Live Review: All Them Witches @ King Tut's (Glasgow), 10/3/17

My magical mystery tour in the UK started off with live music, so it seemed only right that my last night across the pond should be spent in the company of still more music. Even better, it was a night spent in the cozy confines of legendary Glasgow venue King Tut's, for a sold out show starring my fellow compatriots All Them Witches.

I'd wanted to see these Nashville noisemakers for quite a while, and judging by the heaving hordes on this Tuesday night at King Tut's, I'm not the only one. Just before the band emerged, the wail of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" was played, leading to a huge singalong from the packed-in crowd. As soon as All Them Witches got going, the assembled were totally enraptured by their coils of sludgy, expansive heavy psych muddle. The unholy tempest of "When God Comes Back" whipped the packed house into a frenzy. 

"Play some heavy metal!" was urged more than once from somewhere deep within the sea of bodies, though what was coming from the stage wasn't all that far removed, from a noise perspective. In song after song, the band was heavy, hefty, and hellishly loud (in a good way, naturally). The heaving crowd seemed to eat it up, going absolutely mental during the frenzied, deafening instrumental onslaughts. There was banter between songs, but the buzz in the building kept me from being able to tell what the heck was being said. "Elk.Blood.Heart" caused full-on insanity on the floor as it reached its bruising crescendo.  

It may have taken a while, but All Them Witches was well worth the wait. These gents know how to grab hold of their audience and not let go until they're good and ready. I'm thrilled to have been able to experience them in Glasgow with such a devoted gathering, where I'm sure they left everyone wanting more. I know I do.          



[posted 10.14.17]

[photo copyright Megan Petty]