A Boston Manor show strikes the perfect balance between raw intensity and heartfelt emotion, and catching them in such an intimate setting before their festival run this summer made the experience even more special

Words & photos by Tanita Hingerty | March 26, 2025

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This is the final night of Boston Manor’s Irish tour, which they’ve managed to squeeze into a weekend! They played Belfast and Galway the previous two nights and tonight’s show in Dublin is completely sold out.  

Colourview a band from Dublin open the show. They merge melodic and heavy sounds well and engage with the crowd continuously throughout their set. They’re full of energy and surprise us with sporadic heavier sounds towards the ends of songs. They have a great stage presence and definitely warm us up for the main act…it’s already warm in this famously sweaty venue as we can’t help but move along to their enticing sounds!   

There’s an air of suspense from the crowd as smoke fills the room and we make out the silhouettes of Boston Manor amidst harsh lighting. Henry the lead singer runs up the steps and on to the stage in an abrupt manner, greets the crowd hectically and we begin to jump.  

The set starts off intriguing and well-paced. They play a mix of older songs and new songs from their latest album release ‘Sundiver’.  

It’s an intimate show of 300 people and the crowd is literally falling on top of the stage- which makes it even more special as you really feel like you’re a part of the show. 

They announce they’re about to play their heaviest song ‘Sliding Doors’ and a mosh pit quickly ensues. The stage is tiny but they’re experienced and know how to project their energy into the crowd. They somehow manage to perform fast paced high kicks and spin around the stage-instruments in hand without crashing into each other or us! This energy is contagious and quickly reaches the back of the room.  

The crowd knows how to act accordingly throughout and move intensely while moshing and screaming their hearts out at the same time, it’s a beautiful energy exchange between the band and fans. There is now more sweat than smoke in the room! 

Henry addresses the crowd in-between songs to state how “Grateful they are for their fans” he asks the crowd “Did you know Dublin means Blackpool (where Boston Manor are from) in the Irish language? We are kin” We feel even more connected to the band now. 

Henry stated, “It’s weirdly complicated and expensive to get to Ireland” and expressed they’ve played live in Asia more than Ireland! People have been waiting for Boston Manor to come to Ireland for a long time and they did not disappoint with tonight’s musical offerings. They played ‘Laika’ for the hardcore fans and were forgiven for leaving it so long, with the promise they will be back soon. 

They play ‘England’s Dreaming’ which is a song we can all relate to during current times and the mosh pits tension becomes even higher. Henry speaks of the worlds gradual decline, and this leads us into songs where bass riffs spiral downwards deep into our souls. 

Henry, despite giving it his all, apologised towards the end of the set, as his voice was feeling tired, the crowd had no problem filling in for him and belted lyrics back without being asked to on his behalf. 

The crowd erupts for ‘Halo’, and you can feel the emotions behind people’s screams. Crowd surfing began while the whole room is jumping in unison, at the same time as the band. Boston Manor members are all greatly talented and they play with such confidence. They have a unique stage presence, and you can feel how unified they are. They’re a band that can make you go from crying to screaming to moshing in minutes with their hugely versatile musical style.  

The crowd adore their authenticity and fluctuate with their setlist emotionally. There’s the perfect balance of heartfelt carnage at a Boston Manor show. It’s so nice to see them play in such a close setting before their festival run this, Summer.