I think I was scrolling through my Songkick app looking for gigs when I came across this one. The name caught my attention first… as a kid I loved Red Dwarf and wondered if there was a link.
Then – looking deeper – the idea of Shanty Punk as a genre made my decision for me and the name was a second thought. Spending a Friday night at Tuts with this kind of music is very appealing, even if the 8:30 door time is intimidating to someone who likes a mid-afternoon nap.
Getting to the venue half an hour before doors helps get in the mood as it’s full of Celtic punk tunes and well lubricated fans waiting for the go ahead to go upstairs. If you weren’t in the mood before, it doesn’t take long to get there.
The opener tonight is a lad by the name of Harry Miles-Watson. Apparently he normally plays with a band, which after this set I’d like to hear. Hailing from the south of England and currently in Edinburgh – the Glasgow crowd was warm and receptive to him. Playing his acoustic folk tunes, there’s a lot of Frank Turner’s spirit in his music with a lovely dose of Billy Bragg.
A cover of Abba’s ‘Mama Mia” comes from left field but does provoke a singalong. Harry has a really great voice and disposition for this kind of thing. Just like Frank, there’s a softness that draws you in and makes you feel at home while he sings about his life and the frustrations and blips in it. By the end of his set he has the crowd singing an impressive harmony of his own creation. This is one name I’m keeping tabs on.
The main support for this date (there’s numerous throughout this tour) is Truckstop Honeymoon. Looking like a haunted American Gothic, this two piece play both kinds of music… country and western. I could go on and on about the impressive range of instruments being shared between the duo, or the incredible vocals that put you square in the deep south of America… but what I won’t shut up about is how likeable these two are.
I have no idea if they’re acting up to the whole American schtick but close your eyes while these guys are on stage and you’d be convinced that you’ll be running from Leatherface by the end of the night. I’d give almost anything to sit and drink with these guys all night, just listening to them talk. Only a few songs deep and the floor is shaking with boot stompin’ and hollerin’ from a packed King Tuts full of converts. These guys are only on the tour for a few dates and I really hope it’s enough to convince them to come back.
Skinny Lister come onto the stage cheering as much as the audience. Clearly excited to be here and up for the party that the supports have kicked off. Energetic melodeon player Max deserves a special mention for putting most punk musicians to shame with his explosive stage presence from the off.
That’s not to say the rest of the band are just stood there… the movement is impressive from everyone that isn’t stuck to a microphone stand. The music mostly hits like a more restrained Flogging Molly or a more boisterous Pogues. There are calmer moments with songs that are closer to ballads, but they don’t dampen the atmosphere.
This type of band is exactly what the UK has been missing for a long time. It takes far too long for US counterparts Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly to visit, and we’ve not had anything close to this exciting in the genre since The Pogues.
It’s folk punk modernised. We don’t have to pretend we’re drinking in Dublin pubs or the streets of Boston in the early 1900s to feel this band. We can be drinking in King Tut’s on a Friday night, we can relate to what’s being said, and we can have a party while hearing it. A party is exactly what happened tonight and I’m glad I was invited.
Photos by Catching Light Photography