Releasing their album ‘Asleep In The Machine’ in January this year, Bootleg Rascal kicked off their Drop the Gun 3 date tour on the 4th of June. I attended the Brisbane show at the Woolly Mammoth and it was most unpredictable and insane show I have ever been to.
From Sydney and the Gold Coast, Bootleg Rascal is a mix up of 4 crazy dudes with different styles and attitudes coming together to make a killer band that spikes every groove muscle in your body. Sounding like a mixture between our favs Sticky Fingers and a kiwi group called Katchafire, Bootleg Rascal is a mashup between Hip-Hop, Dub, Electro and Soul with a sliver of Reggae.
Getting the attention of the crowd, the boys kicked off their show by playing If You Like Pina Coladas over the main stage speakers. Turning their attention to the stage, fans were singing along and grooving to the track until Bootleg Rascal graced the stage and a Mexican wave of screams spread all throughout the venue.
They were pumped, we were pumped, The sound guy was pumped and Bootleg Rascal got straight down to it and blew the fucking roof off.
The strobe lights were going off, the crowd was screaming, Bootleg Rascal were wearing funky get up and the whole atmosphere of the place had everyone loosing their shit from the first strum of single Kings and Queens. Playing songs such as Overflow, Oh I know and Head In The Clouds, Bootleg Rascal made sure to play all the popular oldies as well as a hefty slice of their new album ‘Asleep In The Machine’.
Lead vocalist Carlos announced halfway through the show that this was the biggest Brissy crowd they had ever played and how thankful they were for those who turned up. The drummer took off his shirt, Jimmy and Jack swapped bass for guitar, Carlos was playing a left handed guitar but upside down, things just exculated and become even more insane.
As their set came to a close, Bootleg Rascal walked off stage and suddenly a guy with absolutely nothing on but a sock on his privates ran out from side of stage and starting screaming into the mic about making noise if we wanted an encore!
Playing a 2 song encore, the crowd started leaping up onto the stage and before you knew it the stage was packed with fans up beside Bootleg Rascal and everyone was grooving like sardanines stuffed in a can. The crazy energy from the band and the crowd was so contagious that security had no hope of gaining any control; the whole room turned into a chaotic pit of fandom.
Bootleg Rascal put on one the craziest shows I have ever been to. Not only did they play an amazing set, but they really went that extra mile to make sure that everyone walked away on a super high buzz of Bootleg Rascalyness.
