Photo + Words: Olivia Macrae
Basht. brought their Spring UK 2026 Tour to a sold-out crowd at Glasgow’s King Tut’s on 8th April – and honestly – there was no place better to spend a Wednesday night.
Before doors opened there was already a queue of eager waiters outside, and the room quickly piled up by the time Belfast rockers Esmeralda Road opened the show at 8pm. What a set – the band’s engagement was top tier and their grooving guitars and vocals really came together. The band also made sure to meet fans after the set and thanked them individually for purchasing merch – something that I really respect in bands who go the extra mile in fostering connections with both old and new listeners.
By 9pm Basht. hit the stage and were met with a roaring crowd. Even though the opening track of the setlist was unreleased, I could tell it was going to be a great show, and I think the band could tell too.
Basht. are an Irish rock band with pillaring success, having already supported huge names like Wunderhorse and the Goo Goo Dolls, and just recently came off a huge European tour supporting Miles Kane – all within only a couple years since the band’s formation. They’ve also landed huge festival slots for 2026 including Reading & Leeds, Bearded Theory, Boardmasters and Rock & Roll Circus this summer.
The crowd loved Basht.’s set – with mini mosh pits for almost every song and a crowd surfer who got taken out around halfway through. Vain and Sacred Heart from their most recent 2025 EP ‘Bitter And Twisted’ were crowd favourites, and especially the older stuff like ‘Gone Girl‘ and ‘Dirty White Lies‘ never go amiss in a Basht. crowd.
However, as much as the crowd loved their released stuff, it was the unreleased tracks that really stood out for me in this set. ‘Terror TV‘ has become almost a setlist staple in Basht. sets, and you could see that some loyal crowd members had already learnt the words. Some other new tracks were ‘Kids Vs Guns‘ with piercing guitars and lyrics evoking pure emotion and frustration to the current socio-political climate in the ‘U.S. Poor Advice‘ and ‘Kiera Knightley‘ were more unreleased tunes I hadn’t heard before, and really encapsulated Basht.’s signature sound whilst also giving the listener a new side to the band that can only be fully experienced live.
I was lucky enough to capture Basht.’s last Glasgow headline back in May 2025, which you can read all about here. So this gig was definitely a full circle moment experiencing them play at the same venue almost a year later!
This sold-out tour unlocks bigger rooms, higher energy, and a bunch of new unreleased tracks for you to sink your teeth into. Definitely a band to keep on your radar.
Listen to ‘Bitter And Twisted’ here.
Taped Magazine 