My first time experiencing the 2026 Summer Nights series of gigs (bar the brilliant opening party last week with Leisureland, Awful Eyes and Alcatraz) was for one of Scotland’s hottest properties right now, Close Control, who captured my imagination earlier this year with their edifying debut single, Proximity, one of 2026 tracks of the year for sure.
As always with Summer Nights, the bill features an eclectic mix of bands ahead of the headliners with Brittle opening the night playing a fierce set of earnest alternative post-hardcore rock with shades of nu-metal influences set, my highlights being Be Mine and an ironically bruising Delicate If you’re heading to Belladrum this year, be sure to seek them out.
Next up it was the turn of a band I’ve been trying to see for an age, but their gigs always seemed to clash with something else… the dramatic dark intensity of Corrine’s music was all that I could have hoped for and more with songs like Despise, Murder and their set closer Wait, creating a mercilessly savage wall of cacophonous noise as a perfect backdrop for Cat’s hauntingly gothic vocals in their glorious aural assault. This definitely won’t be the last time I see them.
If straight down the line classic hard rock is your thing then Bite the Bullet are the band for you, their singer Roman raising hell with her rabble rousing stage antics, their zealous followers lapping up every rock guitar lick of their set which combined some original tracks with covers like Crazy Train and Enter Sandman.
There was an electrically charged atmosphere pulsing though a packed Tuts in advance of the headliners set, the intensity of shared anticipation was palpable with a hubbub of conversation and laughter bubbling away like an emotional contagion spreading around the venue. That atmosphere that had been simmering away suddenly reached boiling point as the quintet took to the stage, the surge of adrenaline rushing through the gathered throng in unison as the band erupted into action. What followed was a never less than vociferously euphoric set of what I can only describe as life-affirming electroclash bangers, dance music with a punk attitude, precise and polished complex beats from the back of the stage, alongside searing guitars and crunching riffs ranging from soaring and bluesy to fuzzy grunge and all topped off with the stunningly powerfully and exquisitely soulful vocals from Christina.
I’m afraid, as this was my first (of hopefully many…) experiences of the band I’m unaware of most of their song titles, apart from the aforementioned Proximity, and their forthcoming new single Until You’re Mine, it mattered not a jot as I had the time of my life every single song blew me away, its hard to pick highlights but a particular track stuck in my head called, maybe, Half Speed? Jamie conducted proceedings perfectly from stage left on synths and programming as well as some robust glam punk guitar riffing and lead vocals on occasion, ensuring a flawless performance and smooth transition between songs. The euphoric jubilance that exuded from the band hit epic levels when they launched into their set closer, the brilliantly infectious Proximity sending the whole of King Tits into a wild frenzy. Once wasn’t enough though and as the song reached the end, the baying crowd were not quite sated, so a grinning Jamie suggested they do it all again, with the crowd going into overdrive if possible displaying even more energy and exhilarated joy than the first time around. If there’s any justice in the world a huge future beckons for this extraordinary band.
