KING TUT’S annual new music showcase gets underway this week as over 50 of Scotland’s best emerging artists prepare to take to the stage in one of the nation’s most well-loved venues. Taking place over the course of 17 days in January, King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution has become a rite of passage for bands looking to take their career to the next level with each and every line-up specially curated to highlight the best of Scotland’s grassroots music scene.
Now in its eighth year, the festival has become known as the perfect place to discover the next big thing and this year’s line-up is no different. Spanning various genres and niches, from hotly tipped acts to those who are at the very formative stages of their careers, the TTV team will be on hand to help close the festivities with a special after party which will also feature an as yet to be revealed secret guest band.
As the festival prepares to get into full swing, we’ve selected a rundown of acts that are worth checking out over the next couple of weeks. Ticket information can be found on the official website.
THE DUNTS
Following a momentous 2017 that saw them rise to the forefront of Glasgow’s continually blossoming punk scene, The Dunts will start the new year as they mean to go on with a headline performance at King Tut’s on Saturday 6th January. Sure to attract one of the more raucous crowds of this year’s festival, the four-piece have gathered a large, impassioned fanbase who will undoubtedly snap up all the tickets that are available for this highly anticipated show. It comes as no surprise given the level of ingenuity and ambition that lay in their debut EP ‘Not Working Is Class’, released at the tail end of last year. With heaps of potential and an utterly incendiary live show on their side, The Dunts have proven that they are far more than just ‘another garage rock band from Glasgow’; they have a very bright future ahead of them indeed.
When: Saturday 6th January
SWAY
Primed for a hugely exciting 2018, SWAY will kick the year off with their biggest headline show to date when they take to the King Tut’s stage on Sunday 14th January. A fiercely talented outfit who seem to get better and better with each performance, their frenetic set proved to be a highlight of last year’s Tenement Trail; and they will hope to make a similar impression when they return to play New Year’s Revolution as headliners following a hugely productive 12 months. With immediately captivating material like ‘To Be A Man’, ‘Planet Earth’ and ‘Haven’ now under their belt, this band are armed with an infectious exuberance and songwriting prowess that continues to win over hoards of new fans.
When: Sunday 14th January
VOODOOS
Another product of Glasgow’s thriving punk scene, Voodoos will head up a night of up and coming rock acts on Thursday 18th January. Also making the leap up to headliners, the group have displayed a knack for writing the kind of big tunes that are sure to go down well in front of a receptive audience at the legendary venue. Indie rock with a menacing edge, recent singles ‘Natalie’ and ‘Careless’ are enough evidence to suggest that there’s more exciting things to come from this outfit.
When: Thursday 18th January
FAUVES
A year hasn’t even passed since Fauves made their live debut, but the fiercely talented five-piece will return to King Tut’s this month to headline a hugely exciting line-up of up and coming bands on 19th January. Strikingly original and hugely infectious, the five-piece have earned a glowing reputation on the Glasgow live circuit with one impressive gig after another. The band fronted by Ryan Caldwell have spent recent months expanding their repertoire into its most robust state yet and now boast a joyfully unfettered array of singles such as ‘Hit Like This’, ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Twilight Daylight’ that are sure to go down a storm with their expanding fanbase.
When: Friday 19th January
WALT DISCO
A band who caught our eye when they supported The Ninth Wave back in October, Walt Disco possess all the qualities that depict a bright future ahead. With one foot in the eighties and the other in shimmering modern indie-pop, the band have a brilliantly captivating frontman in James Potter whose alluring croon grabs your attention over a glitzy high-energy backdrop of guitars and propulsive rhythms.
When: Friday 19th January
THE NINTH WAVE
We were so excited by The Ninth Wave’s re-emergence this year that we chose their single ‘Reformation’ as our Top Track of 2017. Easily one of Scotland’s most intriguing young outfits, the four-piece will undoubtedly have all eyes on them in the coming months as they prepare to take their next carefully planned steps. With a place at the world’s biggest new music showcase The Great Escape already in the bag, the rise of this hugely ambitious band shows no signs of slowing down and their highly anticipated headline set on Saturday 20th January will be a brilliant chance to catch them before they become accustomed to much larger venues.
When: Saturday 20th January
THE VIGNETTES
Supporting Fauves on 19th January are The Vignettes; a young indie pop group from Glasgow who cite their influences as Franz Ferdinand and Glam-era Bowie. Known to perform with heaps of energy and an infectious charm, the band made their official entrance with the release of the boppy ‘Young Bohemians’ last year. Now with more live shows under their belt, they will hope to make even more of an impact on the local live circuit throughout the coming year.
When: Friday 19th January
BOOHOOHOO
A band who are known to make an instant impression on those who catch them live, Boohoohoo are a breath of fresh air in a Glasgow scene brimming with rock n roll bands. The three-piece are no strangers to the festival circuit and have won fans all over Scotland with their flamboyant performances and vibrant, funk-fuelled singles. Brilliantly unorthodox and immediately refreshing, their eighties electro influences are combined with a healthy dose of jazz flute, syncopated grooves and sparkling synths.
When: Friday 12th January
DAS PLASTIXX
With a new EP on the horizon, Glasgow band Das Plastixx will be in the mood to impress when they take to the King Tut’s stage on Saturday 20th January. If title track ‘Button Up’ is anything to go by, then there’s certainly a lot to be excited about as the group have re-emerged with a fiery sound that is ready to seize your attention. Describing themselves as ‘psych-grunge’, expect big dirty guitars and straight up rock n roll.
When: Saturday 20th January
