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Blindboy Boatclub to take on housing crisis in new series for BBC". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- McGrath Bryan, Mike (13 April 2022). "'I am, in fact, autistic': Blindboy Boatclub reveals autism diagnosis on his podcast". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- Agnew, Roisin (27 April 2018). "Blindboy Is Breaking Taboos for a Generation of Irish Lads". Vice. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "The Blindboy Podcast returns to Vicar Street in 2019". hotpress.com. Hot Press. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Legendary Director Spike Lee to Appear on The Blindboy Podcast". hotpress.com. Hot Press. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Emma Dabiri – The Blindboy Podcast". spotify.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Colm O Gorman – The Blindboy Podcast". spotify.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Blindboy – Podcast Tour". thelist.ie. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "The Blindboy Podcast | Cremorne Theatre". qpac.com.au. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "The Blindboy Podcast Live New Zealand Show Announced". UnderTheRadarNZ. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "Rickshaw Theatre – Shows". rickshawtheatre.com. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- McGlynn, Anthony (25 June 2020). "Blindboy provides live soundtrack to Red Dead Redemption 2 on Twitch". PCGames. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- Warman, Dylan (25 June 2020). "Red Dead Redemption 2 Gets Soundtrack from Blindboy During Twitch Stream". Screenrant. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- "Boulevard Wren and other Stories". gillbooks.ie. Gill Books. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "BBC Three – Blindboy Undestroys the World – Available now". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "Blindboy thinks Ireland can change the world". rte.ie. RTÉ. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "'I suffered unbelievable depression and anxiety' – Blindboy Boatclub on mental health resonated with Tommy Tiernan Show viewers". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- "Blindboy on Russell Brand's Under the Skin". Under the Skin. 11 December 2018 – via YouTube.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Blindboy – The Trews". The Trews. 11 June 2014 – via YouTube.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link)