Where do you go when a mate is in town, and you can't decide between a film or a comedy show? You head to King Tut's, obviously.
A week ago, I was completely unaware of this musical artist. Thanks to my Amazon Music subscription (other streamers are available), I was able to listen to her small back catalogue and make an educated decision over whether to check her out live. My mate did the same, using Spotify.
We both decided yes.
Someone loves playing with their fonts
Support act Mel Raeburn performed a thirty-minute set with her guitarist. She's infectiously exuberant, her voice is sweet like caramel, and with stronger songs, she could be very good. I liked her enough to film her cover of Rihanna's Love on the Brain (not a song I was familiar with). The rest of her set was original material.
Love on the Brain.
Next up was better joy.
If I were to compare the two singers, I'd say Mel is like your first school crush, and Bria is the girl you long to meet in your twenties. She's fun, gorgeous, talented and going places. One cheeky glance from those eyes and your heart goes all aflutter (or at my age, it may trigger a cardiac event). It was a pleasure to be in her company, albeit for only an hour (that might be misconstrued - I meant musically).
better joy - promo shot
The band had just flown in from Austin, where they had been performing at the SXSW Festival. The last time they played a headline gig in Glasgow, it was at the Garage Attic to about forty people. Tonight, King Tut's, while not sold out, was certainly packed. The crowd was most appreciative and covered a wide age range, from schoolkids to retirees like myself.
When you hear them play, you can understand why Bastille and Amy Macdonald approached Bria to be their tour support. This girl is developing into a fine artist. She's currently working on her debut album. We were treated to a raw version of a new song and were politely asked to put our cameras away. She had a few issues with her throat, sipping honey and lemon and coughing a bit, but it didn't affect her singing voice too much. Perhaps the odd note she took in a different direction.
After the show, she made her way quickly to the merch stall to meet her fans. The queue was so big that the staff had to ask people to move as they were blocking the stairs. We didn't wait, much as I'd love to meet her and get some merch signed.
Thank you to the man at the barrier who let me snap a photo of his setlist. You are a gentleman.
Setlist
this part of town
Situations
Big Thief
plugged in
couldn't run forever
quiet thing
steamroller
So Long
Wahooo
what a day
carnival
I'm There
waiting on time
Dead Plants
So long
Dead Plants
Ticket Price: 2 x £12.50 & Service Fee £2.50 & eTickets £0.00 = Total £27.50 from TicketWeb.
Anchor Lane celebrated their tenth anniversary with a Scottish weekender this month. I was supposed to attend the one in Glasgow at King Tut's, but I was too ill to go (a horrendous cold). By all accounts, it was a brilliant gig.
Next time...
Ticket Price: 2 x £15.00 plus £3.00 booking fee = £33.00 via TicketWeb.
It's not often that I see a gig listing for a band unknown to me one hour before the tickets go on sale, and by the time that hour has elapsed, I've listened to enough of their music to decide I have to go. Anchor Lane are a rock trio from Glasgow whose most recent album, Call This a Reality? has enoughhooks to keep a fleet of fishermen happy, though their boats would be rocking so hard they might capsize.
After purchasing two tickets, I checked in with my mate to see if he wanted the other and Disaster! He was already going to The Skids at the Bungalow in Paisley that night. I asked my wife if she wanted to come along. Rock isn't her usual musical fare, but after hearing a few of their songs, she agreed, surprisingly. Maybe she didn't want me hanging about with all the young rock chicks in case they stole me away from her. (Ha!)
King Tut's is iconic. You feel the gravitas as you climb the stairs, seeing the names of all the big names that have played there. Being a small venue, you're so close to the performers that it can't help but feel intimate. The only downside is that the lighting employed for rock bands tends to blast at you with the intensity of a nuclear explosion. It becomes difficult to see the band and occasionally induces a migraine.
As usual, I arrived early, before the venue's doors opened, in order to snag a particular spot on the bench at the back of the standing area. It grants you a seat during the wait before the bands come on and provides an elevated view, unobscured by heads when the gig starts. There wasn't much of a wait, though, as the support act, Lo Riders, came on at 8 p.m., just thirty minutes later.
I wasn't familiar with them. They make a good racket, but I didn't warm to the Finnish singer's voice. Most of the time, her vocals lacked power and clarity, though that might have been due to the sound mix. Musically, they plough the same furrow as Yonaka but don't match that band for style and quality (based on what I saw and heard tonight). I probably wouldn't make the effort to see them again unless they bring out some better tunes.
Anchor Lane are young, but they certainly don't lack confidence. They delivered an assured set with lots of energy and swagger. Conor's voice was strong, and he was a great presence on the stage. The audience played their part, singing along, knowing all the words. The guitarist produced some amazing sounds with his effects pedals, and the drummer kept everything tight. When the crowd erupted into an impromptu "Here we, here we, here we fucking go" (as they inevitably do these days), the band accompanied us like it was a proper song in the set that we just happened to be singing.
The band are great live. Their songs are catchy with a good balance of hook-ladened choruses and thumping, jumping-up-and-down rock numbers. They totally deserve wider recognition. I'd love to see them perform on a bigger stage in front of a larger audience. Unfortunately, tonight's show wasn't sold out, but the room was packed enough for everyone to enjoy themselves. Even my wife thought they were good, though she did complain about the lighting. Just because there is a heavy beat, it doesn't need to be accompanied by a blinding pulse of bright light every single time.
In light of that, I hope to see the band again somewhere else, somewhere bigger.
Setlist:
Choke Stutter Call This a Reality? Ministry Sit Tight Sunshine I've Been Waiting Electric Karma (Conor performed beside the crowd on the small stage in the bar area) Honey Blood & Irony Fame Shame Nitroglycerin Sycophant Disorder (with Lo Rays) I Don't Have Another Soul To Pour
Videos: "Stutter", "Fame Shame" & "I Don't Have Another Soul to Pour"
(Videos contain flashing lights)
Ticket Price: £13.50 each, service charge £2.70, Delivery 0.00, Total £29.70 from TicketWeb.
Lo Rays
Conor performing from the bar area stage
Anchor Lane & Lo Riders
Artist Bio:
Anchor Lane, who cite a wide range of influences including Nothing but Thieves, Royal Blood, Biffy Clyro, Queens of the Stone Age, Muse and Foo Fighters are undoubtedly one of the most exciting bands to come out of Scotland in recent years.
2023 saw the release of their new album Call This a Reality? which garnered top reviews and airplay from the likes of Jack Saunders, Daniel P. Carter & Alyx Holcombe at BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing and Planet Rock etc. The album entered the Top Ten Official UK Rock Albums Chart upon release, scoring the band back-to-back Top Ten placements as their debut album Casino did likewise. Notably in the Official UK album charts, Call This a Reality? also placed at #3 in the Record Store chart, #9 in the Scottish chart and #21 in the Independent chart.
Anchor Lane have built a reputation as a thrilling and dynamic live act through several successful headline UK tours and appearances at numerous prominent music festivals such as Download, Isle of Wight, Belladrum and most recently Reading & Leeds. The band have also played notable guest spots with artists like Eagles of Death Metal, Tremonti & Skindred.
I was excited to see The Dust Coda. Their recent album, Loco Paradise, is fantastic with a great variety of tunes and some amazing vocals. Plus, the gig was being staged at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, the legendary (tiny) Glasgow venue so it was a brilliant chance to get up close and personal.
I hadn't paid attention to who the support act was - Doomsday Outlaw. Turns out they were really good. Great lead singer, with most of the band on backing vocals, they produced a loud sound that totally rocked. They had fun tonight on their short set and impressed me. Bob liked them too, so much so he bought a vinyl copy of their album (he also purchased The Dust Coda's Loco Paradise album and got each band member to sign the inner sleeve).
Doomsday Outlaw Setlist:
In Too Deep
Turn Me Loose
This is the End
Phantom
Drink
Runaway
Pain
My ears were beginning to hurt so to preempt further pain, Bob procured me a pair of earplugs from the bar (who knew?). As such, The Dust Coda was the first band I've listened to with foam in my ears.
Their performance was a bit anti-climactic. The singer's voice was not as nuanced as he sounded on the album, as if he was giving us a downgraded version of his vocals (I don't think this was entirely due to my earplugs). There was a degree of guitar feedback early on which detracted from their sound too. I suppose, with the earlier Open Mic not finishing till 6pm, the band wouldn't have had a lot of time to soundcheck but, even so, it should have been better.
The drummer wore a Scotland football strip, except it wasn't. It was the AC/DC Scotland football strip, with the number 78 and High Voltage on the back. I was later disappointed to discover he was English when I overheard him chatting to a fan after the gig. I thought he was one of us.
Although I wasn't that impressed by them, I'll admit they totally smashed the encore, finishing strong with Road to Hell. I'd give them another chance. Both bands were happy to mingle and sign merch after the gig which was cool. I would have purchased the Loco Paradise T-shirt if they'd had any but it wasn't to be.
Overall, though, I'd say this was another night where the support act took away the accolades.
The Dust Coda Setlist:
Rock 'n' Roll Paradise
Limbo Man
Call Out The Dogs
Come the Night
Let Me Go
Love Sick
The Streets
Free All The Dancers
Since You've Been Gone
The More It Fades
Down in the Valley
Encore:
On Fire
Edge of the knife
Road to Hell
Ticket Price £14 plus £1.40 fees.
ARTIST BIO
The Dust Coda are a band who continue to achieve the seemingly impossible against all odds. From landing a UK Top 30 spot with their sophomore album 'Mojo Skyline', when the doors to the 'real world' were fully locked in defence against a pandemic, to producing a unique, head-turning sound amidst the muddle of cheap rock imitations (to the point of Classic Rock Magazine selecting the band's brass-infused track “Jimmy 2 Times” as part of their 300th landmark issue's 'The Soundtrack Of Our Lifetime' list, alongside legends such as Slash, AC/DC and Deep Purple). Since then, these London-based trailblazers have continued to blazon their rich rock'n'roll soul across the UK and Europe, making their live European television debut on WDR's legendary Rockpalast in Germany, roaring through festivals such as Kendal Calling and Paaspop Festival, and supporting Smith & Kotzen (of Iron Maiden and Poison fame, respectively) across the UK. All the while, the band have been cooking up an album that underlines their beloved signature sound whilst also transcending the songwriting prowess that 'Mojo Skyline' so successfully chiselled into the band's legend.
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