A bit late to the review party….

One a Saturday evening in June, Boy Child and I boarded the train to Glasgow to head to a venue we hadn’t been to before.

Our destination was Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut on St Vincent Street. We’ve been trying to get to this one for years and finally the planets aligned.

We arrived early so meandered around the area, pausing to mourn the late great ABC on Sauchiehall St (I really miss that venue) before returning to King Tut’s itself.

So, who were we there to see?

Glasgow’s finest, the awesome Anchor Lane!

And the icing on the cake- it was a sell out headline show for the boys!

The music gods were kind to us, and Boy Child secured a rail spot while I made the obligatory trip to the merch stall. Happy days!

There was only one support act for the night, a new band to us, Lo Rays who have recently collaborated with Anchor Lane boys on a track. (More about that later) Also hailing from Glasgow and fronted by Finnish songstress Laura Takula-, Lo Rays are an electronic/post-apocalyptic metal band. I have to admit it is the first time I’ve seen a VCR on stage plugged into an old school portable TV! Amid swirling smoke and subtle lighting, Lo Rays treated the enthusiastic crowd to a great 30-minute set. There are clearly In This Moment influences at play, but Laura is a brilliant quirky performer with a truly versatile style. Awesome start to the night.

Do yourself a favour and check out Lo Rays online.

Shortly after 9pm, amid more smoke and a dimly lit stage, Anchor Lane stepped out to open their 60-minute set with a blistering rendition of Choke. This was my fourth time seeing these guys and my second headline Anchor Lane show. Front man Conor Gaffney oozes energy and cheeky charm right from the off and it didn’t take long before the capacity crowd were nestled in the palm of his hand.

Choke – Anchor Lane (set opener) @ King Tuts Glasgow 22/06/24 (youtube.com)

It’s great to see these boys grow in confidence and develop their own inimitable style on stage to their growing loyal fanbase. Guitarist Laurence goes from strength to strength, regularly taking centre stage to showcase his skills while the engine room of the band, drummer Graeme Newbury, presides over proceedings at the back of the stage.

With only an hour at their disposal Anchor Lane fired through their set at a rapid rate of knots. It was clear for all to see that the guys were enjoying this hometown show as much as their fans.

To avoid disappointing those at the back of the room, Conor jumped off stage and played one number from the back. Expertly played, young sir.

Highlight songs for me were set opener Choke, Ministry complete with opening drum solo and Nitroglycerin.

Ministry – Anchor Lane @ King Tuts Glasgow 22/06/24 (youtube.com)

Nitroglycerin – Anchor Lane @ King Tuts Glasgow 22/06/24 (youtube.com)

Conor had teased the fans about a surprise for later in the set, but in reality, it was no great surprise when Laura and the bass player from Lo Rays joined Anchor Lane on stage for Sychophant, their recent collaboration track and the penultimate song of the night. Awesome stuff!

Sychophant – Anchor Lane & Lo Rays @ King Tuts Glasgow 22/06/24 (youtube.com)

Anchor Lane ended the night with Soul 2 Pour amid cries and please from the fans for more.

Short, sweet, sweaty and smoky! A killer headline show!