Live Report: Brògeal blow the roof off Workman's main room

Falkirk folk-infused upstarts Brògeal took the stage at a packed Workman’s Club last night, leaving little doubt as to why they're fast becoming a sensation on both sides of the Irish Sea.

I had the pleasure of bumping into trusted music man Tadgh Williams beforehand, who hinted at something special—having heard good things of the band’s gig in Waterford just the night before. He wasn’t wrong, evident by the pocket of fans from the Crystal City who made the trip up the M9 to be out in force for the second night running, earning themselves a special shout-out from the band in the process.

Consisting of Aidan Callaghan, Daniel Harkins, Euan Mundie, Luke Mortimer and Sam MacMillan, the five-piece come out donned in sunglasses - a nod to the coolish indie personas they combine with an easy-going penchant for banter.

Beneath the good craic exterior, they’re a seriously tight outfit, crafting songs which ooze that intangible ‘it’ which all great bands possess.

Brògeal at The Workmans / copyright Patrik Meier/hotpress.com

Opener ‘Fly Away’ is drenched in sweet, soaring harmonies. Callaghan and Harkin have got a synergetic dual frontman thing going on, working in tandem via head-bobbing and shared vocal duties which recall an (albeit less-polished) early Beatles charm.

They’ve got quite a varied discography despite being in the early stages of bandhood, the set brimming with wistful sing-alongs, layered lyrics, and infectious, fast-paced numbers. Up-tempo songs like ‘Girl From NYC’ and the spirit-lifting ‘You'll Be Mine,’ carry an undercurrent of sharp wit and romance which hark back to the sound of the UK’s ‘00s guitar band boom. There’s a clear Pogues influence seeping through too, particularly in rousing ballads ‘Man Accused of Murder’ and ‘Roving Falkirk Bain,’  showcasing the Scots’ ability to craft melancholic tales rich with self-reflective humour.

While some influences are evident, Brògeal have carved out an identity for themselves. You mightn't know much about Falkirk, and some might contend that there isn’t much to know about the town of 30,000 in Scotland’s lowlands (“Falkirk is not a city, it’s a shithole”, Gordon Ramsay once said…)

Brògeal have a gifted knack of capturing the beauty and funny side of Caledonian mundanity, particularly in songs like ‘Hill Is High’, where they come into their own, weaving tableaus of everyman tragedies and triumphs. ‘Sunday Morning’ shines in this regard too. With a delightful ascending chord progression, it's a rousing ode to drinking shite lager and the inevitable sore head which follows. Easily one of their finest.

Brògeal at The Workmans / copyright Patrik Meier/hotpress.com

In the live arena, their musicianship is something to behold. The band swap around instruments with enviable aplomb, the apex coming during the roaring tin whistle crescendo on closer ‘Lonesome Boatman’.

After supporting acts like The Mary Wallopers and The Wolfe Tones, it's evident that these barnstorming Bairns will soon be drawing hefty crowds of their own. Catching them in such an intimate space felt like a rare opportunity—one that might not come around again.