Where It Feels Real: Brògeal at the Art School
- Louise Young
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
There’s something different about seeing a smaller band in a venue like the Glasgow School of Art. It’s not about scale or production, it’s about closeness. And going into Brògeal at the start of April, that’s exactly what it felt like from the beginning.
I already had a bit more of a personal connection going in too. Knowing one of the members who was in the band playing that night as part of the support, made it feel less like just another gig and more like something you were properly involved in. It gave the whole night this sense of familiarity before it had even started.
And once it did, it didn’t take long to see why they’ve been building so much momentum.I had been dying to see Brògeal live for ages now, haven only seen them for a few minutes at festivals they played at. So the excitement for this night was high, especially with it being in such an intimate venue. You knew everyone there actually enjoyed the bands music which just made the night for special and fun. It also gave you better opportunities at meeting people who have the same interests as you as the space was so small, it meant you were with a group of people you could identify and connect with.
Brògeal have this mix of traditional folk and something much more energetic underneath it. Banjo, mandolin, guitars all layered together in a way that feels rooted but still fresh. It’s the kind of sound that doesn’t just sit there. It moves, and the crowd moves with it. Most of their songs are fast and upbeat so you can imagine a rowdy crowd in such a small space, people squashed together, holding onto the shoulders of the stranger in front of you. It made it all the more fun.
The set itself was packed with songs that already feel like they belong in rooms like that. Tracks like 'Roving Falkirk Bairn' and 'Racing Track' got the crowd going early, while 'Friday On My Mind' and 'Turn and Walk Away' kept that momentum building. By the time they hit 'Tuesday Paper Club', it felt like everyone in the room was fully locked in. A big mosh-pit in the centre of the room, people getting dragged into it, holding onto people they had never met as everyone bounced off each other, the energy infectious and it was clear the members of Brògeal were feeding off of the crowds enthusiasm and rowdiness.
What really stood out though was the atmosphere. Smaller venue, packed room, everyone close enough to actually feel part of it. There’s nothing quite like that. People weren’t just watching, they were right up against the stage, singing along, reacting to everything. It felt raw in the best way, like anything could happen at any moment. The best thing, was it was hard to miss anything, being in such an intimate space, you could see everything. Hear everything.
And that’s what makes gigs like this different from the bigger ones.
There’s no barrier between the band and the crowd. You can see every expression, every interaction, every small moment that would get lost in a bigger venue. When they slowed things down slightly, you could actually hear the room settle. When things picked up again, it was instant, everyone right back into it.
The night even had that added layer of being sold out, which only made it feel tighter, louder, more alive. By the end, with songs like 'Lonesome Boatman' and 'Sunday Morning' closing things out, it felt like one of those gigs that reminds you why smaller venues matter so much.
It wasn’t about how big the stage was or how many people were there.
It was about how it felt. And it felt real. I will definitely be going to see Brògeal again.
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