Le Galaxie at the Button Factory on July 14th 2012
Photos: Kieran “Anto” Frost
Words: Craig McDonnell
With recent events in Phoenix Park still getting plenty of exposure in the media and kneejerk reactions reaching the ridiculous level of a certain Labour TD calling for MCD management to be arrested, there was a sinking feeling in my stomach that all bands of a certain genre would now be tarred with the same brush, creating over-the-top security at gigs or even keeping people away from going to these gigs at all.
Thankfully, my pessimistic view was overturned in one night thanks to the best Ireland has to offer in electro/dance music. Arriving early, the sounds of Adultrock and Sleep Thieves set the atmosphere nicely for what was to come later on in the night. By the time Nanu Nanu took to the stage with their gothic make up and droning synth sound, the crowd was filling up nicely in preparation for the main event.
Main support on the night came from Ships. This Dublin trio first came onto my radar when they supported Jape in a sold-out Whelans right after his Meteor Choice Prize win where they suitably impressed. After reading another positive review of their set at Sea Sessions, I was very much looking forward to seeing them again. They impressed again, with catchy hooks and talented musicianship (I lost count of how many instruments were used) keeping the crowd interested. Their debut single You’re Gonna Feel It was the highlight of a brilliant set. Keep an eye out for Ships; they could well be headlining places like The Button Factory in the very near future.
As is tradition by now, Le Galaxie took to the stage, complete with face masks and threw hundreds of glowsticks into the crowd. By the time the first song of the set, Heat City from their brand new EP ‘Fade 2 Forever’, had kicked in the crowd was already in full glowstick-waving, carefree-dancing mode. Old favourites Midnight, Midnight and Orion had an almost full Button Factory hopping around nearly as much as the guys on stage.
Twice the band welcomed a female vocalist on stage to showcase two more songs off the new EP. Laura Smyth came on to sing The Nightcaller and Elaine Mai for Love System. The addition of female vocals add another dimension to their sound and both songs stood out in the set for me.
A technical glitch which required the band’s MacBook to be rebooted meant there was no time for the band to walk off and walk back on again so the encore became part of the original set-list. Finishing off with a cover of N-Trance’s 90s classic Set You Free was a brilliant ending to a very impressive set; the best I have seen from them so far.
Le Galaxie’s new EP ‘Fade 2 Forever’ is available to stream or buy on Bandcamp.
Le Galaxie Photo Gallery
Photos: Kieran Frost
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