“The traditional and uplifting sound was addicting.”
Five-piece Falkirk band Brògeal headlined Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s venue as part of the Central Belters shows with support from the amazing Stirling artist, Joe Goodall and his band, The Free Radicals.
Joe Goodall
Joe Goodall is a singer-songwriter from Stirling who brought part of his band, The Free Radicals, along with him. He’s no stranger to the memorable Edinburgh venue, having played several successful support slots there before. With these experience of playing in this iconic venue as well as others, Joe Goodall has become increasingly more confident in his live performing.
His stage presence is very impressive, especially for a smaller artist. This was demonstrated when he played his most recent single, ‘Tears‘. During one part of this emotion-filled track, the word “hold” is sang, being elongated. Goodall encouraged the crowd to do likewise, and have their arms outstretched also. This was such an incredible sight to witness, it really added to the experience of the song and its meaning.
Goodall also played renditions of his other material. This included another recent single, ‘Coffee Shop Dates’ which contrasts from ‘Tears‘ with its much more airy and poppy sound. One of the things that the Stirling artist has mastered is how to balance a setlist and mix the lighter, uplifting sounding tracks with those that consist of more though-provoking intentions.
With new singles being released, Joe Goodall continues to show his talents off across Scotland. He previously played at Belladrum Festival and supported October Drift in Dunfermline. Goodall has a gift for lyricism and this has been recognised by numerous publications for this. With each show, he continues to boast that live performing is what he was born to do. Joe Goodall’s support slot was nothing short of sublime. It won’t be long before he is headlining events, and possibly tours, of his own.
Brògeal
This Falkirk five-piece aren’t new to headlining. Brògeal have a monthly residency slot with Glasgow venue McChuills and they’ve also headlined in other venues including PJ Molloys in Dunfermline. When they’ve not been boasting their power as a headline band, the quintet have also played in settings like King Tut’s and even Belladrum Festival. This top position in this gig lineup only adds to the other iconic venues the band have conquered.
As part of their setlist, Brògeal brought to life tracks from their March 2023 EP ‘Dirt & Daydreams‘. This included the title track and if you were like me and had never heard their material before, it didn’t matter. Their infectious and traditional style was one for everyone, welcoming all of those in the venue into an escapism surrounded by folk and punk inspirations. While those two genres seem to be the primary musical drive of the group, there is an apparent Gerry Cinnamon sound present. This similarity also ventures into the lyrical writings between the two in terms of the honesty and personal influences behind some of the words.
This traditional and uplifting sound that Brògeal showed off was addicting and there wasn’t anyone in the room who wasn’t dancing or moving along. The quintet is made up of Daniel as vocalist and guitarist, Aidan on banjo and vocals, Sam playing accordion, Euan on bass, and drummer Luke. Each of them are incredibly talented behind their respective instruments which made watching them as a group more fascinating. The whole band made performing live look so effortless and fun, it’s obvious that this is something they were destined to pursue. As someone who was previously new to the music of Brògeal, I didn’t know quite what to expect. However, as they proved throughout their set, Brògeal’s musical style is universal.
They have a somewhat rare quality that allows anyone to appreciate and enjoy their music. The lyrics and music can be taken separately but together, they allow for much wider listening. This energetic set was one that I’m so glad I went to. You can catch Brògeal on September 29th in their return to McChuills alongside Dirty Faces and Lost Corral.