- GIANT ROOKS -

“I said do you wanna dance!?”

Andrew Cushin opened the night in typical Geordie fashion, loud, entertaining and in your face. It was the perfect way to loosen up the crowd. Having played shows already for established musicians such as Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher, you could see how much confidence this young 22 year old had, owning every inch of the stage and setting a high level of energy for the night ahead.

The crow welcomed Giant Rooks with loud cheers as they started the night with punchy, energetic and exhilarating songs from their latest EP released earlier this year titled: ‘How Have You Been?’ - The answer from the whole audience would have been ‘AMAZING’. It was clear to see how much these new songs meant to the band on a personal level.

The lead Singer Frederik was full of energy, punching the sky and lifting his hands to get the whole place rocking!

Hearts Racin’ and Legs Shakin’

‘Under Your Wings’, the 3rd song on the setlist, was received extremely well by the audience. Frederik Rabe sings about his ‘heart racing’ and ‘legs shakin’, which couldn’t have been more appropriate for how the crowd was feeling. So much so that one member of the audience fainted - to the Giant Rooks’ credit the show was immediately halted and medical staff were notified. Once the staff at Shepherd’s Bush O2 gave the all clear the show continued.

Talking with some of the audience in-between songs, it was interesting to hear how they got into the Giant Rooks’ music, most had said it was through the live shows. ‘The interaction and almost otherworldly-energy is what keeps me coming back!’ - was what one audience member said, another had described the Giant Rooks as ‘An intoxicating world-wind’... This couldn’t be more apparent than the next song on the set list where Frederik picked up two sticks and put together an insane drum riff, just metres from the audience. The drums were less of a traditional drum set, more a drumming soundboard, which then filled the room with bellowing beats that got the whole place bouncing. At the end of the song, Fred chucked both drum sticks into the audience where two lucky fans managed to catch them.

Emotive guitar riffs & jaw dropping acapella vocals, Frederik Rabe is easily one of the best front men I’ve seen live! One member of the audience had a t-shirt that read ‘You Can’t Steal My Joy’ which pretty much summed up the vibe of the night.

One part of the set that only cemented Giant Rooks as one of the most interactive bands around, was their song ‘Flashlights’, where lead singer Fred disappeared from the stage only to reappear in the second tier. All eyes looked up to see him lit up by bright strobe lights as he sung his heart out without missing a single note. When he returned to the main stage both himself and the band were met with a roaring standing ovation mid-show. It was incredible to witness.

“The first rule of fight club is, that you don’t talk about fight club.”

A sound bite from David Flinchers’ film ‘Fight Club’ echoed over the speakers before Giant Rooks played their song, funnily enough named…yeah you guessed it ‘Fight Club’. With heavy drums and a catchy hook/chorus, this number had everyone singing along. Towards the back of the stalls people were dancing by the bar and looked to be having the time of their lives, it was honestly one of the best atmospheres I’ve seen at a live show. The performance was certainly helped by the amazing venue Shepherds Bush Empire O2, which lends itself to these more intimate shows.

Towards the end of their set, Giant Rooks announced that this would be the last live performance they would be doing in London. They thanked all crew and staff that made this night possible, as well as the amazing venue at Shepherds Bush for hosting the band.

‘We love you guys and can’t wait to come back to London!’

The German Giants left the stage to what can only be described as an eruption of noise from the audience. A truly special night.

‘This has been a dream come true’ - Fred