On 10th of February the infamous King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut turned 35 and we joined in on the celebrations by raising a glass to the iconic venue at a very special panel discussion featuring some King Tut’s royalty.
With our free pints in hand we took a seat in what looked less like a gig venue and more like the set of a late night TV talk show. The night was hosted by JP Mason, the booker for King Tut’s who has been creating an archive of all of the gigs over the years and wanted to mark the anniversary by sharing stories and exploring the impact of this iconic Glasgow venue.
JP welcomed to the stage music journalist Fiona Shepherd and three well-know Scottish musicians Billy Kennedy from Frightened Rabbit and Haver, Aidan Moffat form Arab Strap and emerging artist Katie Lynch aka Theo Bleak who have all performed on the King Tut’s stage.
The night dug out notable moments ranging from the panel’s first gigs to favourite gigs alongside advice for musicians wanting to make a mark on the Glasgow scene. The panel also highlighted that the venue has been home to some of the biggest names in the music industry such as Oasis, Pulp and The Killers. It feels almost unreal that household names have played the 300 capacity venue but it proves King Tut’s reputation as a launch pad for emerging bands. Fiona Shepherd summed this up by saying that it is the first rung of the touring ladder and being a frequent visitor throughout the 90s said she was lucky enough to see the likes of Radiohead and Blur who have now gone on to sell out arenas.
From an artist’s point of view Billy Kennedy said that he played King Tut’s multiple times starting as a support playing to 40 people and then going on to headline sold out shows. Aidan Moffat may not fully remember the numerous performances he played there with Arab Strap as ‘that was just work’ but said for him it was more exciting just being out in the audience. However, he noted the most memorable Arab Strap gig was when a fight broke out and the bouncer ‘had to take a guy out’ which he quickly reworded and laughingly clarified that the guy just got kicked out. Katie Lynch (Theo Bleak) represents the current wave of up and coming Scottish talent. She said the venue is now known worldwide even as far as L.A and that headlining King Tut’s at the end of 2024 was a massive career highlight.
While playing King Tut’s may be the dream for so many Scottish artists, financial barriers are making it harder for smaller bands to stay afloat as they are often expected to play for exposure as opposed to a fair wage. As we look to the future of King Tut’s it is imperative that they address this borderline ‘pay to play’ culture and do more to cement their legacy as a venue which supports emerging artists.
Their birthday celebration was an exciting night; full of laughter and nostalgia as everyone shared the memories and moments that had happened in that very room. After 35 years King Tut’s has garnered a reputation as the go-to for new talent and we hope to see more from the venue to lead the way in providing equity and support for smaller artists. King Tut’s is a Glasgow institution and long live its legacy as a launchpad where the support act playing to a handful of people could become the next Lewis Capaldi or Biffy Clyro.
