Tag Archives: King Tuts

Live Review – Willie J Healey, King Tut’s, Glasgow

Glasgow was the first stop on tour for Oxfordshire’s prodigal son, Willie J Healey, on Wednesday night. King Tut’s provided the perfect venue for the garage rocker and his band to kick off their jaunt around the UK.

BE GOOD were tasked with opening up the evening. The groovy, indie pop quartet from Oxford took us through a set of well crafted songs that more than certainly made them a bunch of new fans north of the border.

By the time Willie J Healey snaked his way to the stage with his Jazzmaster in hand, the crowd were more than ready. It was Healey’s first time playing the Wah Wah Hut and his set couldn’t have got off to a better start as he launched into the soaring ‘My Room.’

Just as it does on the Oxford youngster’s debut album, ‘My Room’ transitioned smoothly into ‘Somewhere In Between’ and then ‘All Those Things.’ But it wasn’t just old favourites on the agenda, latest singles ‘Songs for Joanna’ and ‘Polyphonic Love’ went down a treat.

Willie can switch up styles as often as often as he starts a new song, and in among all the thrashing guitars and wild solos, there were quieter moments. ‘Lovelawn’ and ‘Guitar Music’ provided some chilled saxophone sounds, with the latter being preceded by Willie’s declaration that it was ‘time to boogie.’

Bringing the set to a close, Healey gave us a rip-roaring ‘Lazy Shade of Pink’ before his band left the stage and he brought it all to an end on his own with the beautiful ‘We Should Hang.’ The best possible way to close a triumphant King Tuts debut for Willie J Healey.

Willie J Healey’s new EP ‘Hello Good Morning,’ is released on November 15th on Yala! Records.

Posted by: Craig Pool

 

Alabama Shakes, King Tut’s, Glasgow

Star studded audiences, tickets going for ten times their value and riding on a whirlwind of frenzied hype the Alabama Shakes rode into Glasgow. The atmosphere in ‘Tuts was electric, a packed crowd grinning in fevered anticipation, and there hung a hopeful sense of magic in the sweaty air. All too often bands arrive amidst the frenzied ‘the next big thing’, ‘band du jour’ and even every once in a while ‘the voice of a generation’. The album delivered but will the live performance equate the hype?

Bounding onto the tiny stage like a Southern preacher, Brittany Howard had the crowd in the palm of her hand from her first breaths ‘Goin to the Party’. Her soul-drenched holler has been compared to everyone from Janis Joplin, Howlin’ Wolf and Aretha Franklin her voice is something to really behold a Southern bellow that defies belief and stereotype in equal measure, whilst she contorts her face and attacks her geetar with bullying vigour.

Throwing their biggest song, the gospel-tinged ‘Hold On’ so early into their set could prove catastrophic for many bands but the ‘Shakes pull it off with ease, with the audience joining in the sermon all hands in the air and singing along.
Most of their debut album ‘Boys & Girls’ gets a preview with the soulful refrain ‘Hang Loose’ and the hearfelt, spine tingling ‘I found You’, follow in quick precesion. ‘Boys & Girls’ starts with Howard telling the crowd ‘I’m gonna tell y’all a lil storee….’ in her honeyed Southern drawl as the crowd whoops and claps, hanging onto every word and hollered syllable. Whilst the rest of band Heath Fogg and Zac Cockrell (can you get much cooler) and Steve Johnson also deliver a confident, assured and energetic performance. ‘Heavy Chevey’ is a rollicking, raccous shot of Southern rock n soul, a perfect set closer.

Remarkably, Alabama Shakes are doing nothing new, or fashionable but a band who with so much soul and conviction that everything else seems irrelevant. This time, believe the hype.