Image courtesy of SNASH @ Facebook
Hardcore punk outfit tear down Tuts in a long-awaited return home!
What’s the Score?
On a dreich cold night, that had enough rain to wash away all memory of Glasgow’s sudden heatwave that had wilted away just a few hours prior, a home-coming gig that was well overdue was heating up to boiling point in Glasgow’s iconic, ‘King Tuts Wah Wah Hut’. Glasgow’s Hard Rock/Punk outfit, ‘SNASH’, were finally returning after countless interruptions and reschedules, that dated way back to March 2020. Whatever the initial reason was for rescheduling, I can no longer recall…
As the doors were minutes away from opening, you could feel the anticipation in the bar area as the same excited confession ricochet from punter to punter that they hadn’t seen the band in, “…lit three years or something!”. A lot was expected from the four piece, who were notorious for making some of the most evil, unapologetic and sincere tunes that the Glasgow scene has seen in recent years. It was clear that everyone had come to see if the boys could still strike a chord that would make, ‘Black Sabbath’ sound like yer Da’s old, ‘Perry Como’ records. On this shared note of curiosity, the doors opened.
PERMO
First on the stage were a Falkirk trio who were impressively louder than you ever thought a three piece could be (if you don’t count Glaswegian hell raisers, ‘Shredd’, of course!). The lead singer rattled through the set list with his eyes averted to the ground, showing a demeanour which could never exactly be identified as shyness or a detached and dark persona. Either way, it made him an alluring frontman to watch.
The bass player’s heavy tone gave that extra boost to their rapid-fire bombshells of hate and distaste that were their songs, to which the drummer matched with equal velocity. I saw a strong influence from Australian bands like, ‘Amyl and the Sniffers’, as well as other heavier 80’s American bands like, ‘Scream’. One of the highlights of the night was previous single, ‘Heroin’. Another stand out was an unreleased song that sounded like Tom Petty at a satanic ritual. If you want to know what I’m on about, then you’ll have to catch them and see for yourself. Just remember that you might need ear plugs and a pair of shoes that you don’t mind getting wrecked!
Lo Rays
‘Lo Rays’, were the underdogs of the bill in my eyes. I don’t mind confessing that when I see a MacBook taken on to the stage, I tend to roll my eyes and think, “Here we go…”. I don’t mean to be cruel, I’m just not really into that kind of thing, but little did I know that, ‘Lo Rays’ stylistic differences would prove to be their strength as opposed to their failing. The frontwoman kicked off the set alone strapped with army style clothes and bright white hair, creating a glam rock style appearance. As she performed the song which was choreographed and assisted only by a techno ballad-like backing track, I soon realized that I had judged too soon.
Once the rest of the band sauntered onto the stage, the set was in full motion. The thundering guitar riffs along with the techno backed beats created a cyberpunk sci-fi fest to behold. Lo Rays sounded dystopian in the best way possible, with sounds that would smash you over the head but never stop your foot from involuntarily tapping. The song, ‘Human’, was a personal favourite of mine, which contemplates alienation and gives the vibe of being lost in a club. A special mix of consternation and bliss! By the end of the set, the band whom I once thought were the underdogs of the line-up had become the hidden gem of the night.
Wine Moms
The final support was the perfect act to get everyone buzzing. The five piece walked onto the stage, appearing like a bunch of people with radically different personalities and styles that had been flung together to create a musical party, and that’s basically what you got! The band had a strong pop punk feel to them, but at the same time didn’t exactly sound like they were trying to be American either. They emanated the fun, chaotic aura that would ooze from bands like, ‘The Chats’ and ‘Fiendz YT’. The band blistered through a set of heavy punk ridden anthems and by the time they were done, everyone was now ready for what was to come.
SNASH
Now the supports are finished, it’s finally time for the return of one of Glasgow’s most infamous heavy hitters. Once the first notes of, ‘Welcome to Hell’, dart through the room, it’s clear that the four piece have lost none of their edge. In fact, it’s as sharp as ever and more than ready to strike into the crowd. I don’t think there’s a band around that has a better opening song. It’s visceral, untamed, and most importantly: it doesn’t give a fuck if you don’t like it. It’s a song that perfectly encapsulates everything the audience was about to hear for the next 50 minutes. Mosh pits start instantly.
‘SNASH’, crashed through a set that hit like a sledgehammer. The punk outfit mixed old fan favourites like ‘Getaway’, ‘Conspiracy Theories’ and ‘Drag You Down’ to name a few, with more recent singles like, ‘Pigs’ and the band’s newest release, ‘Sick’ which meditates on being a bad person but more in the way of a warning than a sorrowful reflection. The band even showcased new songs like, ‘Ritz’ and another tune that I couldn’t catch the name of but served as a clear sign that the four piece are still progressing with their sound and going deeper into the depths of the devil’s notes.
Connan Fullerton is a frontman that isn’t scared to get into your face whether crowd-surfing or wrapping his mic cord around punters who were either screaming the words back down the front or jumping into the pit who’s sporadic motion never stopped the full gig. As the room lay scattered with feedback and drunken voices, which was all that was now left, one thing was clear: ‘SNASH’, are back and have not in any way grown tame or burned out. Instead, they are as scathing and as malevolent as ever, with enough fire in their songs to scorch any venue down to the ground. Welcome to hell!!!
Spotify
Some highlights on the night. Follow if you dig: