Des Rocs – The Garage, London (Live Review)

JOSE CRESPO

Oct 13

4 min read

Special Guest: Finn Forster

11 October 2026 | The Garage, London

THE AFTERSHOCK

Armed with monstrous riffs, a remarkable voice and enough energy to power half of North London, Des Rocs turned an intimate venue into something much bigger. And judging by the young crowd hanging on his every word, the next generation of rock fans has already found one of its heroes.

THE FULL REVIEW

Earlier this year, New York's Danny Rocco unleashed To Hell and Back, his third studio album, released through Sumerian Records in June. A glorious collision of dirty riffs, theatrical swagger and good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll attitude, it earned a perfect 10/10 here at The Riff Collective. Four months later, the question was whether Des Rocs could deliver that same magic on stage.

Following Manchester the previous evening, Des Rocs arrived at London's The Garage for the second of just two UK headline dates. The queue had formed well before doors opened, and by showtime the place was packed. More encouragingly, the audience was noticeably young. At a time when we're constantly being told that rock music is getting old, here was a room full of people who clearly hadn't received the memo.

Opening proceedings was Middlesbrough singer-songwriter Finn Forster, whose strong, soulful voice and melodic approach provided a welcome contrast to what would follow. Songs such as "Circles", "In My Mind" and "Can't Back Down" showcased his talent, while "Pablo", dedicated to his best friend, brought a particularly heartfelt moment to an enjoyable opening set.A

A Masterclass in Rock 'n' Roll

Danny Rocco walked onto the stage almost casually, surveying the audience with a mischievous half-smile. Then, as though somebody had plugged him directly into the National Grid, everything changed. "This Land" exploded into life, and so did Danny.

"The Juice", another monster from To Hell and Back, sounded absolutely magnificent, its swaggering groove seemingly designed for the stage. There was barely time to catch a breath before "Never Ending Moment" arrived, and the entire room was bouncing and singing along to that colossal chorus.

What a song. Seriously. One of the finest rock anthems written in the past decade, and hearing it delivered with this much conviction only strengthened that opinion. It was one of those moments when the distinction between performer and audience almost disappeared.

And somehow, we were only three songs in.

There is something wonderfully contradictory about Danny Rocco as a frontman. Between songs, he's all smiles, jokes and genuine humility, almost the anti-rock-star. But give him a microphone and a guitar, and that modest exterior vanishes beneath an absolutely commanding stage presence. His voice is extraordinary, too, powerful and expressive, shifting from soulful melodies to full-throttle rock screams.

And he wasn't remotely interested in slowing down.

"When the Love Is Gone", "Dream Machine" and "Used to the Darkness" kept the momentum at an almost ridiculous level. Alongside Danny, bassist Eric Mendelsohn and drummer Will Tully proved just how much noise three musicians can make when they know exactly what they're doing.

The medley of "MMC", "Hanging by a Thread" and "Nothing Personal" gave the rhythm section its moment in the spotlight. During the thunderous "Nothing Personal", both musicians stepped forward with impressive instrumental flourishes while Danny finally enjoyed something resembling a breather. Given the punishment he'd been putting himself through, he'd certainly earned one.

"This Is Our Life" and "Fall Together" continued the relentless pace, and by the time the evening finally slowed down, almost an hour had passed without the intensity dropping significantly.

A Breather, a Birthday and One Last Explosion

"Suicide Romantics" was genuinely magical, its emotional weight connecting deeply with the audience. The stripped-back "Maybe, I", performed by Danny alone with an acoustic guitar, brought an even more intimate atmosphere, before "Sing Me Back to Sleep" completed a three-song stretch that allowed everyone to catch their breath.

It was during these quieter moments that the demands of the evening briefly became apparent. After almost an hour of tackling seriously challenging material at full intensity, Danny's voice sounded a little more exposed, with occasional signs of fatigue. For a moment, I wondered whether he'd pushed himself a little too hard.

Then came "I Am the Lightning".

And just like that, any doubts disappeared. Another modern rock anthem that deserves to be spoken about alongside the genre's very best, it saw Danny summon every last ounce of power and deliver one of the night's defining performances.

There was also time for one of the evening's most unexpected moments, and it had nothing to do with guitars. Danny revealed that his grandmother, Carmie, was celebrating her 102nd birthday that very night. Apparently, that seemingly endless supply of energy runs in the family. Rather than simply dedicating a song to her, he made a live FaceTime call to his aunt, who was with Carmie, and invited the entire Garage audience to wish his grandmother a happy birthday.

A packed London rock venue singing "Happy Birthday" to a 102-year-old grandmother wasn't exactly on my bingo card, but it was a wonderfully touching moment that said a great deal about the man behind the larger-than-life stage persona.

For the finale, Des Rocs travelled right back to where it all began. "HVY MTL DRMR" and "Let Me Live / Let Me Die", both from his debut EP Let the Vultures In, brought the evening to a suitably explosive conclusion.

Walking out of The Garage, one thought kept coming back to me: how fortunate we are to be seeing an artist like Des Rocs in venues of this size.

The songs are there. The voice is there. The charisma is certainly there. And perhaps most importantly, so is the audience. Everything about this performance suggested a musician destined for considerably bigger stages.