Nearing the end of King Tut's Summer Nights, it was time for something a bit different and, by booking a headline band who've only released one song so far, it was a big move. And it paid off massively.
With Plum having pulled out due to losing to her voice, the night was opened by Edinburgh's Discopolis, a four-piece electronic band. My description was pretty much 'disco rock', and it's toe-tapping, head-bopping goodness. Never having been one for electronic/synth bands, it seems like this foursome are going to be one of the few exceptions for me due to their ability to provide impressive soundscapes and tunes that are almost perfectly built for pre-partying before heading out with friends and alcohol. They play an accomplished live show, taking the crowd with them from the start and even manage to make jokes in-between songs including a beard warning for the headliners. A highlight for me is their remix of The Little Kicks' Loosen Up, giving a brilliant song a fresh new life. They end on a typically wild dance track having amply warmed up the filling crowd.
"We know you've taken a leap of faith", Prides note late in their set as they know they have only released one track online before playing this gig. But if their already hit single 'Out of the Blue' was the teaser then it's easy to see why the place was packed. Two members of Prides previously made up Midnight Lion but here they're actually starting to challenge the Chvrches model of beginning with very little content, other than a few things online, and building on word of mouth to achieve a strong fanbase before a full release is set. Like their predecessors, they are making it work. This band are not just another electronic three-piece, they have so many hooks in all their songs that they ought to come with a warning. In fact, I was surprised that the crowd was as still as it was during the majority of the set, regardless of whether we'd heard the tracks before or not because they were absolutely beasting. This show was also special because Prides brought with them Cairn String Quartet who provided strings on an auspicious opener and big hit 'Out of the Blue' to close, Louie of Hector Bizerk for 'Run and Jump' and they note that they were so pleased with how he performed that the track has been recorded and will be online very soon, and finally Ross and Mark of Fatherson to make a real sexy song even sexier. The band even trust the crowd enough to perform a quiet number in what is a complete change of pace, and it proves to be an incredible few minutes. However pockets of the crowd couldn't quite keep their mouths shut for this number and some of it was lost because of it, sometimes people need to learn there are bars for chatting and gigs for listening and watching. Having myself only heard 'Out of the Blue', I was incredibly happy to see that Prides are not just a one hit wonder and have an arsenal of superb tracks that everyone will hear in time.
This show was an absolute blinder, and a very strong gig near the close of the Summer Nights programme. King Tut's once again prove that they are one of the best, if not the best, small venue in Glasgow.
