GIG REVIEW | MARTHA MAY & THE MONDAYS | KING TUTS

Martha May & The Mondays | Photo by David Barrett

Night ten of King Tuts New Years Revolution gig series gave us a brilliant variety of bands and saw punk group Martha May & The Mondays close out the night in style.

My first gig of 2025 and what a gig to start with. Marf., Count The Days, Human Renegade and Martha May & The Mondays all delivering very different but all equally entertaining performances, this was a fantastic way to kick off the year.

Giving the steadily filling room a mix of covers and original tracks, Marf. warmed up King Tuts for the explosive night to come. Their alluring sound started out small but the bluesy and sometimes jazz feeling soft rock grew with intensity, especially from the incredible vocalist.

With only one single on Spotify I really didn’t know what to expect from Marf. and I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was prepared for a more alt rock thing that was good but nothing too special, instead I was completely captured by their gritty yet stunning sound. I have to say this was largely due to the talents of their vocalist who seemed so effortlessly, to go between sweet tones and gravelly rock moments. Marf. even treated the crowd to a cover of Gorillaz ‘Feel Good Inc.’ which went down a treat.

Marf. | Photo by David Barrett

Second act of the night was Count The Days who are a force to be reckoned with. Their energy was unmatched as the frontman seemed to be constantly zooming about the stage and jumping with the crowd. These guys have a fast and crazy sound while also having a couple of melodic moments too. They seem to be bringing new life into the Scottish punk scene.

Count The Days may have only played a couple of gigs previously in Glasgow and Aberdeen, but they seem to already be owning their stagecraft. Whether you were grabbing a drink or right in the crowd it would’ve been hard not to want to get involved with the ruckus that was happening before you.

Count The Days | Photo by David Barrett

Next up on the stage was alt rockers Human Renegade, this is a band I’ve been lucky to catch a few times recently and their show at King Tuts had the same exciting energy they always bring. With a sound that would’ve fit right in with my favourite bands when I was fourteen, they’re combining a little hardcore emo, a little metalcore, screamo and almost every genre that was popular in the early 2010’s.

Looking across the barricade everyone was jumping about like crazy during Human Renegade’s set, especially when the frontman went down to join the crowd during one of their more popular live songs. The five-piece closed with fan favourite ‘Emo’, the super catchy track, as always, had everyone in the room either singing along or bouncing and taking in the fun energy.

Human Renegade | Photo by David Barrett

Lastly, stealing the show at the end was the headliners Martha May & The Mondays. Their own blend of punk music is as equally bright and catchy as it is rowdy and intense.

Not only were the bands songs totally captivating but their ability to own the stage was impressive, especially from singer Martha who came out dressed in a bright red cat suit. I love the way this band incorporates violin into their fierce sound, it made for a very cool and very powerful intro.

Martha May & The Mondays | Photo by David Barrett

Song wise the group gave us everything from opening with a cover of Electric Six’s ‘Gay Bar’ making me believe the song could’ve been made for them, to a new favourite of mine, the bright and a little silly feeling ‘Tennis’ that has more of an indie/alt rock sound. Then they also delivered an insane performance of their popular track ‘SPIT!’ which I watched from the back as the crowd went wild.

Martha May & The Mondays are a band that may have only been around for a few years but are already gaining a steady following and I can see them continuing to grow. Their stage show is so fun, and they make you want to watch. There’s not a single boring moment once they take the space and singer Martha was constantly interacting with the crowd, making multiple jokes about crowd surfing and how they needed strong people to catch them, or stealing someone’s beanie. Martha May & The Mondays have the sort of energy that makes it impossible not to fall in love with them and I can’t wait to see them again.

Martha May & The Mondays | Photo by David Barrett

Overall, a great night spanning from stunning melodic moments to rowdy punk. Each band gave something different while also not feeling too far apart in their sounds. Every band was great in their own ways, and I’d recommend seeing each and every one of them.