Scottish indie band Flying By Mirrors are at home playing the likes of King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.

However last year the rockers found themselves all dressed up when booked to play a gala event in front of Scotland’s Deputy First Minister.

The five-piece performed at an evening marking the opening of the new campus for City of Glasgow College, where guests included John Swinney.

“Coming from a band that plays sweaty venues and down and out pubs, playing a big gala and being all nicely dressed was a strange experience for all of us,” says the band’s guitarist, Aidan Curran, a student at the college.

“My lecturer at the time had asked if I was in a band and wanted to perform at the gala opening. I thought it sounded fancy, but why not? She was really excited that we got the opportunity, probably even more than me! I don’t think we’ll be playing too many gala balls in the future though, but it was still something different to have under your belt.”

The band will be back on more familiar territory a week from tonight, when they play King Tut’s again. Although the lads, who as well as Aidan feature vocalist Kieran Brown, guitarist Callum ‘Chewy’ McCullough, bassist Jamie Cowan and drummer Ross Cowan, have performed at Tut’s before, this is the first time they will be headlining there.

“It’s a venue where you walk up the steps, see all the names written there and you feel a bit more pressure but a bit more of a buzz too,” says Aidan.

“You realise how many people have played there before and you can feel the history. I know it’s my and the other boys favourite venue to play because of that, and because of the atmosphere.

“We haven’t headlined there before, so it does make you feel that the band is going in the right direction.”

The group have previously released a few singles, but after Tut’s will be returning to the studio to focus on recording more new music. Although the band have been around for a few years, and some of the group have been pals since they were teenagers, it was only in the past year that they started gaining real momentum, aided by Kieran joining as their lead singer.

“There’s been a bit of a change of direction,” says Aidan.

“We’re still an alternative, indie band but they maybe aren’t as heavy as some of the older songs, and we’re happy with that. There’s a level of maturity there with the writing now, that has really increased.

“Kieran gelled really well with us when he joined up. We were looking for someone with a different range in their voice, who could control a crowd. We’re a very live band, and we are very energetic onstage, so we needed someone who could work with that.”

If the music career doesn’t plan out then some of the band might find success in another field of entertainment. Aidan is studying acting at City of Glasgow College, and another two members of the group are set to start the course in the autumn.

Don’t expect too many theatrical flourishes or dramatics onstage, though.

“I enjoy acting in a different sense to the band, because it’s something I’m new to and am learning to do,” he says.

“There is still a buzz when you are performing in front of someone, but It’s all very different to the band. We put acting to one side when we play though.

“Being in a band does help you act, because it gives you experience of stage presence, but we’ve always been a very live band – there’s a lot of chemistry onstage because of how long we have known each other, so it isn’t anything forced onstage.”

Flying By Mirrors, King Tut’s, Thursday August 17, £7, 8.30pm