Around the UK in 80 Venues: King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

Posted on Aug 15th 2009 8:33AM by Stephen Dowling
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Location: 272A St Vincent St, Glasgow, G2 5RL, Scotland

Website: http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/

Capacity: 300

Come to see: An eclectic mix of bands -- King Tut's was set up in 1990 as a place to showcase new and up-and-coming bands seven nights a week. Scottish promoter Stuart Clumpas had realised Glasgow was without a small venue catering for new bands, so decided to start his own club.

Radiohead, the Verve, Pulp, Suede, Gomez, Barenaked Ladies, Catatonia, Beck, Ash, Supergrass, the Charlatans, Deacon Blue, Rae & Christian and Mercury Rev have all played the King Tut's. The emphasis is very much on indie and alternative rock.

The atmosphere: Intimate. With a capacity of only 300, King Tut's allows a whites-of-their-eyes proximity to the big names of tomorrow. King Tut's has an enviable reputation with the Glasgow music scene – in the last two decades it has become the place to play for smaller bands visiting the city.

The band room is upstairs, and the venue also boasts a bar and café on the ground level, as well as pool tables.Claim to fame: It's a story that has gone down in Britpop legend. In 1993, Manchester band My Sister Lover brought along some fellow Mancunians as unofficial support for their gig with Glaswegians 18 Wheeler, who were signed to Alan McGee's Creation label. The venue's management weren't particularly happy that this arrangement, but agreed the interlopers could have a 20-minute slot -- it was, after all, their first gig outside Manchester. The name of the band? Oasis.

Alan McGee, who was in King Tut's on a whim because of a delayed train to London, saw Oasis blaze their way through a ragged set and signed them on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history.

You should also know: During a set at Scotland's T in the Park music festival in 1999, the Manic Street Preachers gave a shout out to the venue because it was the first club they had played in that had offered them a hot meal.

Scottish band Idlewild played all five of their albums in a five-night residency at King Tut's in December 2008.

Booking now: The Temper Trap, Los Campesinos, Bombay Bicycle Club, Therapy and Johnny Foreigner.