On night two of King Tuts Summer Nights, four high-energy local bands came together to perform in Glasgow’s iconic music venue. King tuts was packed on this Friday night, with the crowd ready to hear a variety of bands play.
Opening the night just before 8pm with their King Tuts debut was Brittle. On a high from having just released their second single “Breathe” in May, Brittle had great enthusiasm and set the tone for the night perfectly with their high-energy, and full sound. Brittle consists of five members; a bass guitarist, drummer, electric guitarist, synthesist/ backing vocal, lead vocalist/ guitarist. The addition of the atmospheric synthesizer, which isn’t always included in a typical band setup, really enriched their sound. The mix was elevated by this alongside the punchy drums, rich bass, a blend of passionate male and female vocals, and warm electric guitars. In Brittle’s original song “Be Mine” the riff hooked me. This riff was played on a reverbed electric guitar. Brittle’s original songs focus heavily on layering warm electric guitars. The guitars mixed together with all of the other instrumentation create that shoegaze blend, although Brittle are on the slightly heavier alt rock side. The band seemed comfortable on stage, especially the drummer with his big smile, synthesist with her short chats to the crowd as she promoted their upcoming shows, and lead singer/ guitarist who was feeling the moment as he moved to the music. Brittle showcased themselves well, their set flowed smoothly and it was an enjoyable performance. They did a great job opening the evening and got the crowd ready for a packed night of entertainment.
The next act was Corrine who were on at 8:30pm. Corrine are a four-piece band who brought a grungy, goth, alt rock sound. They had a vocalist, bassist, guitarist and drummer. For the most part their instrumentation was deep, driven and distorted. Corrine are emerging in the Scottish music scene as they had their most-streamed single ‘Murder’ featured on BBC Radio Scotland in 2024. Having played their second show in King Tuts back in 2024, they have since been working on a range of new music. At this gig Corrine got to share their newest single ‘Wait’ which they released in early 2026. This song has a laid back, atmospheric beginning with soft vocals, subdued drums, a warm bass, and a reverbed guitar riff. The song soon builds up into a heavier sound with crashing drums, crunchy guitar, deep bass, and passionate vocals. Their sound filled the room nicely and the crowd was building by this point in the night.
Just after 9pm, it was time for the penultimate set of the evening. Bite The Bullet took the stage for their very first gig at King Tuts. Immediately their energy was unmatched. They have a rock, grunge sound with their band consisting of a lead singer, bass guitarist, drummer, and electric guitarist. Bite The Bullet played a range of covers such as Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne and Enter Sandman by Metallica, as well as some originals too. The crowd enjoyed being able to come together, singing and dancing along to these classics. Bite The Bullet had driving rhythms with distorted electric guitar, punchy drums, rich bass, passionate, powerful female lead vocal, alongside the male bassist’s deep backing vocal. They had such a strong, confident stage presence. The lively lead singer fed off the crowd’s energy, frequently interacting with the audience throughout the set. Bite The Bullet’s instrumentation was consistently tight, and their performance carried relentless energy that resonated with the crowd. They made a great King Tut’s debut, hopefully there will be many more to come.
It was now time for the headliner, Close Control, who began their set at 10pm. They had a drummer, lead vocalist, synthesist/ electric guitarist, bassist, and electric guitarist. Compared to the previous bands, Close Control had a more electronic, dance music sound, whilst still having a touch of alt rock with the driving rhythms and distorted electric guitar. Their songs featured intricate grooves and rhythms, breathtaking vocals with impressive vocal flips, atmospheric synths, grungy electric guitars, and rich bass guitar filling out the mix. Close Control’s single ‘Proximity’ which was released in March was a clear fan favourite. It was so well received that when Close Control ended their set and began packing up, the crowd chanted for them to sing it again, so they did! This high-energy song that makes you want to dance with its catchy riffs hooking you throughout. Having only started the band and playing their first-ever gig in King Tuts in late 2025, the quality of Close Control’s performance and overall sound is impressive. I am excited to see what comes next for them, hoping to hear some new releases and gig announcements soon. Close Control carried themselves well, I very much enjoyed their set and overall vibe.
I really enjoyed my time at King Tuts for night two of the Summer Nights. Going into this night I hadn’t properly heard of any of these bands so I was happy to have discovered their talent. All bands performed to a great standard. I hope to hear more from them all whether that’s new music releases, or perhaps some more live shows. It was amazing to see the support shown for these emerging artists. The crowd was lively and engaged throughout the night which was amazing to see. I would highly recommend going to one of the many summer nights available right until the end of August, to discover new musicians and support your local music scene. Who knows you might end up finding your new favourite artist! Tickets are well priced and it’s a great night out. I will definitely be going to more nights like this.
