Brògeal – the Falkirk folk-punk rockers that blur the line between rebellion and tradition- visited SWG3’s ‘TV Studio’ venue on Thursday night, taking the stage with the swagger of a band that knows exactly how to rile up a room. They delivered us a blistering set of their infectious tracks, and I had a brilliant time watching these Falkirk musicians perform their biggest headline show yet.
Anticipation ran high in the dimly lit TV studio in Glasgow, as the band’s loyal following huddled in wait for the five-piece folk punk outfit to take to the stage—until they swaggered on, decked out in shades. They opened their set with ‘Fly Away’ from their 2024 self-titled EP, in front of red and white lights. The audience was immediately jolted by this track, and from that point onward, I highly doubt that anyone stood still. The indie folk fusion was evident not only in their tracks but also in their fashion, as Aidan Callaghan (banjo, vocals) sported a three-stripe Adidas jacket and a kilt, which I thought was a very fitting pairing.
Being from Falkirk myself, I can confidently say that Brògeal capture the essence of Falkirk very well in their tracks, with songs like ‘Girl from NYC’ giving nods to the closures of local pubs The Star Inn and Rialto, mentions of the now desolate ghost-town high street and written with a tongue-in-cheek charm. When the band played this live, they spoke the meaning behind it, explaining that the song is about a professional businesswoman from New York somehow ending up in Falkirk, and saving the town by giving the people of Falkirk a “boot up the a***”- Aidan Callaghan. This track was a personal highlight for me, along with ‘Roving Falkirk Bairn’, a track that holds both the true storytelling soul of Celtic folk and the typical Brògeal grit. It’s very refreshing to see hometown talent make it to the big stages, especially when the band are completely unapologetic about their Falkirk background, they even had FK4 written on their banjo…
A nice wee blurry one of the frenzied crowd.
The crowd radiated enthusiasm for the band as they danced along to every track, flipping between jig and mosh pit- this rowdy audience truly received all the energy from the band’s fiery, driven setlist. The performers brought their full selves to the stage, and their gig-goers responded in kind, the night was even concluded with a successful stage dive. With exciting things in the pipeline, like the new single ‘Vicar Street Days’ set for release on June 3rd, Brògeal are charging forward and remain impossible to ignore.
So much talent in my wee town.
Ella Jay