Giant Rooks Live - AKA Michael J Fox Singing Modern Indie Music

Imagine someone who looks like Michael J Fox from afar - super cuffed jeans, sneakers, cowboy fringe leather jacket, oversized t shirt - with the face of a model and the voice of a god. Quite literally, that was my experience yesterday seeing Giant Rooks live. Back around 2020-2022, a video went viral on tiktok of Giant Rooks singing with Annen May Kantereit covering Tom's Diner. Most people were blown away by Annen's singer's voice, but many were also swept by Giant Rooks, whose perfectly complimented.

Since then, I've been a fan, predominantly of Giant Rooks as their music is only in English, unlike Annen May Kantereit's. I've followed their journey for years, with the view of their future clearly in mind - I knew the potential they held. With many amazing songs, but nothing consecutively maintaining my attention, they then released their new album last month, a month prior to my gig.

Their new album, How Have You Been?, is exactly what I knew Giant Rooks could be, and are. Song after song, there is more of a variety than before, and yet, it maintained the perfect amount of talent they usually show. If it's not obvious, I had extremely high hopes for this gig. However, I feel like this is the first gig in years maybe where I was actually surprised at how good it was.

Image Courtesy of Google

Fred, the lead singer and front man, commands the stage with heart and passion. The best way to describe it, is that he is loose; his body is free and it is clear how much his entire soul is intertwined with the music. Equally, the rest of the band show an innate love for the music, as well as each other - they are incredibly in sync.

Stopping the show until a girl who had fainted in the crowd was alright proves that human decency, and a tad of chivalry, is far from dead. He interacted with as much of the crowd as possible, smiled the entire time so much so that it hurt MY cheeks, and said thank you after every song alongside a little, I love you. It's clear really how much this means to them, which is always one of the most beautiful things at concerts.

The father beside me with who I assume to be his daughter and her boyfriend were particularly kind to me, as someone alone at a gig. The venue, albeit it classic and iconic, felt very safe. My only genuine improvement for their show was that they put Nobody Likes Hospitals and Love is a Selfish Thing on the setlist - I will quite literally get on my knees and beg to hear them live. If Giant Rooks are coming to a venue near you, do yourself a favour and go see them live. They made me feel excited at a gig again, which isn't something I've felt for a while now despite my many gigs indeed.

Image Courtesy of Giant Rooks Instagram (@giantrooksmusic)