Ambitious New York art-rockers Geese bring their genre-shifting indie sound to Scotland for the first time since their 2025 breakthrough album Getting Killed. They’re undoubtedly one of the most talked-about bands right now — but does their live show live up to the hype?
Before the headliners took the stage, Manchester-based support act Westside Cowboy showed off their own distinctive brand of indie rock, blending folksy elements with classic British indie to create a self-coined “Brittanica.” Westside Cowboy are on a similar upwards trajectory to Geese, having won Glastonbury’s emerging talent competition in 2025. The bassist, Aoife Anson O’Connell, was a highlight, delivering a haunting vocal performance on the song ‘Strange Taxidermy’.
As the band skulk around, the room is thick with anticipation. Fans still linger outside the doors, hoping to snag any spare tickets, while inside the crowd chants the band’s name, eager to see if Geese can live up to their hefty reputation. The show opens with the slithering, unwinding track ‘Husbands,’ with frontman Cameron Winter’s signature baritone drifting over a choir of Glasgow voices. After the restrained opener, the band quickly launches into the heavy melodic riffs of the albums’ title track ‘Getting Killed,’ and the crowd immediately springs into action as the set thrusts forward.
Despite their relatively understated stage presence, Geese are effortlessly cool and charismatic. Winter, a man of great stature and few words, speaks little, but when he does — for example, sharing a brief moment with a longtime fan who attended their last Glasgow gig in 2023 and exclaiming “Scotland forever!” towards the end of the show — the statements land with real genuine charm. Musically, every member of the band is on point: Winter’s vocals stretch from his easily recognisable, deep rumbling drawls to shrieking, unrestrained yelps, and Max Bassin’s drumming ranges from subtle, percussive texture into violent explosive bursts that drive the motion of the whole room forward. Bassist Dominic DiGesu and guitarist Emily Green are equally vital, with everyone in the band each given ample time to contribute to the band’s dense soundscape. Together, they easily shift between genres from heart-wrenching ballads, overdriven grunge, and extended jazzy-leaning grooves.
One of the highlights of the night comes with the frenzied manic energy of ‘2122,’ a funky, shape-shifting track from 2023’s 3D Country. It twists its way across varied sonic identities, even pausing halfway for a brief rousing rendition of Primal Scream’s Scottish classic ‘Movin’ on Up,’ to the crowd’s delight, just before it plunges back into chaos. It’s a great encapsulation of what makes Geese so compelling, demonstrating their confidence, unpredictability and sheer musical talent. I was happy to see plenty of love for 3D Country at this show, with some personal favourite tracks of mine such as ‘Crusades,’ ‘Cowboy Nudes,’ and ‘St Elmo’ being given some much-appreciated airtime.
However, the set is clearly centred around the new album and is all the better for it. Every track from Getting Killed is presented across the evening, and the album is a different beast when presented live. The bombastic, swaggering riffs of ‘100 Horses’ cuts clean through the venue, and ‘Long Island City Here I Come’ is an incredible spectacle to witness: a dizzying, polyrhythmic crescendo. The show also manages to weave in calmer moments with the more tender selections of ‘Cobra’ and ‘Au Pays du Cocaine’. The crowd knows every word, moving in time to every beat. ‘Taxes’ is borderline euphoric — when the beat drops, the evening feels joyful and passionate as everyone in the audience echoes the closing lines of the song back toward the stage. After a very brief encore, the band re-emerge with ‘Trinidad,’ a slow-burning, bluesy groove that detonates into a scrambled, chaotic burst of noise rock, an appropriately disorienting and thrilling finale.
Notably, Geese present some new material tonight in the form of ‘Apollo,’ a driving krautrock-esque stomper that receives just as much love as the band’s more established material. Winter briefly notes that the song is about ambition, a fitting statement which brings the question to mind: what’s next for Geese? This tour seems like just the beginning. As much as I don’t want to simply jump on the bandwagon of hype, it’s clear that if the release of Getting Killed marked their mainstream breakthrough, these shows are a statement of intent.
It felt lucky to be in the audience for this performance, the same way people must have felt watching bands like the Rolling Stones or The Beatles in the 1960s. This may sound like high praise, but being able to witness a band at the peak of their powers like this was an unforgettable experience. It’s clear that Geese aren’t interested in simply living up to the hype, but rather outgrowing it. Seeing them now feels like witnessing the start of something much bigger.
Image by Patrick Beattie for The Student.