One week after my Dublin-born and raised flatmate moved into our London flat, she came into my room, perched on my bed, and, with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a 12-year-old fangirl, said “I have to show you something.” Opening her playlist, she started blasting in our speakers the music of what was then a small band from Navan, the largest town in County Meath, Ireland. She told me that she and her friends had been following them since 2019, owning t-shirts of their first batch of merch and experiencing their growth as a band, from a sparse crowd in the small stages of Electric Picnic to seeing them headlining one of Ireland’s biggest festivals, Beyond The Pale.
This is my first recollection of Le Boom. Fast forward to early October, when the two of us were now queuing together online to get our hands on a pair of tickets for their first-ever show in London. The concert was, in fact, sold out in minutes, and the same happened for the second event that they were almost forced to play due to such high demand. In the basement of a pub in Stoke Newington, Le Boom put on a show that’s definitely on my list of the best concerts I’ve seen in 2023. Intimate and frenzied, in the best possible way, brothers Christy and Andy Leech poured boundless passion, emotions, and artistic maturity into their music and live performances, creating an atmosphere that made the audience feel intricately woven into the magic.
Their electronic-drenched, dream-rave tracks and intoxicating sounds serve as the backdrop for Andy’s spoken word. Live, we witness an unconventional, not-so-preachy but almost conversational performance, where they guide us through a reflective process on the emotional challenges of moving away from one’s birth country to pursue dreams, the lack of opportunities for young creative minds in Ireland, and the housing crisis rapidly gripping the country.
Now, Le Boom is ready for the next step. In April 2024, they will be kicking off their first-ever UK and Europe tour, from Berlin and Paris to Leeds and, of course, Ireland. But 2023 isn’t over just yet. To wrap up the year in style, they unveil their newest single, “Orange Glow,” celebrating the launch with two sold-out warehouse concerts in Dublin in late November. Here, they take us behind the scenes in an exclusive photo diary of the unforgettable night. It’s safe to say that we couldn’t be more excited to see where these two powerhouses are headed with their artistry. Keep scrolling…
