After a somewhat disappointing late July day, full of clouds and the threat of rain, I was lucky enough to find myself tucked into the heat of the action at the infamous ‘King Tut’s Summer Nights’.
To kick off the evening, was singer Natasha Oldcorn. Oldcorn brought an incredibly delicate start to the evening. Breezily, she lulled the, still growing, crowd with her gorgeous voice paired with sometimes gut-wrenching lyrics. I really enjoyed how she breathed pop culture into her music, especially her witty and upbeat take on the melancholic Fig Tree metaphor from Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’ – giving the miserable feeling of wasted potential an unexpected positive spin. Her vocals were incredible, she sang with such ease as it was as if she were breathing. Such a wonderful way to kick off an amazing night!
After such an opening, I was readying myself for a quiet, acoustic night. With more stripped back sets, just a voice and some guitar – but Ben Lauder did not get this memo.
Bursting onto the stage, with more energy than I’ve seen some artists perform with in arenas, Ben Lauder instantly captivated me. He really challenged the idea of a small artist needing to be small with his huge stage presence. That was the main thing which made Lauder stand out to me, whilst his incredible and witty original songs and his unreal cover of ‘Von Dutch’ by Charli XCX had cemented him in my mind and playlist, it was the way in which he was able to gage and entertain the crowd which made him so special that evening. He conducted himself like a true star, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he became one in the coming years.
After the energy brought by Lauder, I thought Maddie Nisbet – the evening’s next act – would be a similar genre of musician, and that there would be no more style-shifting whiplash for me – but I was wrong.
Nisbet has a beautiful country style voice, and she performs with the backing of an incredibly talented indie-esque band. The two flowed together so incredibly well, the pairing shown particularly well in their song ‘Ammunition’ which allowed Nisbet’s voice to shine, as well as the talent of the band to be undeniable. I felt as though they brought an immensely fresh sound to the evening, as well as to the current indie scene as a whole! It was amazing to hear a band not afraid to try something new, and to see people doing something different, and true to themselves.
After these three incredible supporting acts, I didn’t know if I had it in me to hear anymore incredible live music. But as soon as Rosie Alice began to play, I found that energy.
Rosie Alice’s style reminded me very much of Irish pop princess CMAT, with the raw and unfiltered emotion each and every lyric was steeped in, these vibes were particularly present in her song ‘Roses and Red Wine’. Throughout the whole set, I was kept on my toes – from the strong pop-rock of songs like ‘Best Part of My Day’ to the vulnerable ballad ‘The Only Love I’ve Ever Known’ – it was impossible to guess what would be heard next. Even the cover wasn’t what I thought it was – what began as a breathtaking cover of t.A.T.u’s ‘All the Things She Said’ blended seamlessly into the chorus of ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries and just when I thought I knew what was happening, we were back to t.A.T.u. It was such a great example of an artist making a cover their own, something that is very daunting to do. But nothing seemed to daunt Rosie Alice, who couldn’t seem to believe she was headlining King Tut’s. But there was no doubt in my mind, she belonged on that stage, in front of that crowd, singing her songs. An incredible way to round off an already incredible night of music, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is only the first of many King Tut’s headlines for her and her band.