King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, famously once referred to as ‘quite possibly the finest small venue in the world’ by the NME, will celebrate its 35th year in business next year. Last week, they held a small media event in celebration of this milestone. The event also saw the release of their awaited New Year’s Revolution line up, an annual event highlighting the very finest of local talent, and up and coming bands.
King Tut’s hall of fame
We were welcomed in and presented with the customary little pieces of plastic that would represent our drinks for the evening, before being ushered up the “hall of fame” steps. Each one labelled with a year, and the now famous artists who played in each one. Touring and local favourites alike; Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, KT Tunstall, The Fratellis, Paolo Nutini, The 1975.
It seems that just about everyone has played at King Tut’s at one point or another, a fact we were again reminded of during the introduction from a member of King Tut’s staff. He spoke briefly of the magic and the buzz, the mythos of King Tut’s, before introducing on stage Scottish rapper Bemz. Switching to an interview format, Bemz was asked for the artists’ perspective. He noted that a King Tut’s headline is viewed as the ultimate stepping stone in the local scene, and hailed King Tut’s for their consistency in championing new artists.
Stripped back
Following the discussion, we had three bands lined up, all of whom would be performing at the upcoming New Year’s Revolution come January. Each performed a stripped back set for this slightly more intimate setting. First up was Tanzana, performing as a duo, with a simple backing of an acoustic guitar, letting her soulful vocals carry the performance. This was followed by a personal highlight for me in Lacuna, whose harmonies rang out throughout the room.
Our final performance came from Leisureland, a 5 piece indie band from Paisley, with catchy choruses, and plenty of la-la-las to keep you singing along.
It was a lovely evening all around, and an evening that reflected the values that King Tut’s has continued to preach. So take a chance on that band your mate recommended, go to a local show, keep live music alive.
Featured Photo Credit: Matthew O’Donnell
