Sadly this was the only Independent Venues Week gig I managed to get to this year, and it was a great one! There was only one support band, and what a great choice that was. It was York’s mighty Pennine Suite. This band are the real fucking deal and they just get better every time I see them. They were firing on all cylinders in this short but explosive set. Nick’s made me think of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground taking a more pop based turn. Louise’s voice adds huge depth to their already wonderful sound. Meanwhile the pulse of the band was deep and powerful and supplied by Louis on drums and Moe on bass. This was overlaid by some shining guitar sounds and riffs from Harry. Every song was great but the two huge highlights for me were “Make Up” and “Manhattan”.
The headliners Brògeal, (pronounced ‘Bro Gale’), are Falkirk’s finest folk punkers and they blew us away with a fiery set that kept the audience moving the whole time. Brògeal are excellent ambassadors for Falkirk. But more importantly they are an incredible band with full on punk and folk credentials which they were on their sleeves. If the Pogues and the Proclaimers can achieve success with glorious celebratory Celtic rock, folk and punk sounds then Brògeal deserve it too. The band are Daniel Harkins (guitar and vocals), Aidan Callaghan (banjo and vocals), Euan Mundie (bass), Sam MacMillan (accordion) and Luke Mortimer (drums). It was Daniel’s birthday so we celebrated it by singing that well known song to him. The band brought a great following to York with them and that group started the party and made sure we were all involved. A particular highlight for me was “Girl From NYC” to which I danced and sang like a maniac. Their music is wonderfully uplifting and whatever genre gang you feel you are in I reckon you will love this lot. I am half Scots and I am proud of that heritage, even more so when I see such massively talented Scottish bands like this. After this performance I believe that Brògeal have become the first group of Scots to besiege York since the Scottish Covenanter army did during the First English Civil War in 1644.
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