King Tut's: International Women's Day 2025
By Amy Middleton
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’ll be taking a look at some of the incredible artists that have played King Tut’s over the years!
Florence + the Machine
After releasing their debut single Kiss With A Fist, South London’s Florence + the Machine played King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in 2008 and are now best known for hits such as You Got The Love, Dog Days Are Over and Shake It Out. Florence + the Machine went on to win British Album of the Year at the BRIT Awards in 2010 with debut album Lungs, and headlined the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2015.
In 2023, Florence + the Machine played the OVO Hydro as part of the Dance Fever tour. Most recently, Florence Welch joined pop powerhouse Taylor Swift on stage at Wembley Stadium in August to perform Florida!!!.
KT Tunstall
Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall played Tut’s in 2005, which was the same year her album Eye To the Telescope was released that featured hit Suddenly I See. In January 2006, she received three BRIT nominations – best British Live Act, best British Breakthrough Act, and best British Female Solo Artist – winning the award for best British Female Solo Artist.
More recently, KT Tunstall was announced as a contributor to a revised version of Clueless, a new musical adapted from the 1995 film starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd. It premiered in the UK at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley in February 2024 featuring an original score by Tunstall.
Later this year, KT Tunstall will be supporting Simple Minds at Bellahouston Park as part of Glasgow Summer Sessions on 27th June.
Amy Macdonald
Born in Bishopbriggs, Amy Macdonald got her chance to shine after her debut album, This is the Life reached number 1 on the UK album charts. She debuted played King Tut’s for the first time in 2007, returning in 2018 with a special gig for the Sunday Mail’s ‘7 Nights Sessions’, raising money for Nordoff Robbins. In 2020, Amy won the King Tut’s Songwriter of the Year Award at the Scottish Music Awards in 2015, before going on to win the coveted Women in Music Award at the Scottish Music Awards in 2020.
Skunk Anansie
In 1995, Skunk Anansie played in Tut’s - the same year the band were voted Best New British Band by the readers of Kerrang! Magazine – and went on to headline Glastonbury festival two years later. Throughout the 90’s the band toured extensively with band such as U2, Aerosmith, Feeder, Lenny Kravitz, Killing Joke, Bad Religion and Muse.
Skunk Anansie are set to play a headline show O2 Academy Glasgow on Thursday 10th April.
Texas
Scottish band Texas headlined in July 2005, including hits Inner Smile and Say What You Want on the setlist that night. In 2023, Texas played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival and most recently, played two sold-out nights at the OVO Hydro as part of their The Very Best Of tour.
Paloma Faith
Paloma Faith made her King Tut’s debut in 2009 and went on to play T in the Park the following year. Faith has six albums under her belt, and is now also an actress, podcaster and Sunday Times Bestselling author.
Ellie Goulding
In 2010, Ellie Goulding played King Tut’s as part of her first headline tour and had the crowd singing along from the very first song. She played King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent at T in the Park the same year, returning to play the main stage in 2014.
She has since sold more than 27 million albums and 216 million singles, and amassed 43 billion streams worldwide, making her one of the most successful British female artists of the 21st century.
Arlo Parks
Arlo Parks first played King Tut’s in 2020. Her debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. It earned her nominations for Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2021 Brit Awards. It won the 2021 Mercury Prize for Best Album.
Most recently, she received writing credits for the song YA YA performed by Beyoncé on the album Cowboy Carter.
CMAT
CMAT gave an amazing performance at King Tut's in March 2022. After announcing her first album If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, the Irish country-pop singer entertained the audience with her funny and sincere songs about love and life's unexpected turns. In 2024, CMAT took to the main stage at Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT, and is due to support Sam Fender in stadiums across the UK and Europe this Spring and Summer before appearing at Glastonbury in June.
Nina Nesbitt
Nina Nesbitt made her Tut’s debut in 2013. Her debut studio album Peroxide was released the following year and debuted at No. 1 in the Official Scottish Album Chart. In 2024, she formed her own record label Apple Tree Records and released her fourth studio album Mountain Music, which debuted at No. 3 in Scotland, topped the UK Folk Albums Chart and became her most critically acclaimed record to date.
Most recently, Nesbitt was honoured with the SGW3 Independent Icon Award by the Scottish Music Awards.
Biig Piig
Irish singer and rapper Biig Piig played Tut’s for the first time in 2023. She recently released her debut album 11:11 and is due to play Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT for the first time this summer.
Brooke Combe
King Tut’s is where Brooke Combe played her first ever headline gig in 2021 – and it was sold-out too! She calls the venue a ‘life changing place’, saying she was on a high after that night for about two weeks straight.
Brooke is set to perform at Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT this summer.
Holly Humberstone
Also making her Tut’s debut in 2021 was Holly Humberstone. The following year, she won the Rising Star Award at the 2022 Brit Awards. Holly released her debut studio album Paint My Bedroom Black in October 2023, and Rolling Stone recognised it as one of their albums of the year.
Most recently, her song Haunted House was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for the Best Song Musically and Lyrically, and she supported Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour at Wembley.
Olivia Dean
Olivia Dean played a sold-out show Tut’s for the first time in March 2023 and was selected as BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year that same year. Olivia is due to support Sam Fender at the Royal Highland Showgrounds as part of Edinburgh Summer Sessions later this year.