Primal Scream, Simple Minds, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, The Blue Nile, Orange Juice, Franz Ferdinand, Biffy Clyro… Glasgow has a rich tradition of producing great music to rival any city in the world. This month Down on the Street ventures north of the border for the first time, where Bazza Mills takes us on a tour of Scotland’s music capital…
GIGS
Without a doubt, Glasgow is a city divided by religion and football. I don’t go to church; nor do I own a season ticket at Ibrox or Parkhead. Gigs are my passion – and the shows in Glasgow are up there with the best of them. In recent years a number of new venues have sprung up across the city, but it’s an old ballroom that gets my vote for the best place to see a band. Despite the high risk of being hit from behind by a stray pint of piss when standing close to the stage, my favourite place is the Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom. The atmosphere in this place takes some beating. Don’t take my word for it: Paul Weller wrote ‘From the Floorboards Up’ after coming off stage at the Barrowlands to capture the energy and euphoria of the crowd there.
The Barrowlands isn’t the only venue with a history; many gigs now take place at two former cinemas, the O2 Academy and O2 ABC. The Academy opened in 2003 and has a capacity of 2,500. Split over 2 floors (with fantastic balconies on the top floor) it’s another cracking venue, with great views of the stage from pretty much anywhere inside.
A short distance up Sauchiehall Street is another nightclub-come-live-venue in the form of the famous Garage. For me the Garage has many (blurred) memories, mainly as a nightclub from my student days, though over the years I’ve caught the odd gig here (typically of the rock nature). In terms of being a live venue, perhaps the Garage’s finest moment came when Prince did an impromptu after show gig back in the 90s (I wasn’t fortunate enough to make it, but a mate’s wife swears it was the best gig ever).
Fantastic atmosphere, high energy and pumped crowds are quite the norm in Glasgow, but for a true arena rock experience head to the SSE Hydro, located on the site of the SSE (which has hosted the likes of INXS, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2 and Stereophonics). However, if you’re looking for my intimate surrounding, there are also a number of smaller venues across the city. The legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut is one such place. It was in this small, 250 capacity venue that one Alan McGee (Mr Creation Records) discovered five lads from Manchester by the name of Oasis. The rest is history, as I’m sure you know. Tut’s does a great job of showcasing local talent and is also great for a burger during the day.
A short jaunt away is Waterloo Street, home to another couple of fantastic wee venues in the form of The Admiral and Pivo Pivo. Both venues have scooped some fantastic artists in the past, including Helme, Mark Morriss and John Power. Both venues are great for a beer and The Admiral has a number of club nights, most notably ‘Club Madchester’ on the last Friday of every month, which has attracted guest DJs such as Tim Burgess.
Another notable venue is the Oran Mor on Byers Road in the West End. A converted church, the street level serves as a rather trendy ale house style pub, where locals share banter with one another, while a sub level hosts gigs (Tim Burgess and Steve Craddock have played here in recent years). Also in the West End is the intimate Roxy 171, where Modrock Music and Creation Management present regular Creation Sessions that are well worth a look.
During the summer months when the rain (partially) subsides and the thermometer levels head north, there’s the odd concert at SFA headquarters Hampden, whilst Glasgow Green has some history with the Stone Roses and Bellahouston Park has also hosted acts such as Kings of Leon and The Killers in recent years. Due to its rich musical history, Glasgow is a special place to play, and with great crowds and a wonderful atmosphere it’s easy to see why many artists choose to end their tours here.
SHOPS
Glasgow is a shopper’s paradise, with all of the big department stores located around Sauchie Hall Street, Buchannan Galleries, St Enoch Centre and Argyll Street, while Prince’s Square hosts the more boutique and smaller shops.
For me personally, a trip to Glasgow is never complete without a visit to Pretty Green (also on Ingram Street). The music they play here us equally as good as the gear on display.
Whilst I have yet to visit, Minted on King Street appears to carry some fantastic vintage clothing with a Paisley shirt from their range being a sure fire thing on my next day trip to Glasgow.
If your down Minted Way and fancy some music, drop into Monorail Music, which carries a fine selection of vinyl. If collectable toys are your thing, check out A1 Toys on Parnie Street. Either way, if you’re in this neck of the woods a walk towards Barrowland and the new Barrowland Path is only a short distance and is a must for any music fan.
The city centre is also full of coffee shops, so if you want to avoid the ale and veg out for a few hours, my suggestion is to head out to Byers Road and while away the afternoon with a spot of people watching.
NIGHTLIFE
Whilst the sky is often dull, the nightlife is far from it. Glasgow is pretty much buzzing every night of the week. Sauchiehall Street has a number of bars at the top end catering to pretty much all crowds, whilst Merchant City has a number of up-market bars serving fine wines and expensive imported beer (or so the marketers would have you believe; they’re actually brewed under license).
MONDAY – Glasgow Garage is as good a place as any to kick-start your week. With ‘Snapshots’ in the Attic playing rock, 80s and 90s music and ‘Space Invader’ in G2 promising lasers and music, all tastes are catered for.
TUESDAY – Kushion has been a popular Glasgow night spot for a number of years now. ‘Juicy Tuesday’ claims to be Glasgow’s biggest student night, with a whole weekend of fun packed into one night. With drinks from a £1 it’s never going to be a dull night…
WEDNESDAY – Another place claiming to host the biggest student party in town, ‘I Heart Wednesdays’ takes place at Viper on Great Western Road. A short cab ride from town, Great Western Road is also packed with great bars, so there are plenty of options for a pre-club drink.
THURSDAY – If hip hop is your thing head to Buff Club at 142 Bath Lane for ‘Hip Hop Thursdays’. Or maybe take a ‘Ride’ (whatever that entails) over at Kushion, with free entry before 11 pm.
FRIDAY – If it’s the last Friday of the month, head to the Admiral Bar on Waterloo Street for ‘Club Madchester’. The night begins with live music followed by a full-scale Madchester revival. Probably best to book your tickets in advance, as the night is very popular.
SATURDAY – The Social (Royal Exchange Square) is always good for a couple of early beers. When your feet are ready for a boogie, head-up to the ABC in Sauchiehall Street for some cheese on the dance floor.
SUNDAY – Always an interesting night of the week in any city, but one place to avoid is Campus on Sauchiehall Street with their Sunday night X-Factor rejects night, which features guest appearances from the latest evictees. If you’re in the area continue up the street to the Garage, where ‘Sunday Science’ and £1 drinks have got to be a better option.
LINGO
The pater is quick in Glasgow and you risk engaging at your own peril. Saying “Awright” to the wrong person may get you a ‘Glesga kiss’ (or worse), so my advice is keep the heid doon and be ready for action at any time. “Shitebag” and “fud” are common words you’ll hear when oot and aboot, and whilst the majority of people are in good spirits, like any city there are always clowns about. Ashton Lane, Byers Road and the surrounding area in the West End is worth a look, with the clientele at times more relaxed to city centre with the pater or banter being a bit more forgiving to outsiders.
DID YOU KNOW…
The Stone Roses have graced Glasgow Green on two occasions, with the first being the legendary 1990 gig and the second the triumphant return in 2013. Creation Records supremo Alan McGee changed the face of 90s Britain after discovering Oasis at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. The story goes that Oasis drove north to Glasgow and threatened to smash up the venue if they were refused a slot on the bill. Nice.
In 2009 Glasgow was the first city outside London to host the MOBO Awards, which now alternate between north and south every two years. The city was also chosen by MTV to host the EMAs in November 2014. As part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games celebrations, Glasgow’s famous Barrowlands was honoured with the creation of a temporary 100 meter pathway featuring the names and dates of over 2,000 artists who have played there since 1983. There’s now an e-petition to make the pathway a permanent feature, which you can sign here.
Bazza Mills
@BazzaMills
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