King Tuts was brought an awakening from across the globe when American rockers Mannequin Pussy brought their sound to the iconic Glasgow venue.
Setting the tone for the night was Manchester based opening act TTSSFU. King Tuts was already filling up when the band took to the stage. The venue was brimming with thrashing guitar riffs and loud drums, with Tasmin Nicole Stephens front and centre singing and swaying almost carefree, a contrast to the crashing around her. The tracks were great and the crowd were loving it. Half way through the set, Stephens announced that she was losing her voice, as she took a swig of her can, channelling pure punk rock and roll. TTSSFU played a cool half hour set which was sure to leave an impression on those who turned out, as she screamed a ‘Thank you!’ to the room before leaving the stage.
The sold out venue was starting to feel packed. Their first appearance in Glasgow, Mannequin Pussy have an evident following. The band were given an enthusiastic welcome as they appeared on stage, and opened with ‘I Don’t Know You’, a track that has a light-hearted step in its tune. The crowd immediately began singing along. Into the second track, lead singer Marisa “Missy” Dabice began flirting with the front row, reaching down from the stage during her performance. Throughout the gig Dabice’s performance was captivating, as she danced candidly around the stage, and frequently engaged with the crowd. Watching her dance her way through the songs so freely and in tune with the guitars and drums, whilst maintaining perfect vocals was impressive, and added to raw feeling behind the tunes.
As the band worked through the setlist, they brought an impactful loudness to the room, even in quieter moments. The hard hitting punk tracks such as ‘Loud Bark’ enlisted the crowd in rebellious roaring. It was interesting then to see how they shifted from being heavy and thundering to a more spiritual tone, sometimes in the same track. ‘Control’ brought such a change of pace that felt light, with the crowd floating along, then surging in moments of intensity. Drums and guitars could be thrashing out some punky riffs one minute, lead by roaring vocals, and then effortlessly calm to delicate intricacy and intimate whispers in comparison.
The level of crowd engagement from the band, particularly lead singer Dabice was something that set the gig apart from many. Dabice spoke in soft, whispery tones, which brought an almost spiritual and intimate feeling to the room. She invited the fans to shout back and join in in a ‘primal scream’, which catapulted the band into song. They shared anecdotes throughout the gig, sharing views on humanity, religion, and life. The most notable of those lead into a powerful performance of ‘I Got Heaven’, the title track of the bands latest album released in March this year. This track has no warm up. The band launch straight into hard hitting drums and riffs and confronting punky vocals. The track itself is aggressive and raw, and hearing this live was so much more as the band were able to bring the crowd right to their level.
Throughout the night, Dabice repeatedly thanked the Scottish crowd for turning out and sharing in the bands first Glasgow gig. The rockers remarked that they are on their last leg of a three month tour. Despite this, their performance was loud, powerful and fresh. As they worked through their set, fans were totally submerged into an encompassing performance. Leaving the room felt like you had experienced something different and powerful, and a feeling I’m sure many fans will be excited to experience again. Definitely a gig to make a point of catching if Mannequin Pussy are in your city.