Wednesday 13 March 2024.

Wednesday 13 March 2024. GIANT ROOKS live at Shepherds Bush Empire. German indie-rock band Giant Rooks tour their second full-length album, How Have You Been?, the follow-on to their 2020 debut, Rookery, that peaked at Number 3 on the German Album Charts. Their story is anchored in the live show, having built up a worldwide loyal following, and garnered hundreds and millions of views across breakout hits such as “Wild Stare”( official video has over 4 million views on YouTube) and selling out shows across Germany, North America, and Europe. ---------- Level 3 is closed and Level 2 is half empty, so must be around 1200 / 1300 folks here as the stalls standing is rammed full. Two thirds are females under the age of 30. ANDREW CUSHIN and band are on at 8pm for 30 mins. I saw Andrew at this venue in Dec 2022 , when he was touted as hotly tipped , where he was the support act. 15 months later and he is still supporting at the same venue. However, he did sell out a hometown gig at Newcastle City Hall in 2023, and headlines a North American club tour in April. Noel Gallagher produced and performed on his third single, Where's My Family Gone, which appeared later that year. Shortly after, Andrew was signed to Pete Doherty's Strap Originals, which issued his debut EP, You Don't Belong. Andrew has also secured support slots for some huge names in music, including Paul Weller and Jake Bugg. He played a good 30 mins set of indie-rock tracks. GIANT ROOKS arrived on stage at 9pm for their 90 mins. The five piece band include keyboards. A nice bouncy indie-rock-pop sound. They remind me of a German version of The 1975. All the lyrics and stage banter are in English. The singer says " we have dreamed of playing this iconic venue for many years". In the middle of the show the great singer sang a song from Level 1 , and the show had to be stopped for a medical incident in the front stalls. " Wings”, “Bedroom Exile”, “Pink Skies”, and “Fight Club” – major songs off the latest album – all turned up before the brilliant “Somebody Like You” ended the main set on the night, before the encore. However, what makes Giant Rooks one of those rare bands with stadium potential is how they pull off their show. They know how to charm their fans, and their singer is a truly amazing and charismatic frontman. The show ends with an encore and their two major hits, “Wild Stare” with the singer dancing in the stalls standing crowd , and “Watershed”, and i honestly don’t see anything stopping Giant Rooks from being the next big German music export. A really good show. --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Tuesday 12 March 2024...6pm to 9.30pm... Taste of PATA showcase - Huckster London, 4 Kingdom Street, Paddington , London W2. Taste of PATA aims to give attendees exactly that – a ‘taste’ of what your customers can experience in the diverse destinations of the Asia Pacific region. Set up like a fair, our suppliers will be offering you food & drink tastings, Thai massage, quizzes, games with spot prizes + lots more! Those showcasing...... Taiwan Tourism Board AAT Kings Tourism Australia Tourism Authority of Thailand Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Singapore Airlines Journey Beyond, Australia Qantas Red Elephant Reps (client list here) Equator Learning Thai Airways Malaysia Airlines InterContinental Bali Resort Minor Hotels Bandara Hotels & Resorts Great Journeys New Zealand Explore Central North Island Aqua Expeditions Prizes in the business card draw... The following prizes are up for grabs: 8 nights in Thailand at Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, Bayphere Hotel Pattaya & Pimalai Koh Lanta £200 voucher from Tourism Authority of Thailand ‘Experience Rottnest’ package 2 people from Journey Beyond 1 adult fare on Great Journeys NZ Signature Spectacular South Tour 2 nights in Bangkok at Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok 2 nights in Bali at InterContinental Bali Resort A dinner set from Taiwan Tourism A bottle of Aussie fizz from AAT Kings £50 shopping voucher from Outrigger Qantas goodybag & voucher Malaysia Airlines goodybag Aesop gift set from Tourism Australia Aqua Expeditions goodie bag -------- Around 150 guests here in this area of Paddington that has had a full regeneration recently . We chat to most of the stands. I have been to Australia , Thailand and Taiwan and would love to get back to them all one day. Sadly none of the three of us won anything in the prize draw. Complimentary Guinness , wines, beers , full size cheeseburgers , slices of pizza and canapes A guests got a goodie bag of small items from the various stands here .

Posted 13th March 2024