LIVE REVIEW: Softcult, She’s Green, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 22/11/2025
Photo: Mercedes Arn-Horn
Softcult have come all the way from Ontario, Canada to drop by the iconic King Tut’s for the first date of their UK tour where we expect to hear tracks from the upcoming album & recent EP release She Said, He Said. Their debut album When A Flower Doesn’t Grow is also due in January, it is one we’re looking forward to reviewing for Bring The Noise.
Tonight’s support band She’s Green have also come all the way from North America, Minnesota to be precise and are playing a show in the UK for the very first time tonight. She’s Green were formed in 2022 by singer Zofia Smith and guitarist Liam Armstrong, the style of music sits perfectly with that of Softcult – a good mixture of shoegaze and grunge – the band released EP Chrysalis back in August and we would get to hear a few from that release. Zofia tells us that they had played a show in Detroit the previous day before flying over the Atlantic, that’s some schedule! We can see the band members of Softcult at the side of the stage nodding away to the music, the crowd reaction is also decent with each song ending with a loud cheer from the two hundred and fifty or so inside the small intimate venue. Smile Again and Mandy were the standouts from the eight-track set, as they left the stage after playing Mandy the crowd were having none of it, collective chants of “one more tune” rang out around the room and the band obliged by returning to play one last song Syndulla. All in all it was a very enjoyable set, if any evidence was needed as to whether the crowd enjoyed it then the impressive queue at the merchandise table afterwards was it with loads of fans wanting to speak to the band. 8/10
Softcult are twin sisters Mercedes Arn-Horn (guitar & vocals) and Phoenix Arn-Horn (drums & vocals) who are joined by touring members Brent McSwiggan (guitar) and Phil Hirst (bass). They are known for playing a shoegaze and alternative rock style, however there wasn’t much gazing at shoes going on tonight, all four band members owned the King Tut’s stage as they wowed the crowd with their stage movement as well as sublime instrument playing skills. We missed Softcult when they were last in Glasgow the same month last year touring the Heaven EP so were delighted to finally see them live tonight. The set opens with Drain which sets the tone for the rest of the show and is quickly followed by two new songs from the upcoming When A Flower Doesn’t Grow album with Pill To Swallow and Naive being the songs. They both sound so fresh as Mercedes and Pheonix show off their musicianship qualities sending the crowd into raptures especially when Mercedes tells the crowd that “Glasgow is one of our favourite cities in the world”.
16/25 is another of the new track whilst Heaven and Uzumaki are both played to perfection tonight, the interactions between the band members is great to watch. An example of this is when Mercedes is almost hanging off Brent McSwiggan during an impressive back bend. Take It Off and Spit It Out are two of the standout tracks from the fifteen track set with the crowd loving every moment, we are so looking forward to hearing the debut album in January.
As the band leave the stage to a rapturous applause we head towards the exit expecting not to see the band again but they are soon back on stage for one more song after another “one more tune” chant from the crowd. It’s a very important song that ends the set in BWBB (boys will be boys), Mercedes gives a lengthy speech about male violence towards women, sexism and misogyny, the song itself is dedicated to Sarah Everard, the young woman who was brutally kidnapped and murdered by a corrupt police officer a few years ago. All the females in the crowd are invited to come down to the front in a moment of solidarity towards women, it really is a poignant end to a night of music that was so enjoyable, we couldn’t think of another way of spending our Saturday night. 9/10
Written by: Alan Brown
