GIG REVIEW | THE ROOKS @ AUDIO | 19/02/22

Often a small indie gig doesn’t always seem finessed or put together, however, if that is what you’re looking for, then The Rooks are for you.

Robyn Red

Kicking off a night to remember under the Audio arches, was Robyn Red. A 16-year-old singer and songwriter from Airdrie, Robyn only began her live music mission when she was 13, playing at open mic nights and going from there.

Since playing her first gig in 2019 as support for Scots favourite, Connor Fyfe, Robyn has gone on leaps and bounds, even playing alongside the iconic Glasvegas in Amsterdam.

Dressed in scarlet red, Robyns’s set at Audio was almost exclusively her own. Setting off with Red Roses, she had the early goers clapping along and dancing. She had filled the first two rows with people dressed in her own merchandise, who all had a joy that was infectious. Covering Oasis classic Don’t Look Back In Anger, Robyn had the crowd in her hands for her final songs Like a Bullet and When the Sunshines.

If you are a fan of Scottish folk, in the likes of Amy Mcdonald or Zoe Graham, then keep an eye on our lady in red, Robyn. She is set to play alongside Scott Cameron at The Piper Whiskey Bar on April 8th, grab the remaining tickets via her Instagram.

Robyn Red

Dying Giant

Next up we heard Dying Giant. A Glasgow alt-punk band who “take the droney influences of shoegaze bands mixed with the melody of midwest emo” to create a new punk sound. 

Taking to the stage to make some noise, Dying Giant offered a change in tempo to the night, making sure there was something for everyone. Once again playing almost all their own songs, Dying Giant took to the stage with cause, playing unreleased tracks in Chicken Feed and Woe – which is set to be released later this month. 

Busted classic 5 Colours in Her Hair was a hit with the crowd, as Audio began to pack and the group made their mark for the night.

Dying Giant

The Rooks

After years of postponing due to covid restrictions, it was finally time for The Rooks to take to the stage at Audio. 

Hailing from Strathaven, these lads have been together since high school. Since then, they’ve released a mighty collection of demos, which they wrote, recorded and mixed themselves. Amassing over 20k streams, The Rooks then went on to release their debut single Speak Up Son which has been praised by the likes of Jim Gellatly and Tim Burgess.

Walking on stage to a sold-out crowd chanting their name, The Rooks did not disappoint. Kicking off with their own track Hot Tub, they then went straight into The Strokes’ hit single Someday, which everyone went wild for, and the hype did not stop.

 From tune to tune, demo to demo, the lads appeared to get better as the night went on, treating us to unreleased tracks such as Utopia and Miss You, hinting at what is to come. Going on to cover Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears for Fears before ending their set with Abba hit Does Your Mother Know, they left the stage with the tension built for an exciting encore. 

With chants of “The Rooks are on fire” it wasn’t long before they jumped on stage once again to give us all what we wanted. As the crowd grew louder and closer to the stage, they continued the Oasis theme of the night by playing Cigarettes & Alcohol, before playing their debut release, Speak Up Son. Ending the night with another unreleased treat in E Hammer, The Rooks left the stage drenched in the sweat of a great night under the lights.

From selling out Audio in less than 2 weeks, this is only the beginning for these boys. Keep an eye out for The Rooks here.