Opus Kink

Opus Kink are back at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut on Thursday 19 November, their first headline show at the venue. They're a six-piece, and they've built their name on a brand of jazz-and-country-laced punk that doesn't sit still. The live shows have a cult reputation for going well beyond the blueprint of 80s post-punk, and the sound careens from tarantella to pounding death-disco, music hall to menacing, sluggish dirge, all held together by a formidable horn section and a ragged, sardonic delivery.

They've played a fair few odd places along the way, from Serbian abattoirs to sold-out iconic halls, and they bear a passing resemblance to no-wave acts like The Pop Group, Birthday Party and Lounge Lizards. What sets them apart is the way they weave in older, traditional influences: choral, folk, country, Latin, Weimar cabaret and cruise-ship crooner. It's a strange mix to hold in one set, and the horn section does a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping it from falling apart.

Their songs deal in violence, evil, shame, troubled sexual politics, anxiety and emptiness, all served with a wry absurdist bent that crafts a sort of alluring nether-world for the audience. It's not exactly light listening, and the lyrics don't shy away from the darker side of things. The whole thing is strictly for over-18s, so keep that in mind if you're bringing anyone along.

Doors open at 19:30 at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, 272A Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5RL. It's a headline show, so Opus Kink are the only act on the bill.