MUSIC REVIEW: Drenge @ Glasgow’s King Tuts

King Tuts Wah Wah Hut is a place with a sense of occasion built into its very foundations. This is the building where Oasis got signed and it’s filled with the Indie scene’s usual suspects wearing denim jackets, Doc Martens and t-shirts with band logos plastered on the front. The occasion is Drenge’s return to Glasgow since their comeback last year.

The band have seen some changes in the time in between this tour and their last. They have since evolved from a two piece to a four piece and the band’s on stage sound is richer and fuller; but manages to not sacrifice any of the raw manic energy that band have become known for. Once a garage rock band the new album ‘Strange Creatures’ has Drenge casting a gloomier shadow that’s clearly influenced by the Post Punk of the late 70s. Front man Eoin Loveless is suited up and as the show progresses you can’t help but feel like you’re watching an accountant’s very violent breakdown on the stage.

Opening with the title track of their latest album ‘Strange Creatures’ makes for a more atmospheric start. The crunching riffs that are synonymous with the band are more subdued giving the band space to show off their melodic side. The vocals throughout are more ominously tense in a way that brings Joy Division to the mind in all the best ways. The track ‘Bonfire of the City Boys’ signifies the shift from melodic to frenzied as the guitars become more aggressive and the crowd are whipped up and the mosh pits start. Drenge don’t shy away from the old tracks with ‘People In Love Make Me Feel Yuck’ being a highlight that’s been pimped out with an additional bass riff and synths.

Experimentation is not a concept that you would pair with Drenge but they are trying their best to keep things interesting if not surprising. ‘Teenage Love’ is a track that is pumping with 80s style synth that staggers all over the place but gives the performance a level of urgency that is only matched by the glitchy and riff heavy single ‘This Dance.’ There are however some stumbling points with minor technical difficulties but nothing the band can’t handle.

When the lights die out for the final time and the ripples of the mosh pits settle with sweaty faces heading for the bar the energy is still lingering in the air. Though the band offer little in surprises they make up for in stage presence and a performance that is fun to watch. If Drenge can keep this level of momentum pumping throughout all remaining dates, this will be a tour you would be sorry to miss.