BRÒGEAL RAISE THE BAR ON OPENING NIGHT OF THEIR BIGGEST TOUR YET |

LIVE REVIEW | BRÒGEAL – ST LUKES, GLASGOW 08/09/24 by Anne Kelly

One of the fastest new rising talents coming from Scotland right now are arguably Falkirk based five piece, Brògeal. Have gathered fans across the Central Belt’s grassroots scene over the past couple of years, Brògeal [BRO-GALE] have went from playing to a handful of curious bystanders to filling up a sold out 600 cap St Lukes in Glasgow. As one of those former curious bystanders, I couldn’t be more excited to share this career steering milestone with the rest of the Brògeal family.

Before making their biggest headline appearance yet, it was over to Perthshire band Parliamo to take the stage and welcome the growing crowds. Despite being in and about the local scene over the past few years, admittedly, Parliamo were a band I had heard lots about but never seen in the flesh. What an introduction though. Parliamo are headline worthy good. There set is so tight and they gel well as an outfit on stage. I’m not sure what I was expecting but it exceeded my expectations. Whilst a rock band at heart, Parliamo project much more in terms of their capabilities; from my brief encounter I picked up on both soulful vibes and folk influences throughout the performance. How I got this far without seeing them live is a mystery but they are definitely a band I will watch a bit closer from now on in.

It’s a quick turnaround for Brògeal‘s set tonight which kicks off just after 8.30pm. Straight in with ‘Flyaway‘ from their latest self titled EP, the boys look right at home on the majestic St Lukes stage. The former church retains so much character in its modern formation. The organ pipe backdrop of the stage beside the original stained glass panels is a truly stunning setting for any band.

Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)
Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)
Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)
Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)

Playing tracks from across the three EP’s alongside some new tunes, Brògeal don’t allow for the energy to drop. The crowd are fantastic: there’s so much love in the room for these guys and their authentic traditional style. They may be young, but they’re lyrical storytelling nature and stage presence is wise beyond their years. Recently performing on the bill of bands such as The Mary Wallopers, Flogging Molly and even legendary traditional Irish group The Wolfe Tones this year, Brògeal are no stranger to a big crowd. But this evening the stage belongs to them and they own it.

Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)
Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)
Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)
Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)

I kept tucked away at the far left of the stage so missed the best of the pit action of the night but the spirit could still be felt as intimately as I was right in there. There’s a good balance of crowd banter (plus a lot of cursing) happening back and forth throughout the set which only brings a sense of character to the performance. Highlights of the night are the ones where the audience participation is at its peak. The latest EP tracks such as ‘Witchy Emerald Eyes‘, ‘Roving Falkirk Bairn‘ and ‘Hill is High‘ get the strongest sing-along’s of the evening and well loved fan favourites like ‘Girl From New York City‘ are only made better with the funny admission that none of them have even been to New York – never mind know any girls from there. Despite the dark shades most members are hiding behind, personality shines from this band on stage.

Brògeal (Hope Simmers/Northern Exposure)

As the show draws to a close, Brògeal keep delivering treats up until the final song. For a band who have yet to release their debut album, they play an impressive set which creeps closer to the 80 minute mark than the expected 60. The encore which includes one of my personal favorites ‘Sunday Morning‘ is joined by fan favourite ‘Man Accused of Murder‘ before ending epically with their rendition of iconic Irish folk tunes ‘Lonesome Boatman‘; complete with a penny whistle and an abundance of riotous rebel energy.

I can’t deny thar I felt a bit like a proud Mum watching these lads absolutely smash their home from homecoming headline show (perhaps not as much as singer Daniel’s actual Mum stood in front of me right enough). I first saw them a couple of years ago at a local music festival and have grown to become a genuine fan. Their traditional Celtic flair in rock music combined with their warming charm is an absolute breath of fresh air on the rising indie scene. There is undoubtedly a huge space for these young guys to thrive and I’m fairly certain they will.

Brògeal will continue their biggest tour of the UK and Ireland throughout September and into October where they will finish up at Manchester’s much loved Neighbourhood Festival on October 5th.