The iconic Glasgow venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut puts on a series of live shows in January to showcase grassroots music in Scotland with over 70 artists taking to the stage. It returned for its 13th year this month and on a freezing night I headed west to see four bands. Earplugs required!
Opium Clippers
Each band has a 30 minute slot and first onstage were Opium Clippers, the Glasgow based psychedelic grunge band. The four-piece had hints of funk as well as a heavier grunge vibe. This kaleidoscopic mix was hugely entertaining with both guitarists displaying serious talent.
Nü Cros
What became apparent as the night progressed was that fans of each band moved forward, leading to a shuffling of people at the barrier. The atmosphere was building as the venue filled and next up were the more hardcore vibes of Nü Cros. The Glasgow four-piece consisted of three guitarists and a drummer, who, by the way, was donning a Siouxsie and the Banshees tee. The majority of the set was loud and heavy with hardcore vocals. The agitated performance of the lead singer really got the place bouncing, leaping the pit and jumping into the crowd. The instructions to start a mosh-pit were happily followed. There were quieter sung moments by Nü Cros demonstrating a versatility in their sound.
Cowboy Hunters
By the time the duo Cowboy Hunters took to the stage what struck the most was the confidence these bands had onstage. All were comfortable and looking like they were having the best time. That was infectious and seeped into the crowd. Cowboy Hunters arrived on stage to cheers and a sense of anticipation. Their new single ‘Body Parts’ was out at midnight and they were relishing the reaction from the crowd. The drummer and guitarist switch instruments mid-set and share vocals. The influence is out and out punk with their raw edge. From tracks such as ‘Losing My Grip‘ and ‘Repeating‘ from their EP released in 2023, the set rattled along at pace with banter with the crowd and a sense of humour within their pointed lyrics. The cries of “one more tune” at the end said it all.
San Jose
And so to tonight headliners. San Jose are another level of performance. First of all the instrumentation on stage is breath-taking. I counted a fiddler, accordion-player, saxophonist, trumpeter, drummer, three guitarists and a singer! There is a theatricality to this band that does feel authentic rather than contrived. The charismatic lead singer is hard to keep a track of and spent more time off the stage than on it! The crowd obviously love San Jose and there was mayhem in the mosh-pit. The music is wild, untamed and completely matches the performance.
I headed home, very sweaty and with a big stupid grin on my face. What a way to extinguish the January blues….
