Glasgow rocks, and it’s apparent. Countless bands have their start here from eighties rockers Simple Minds and Jesus and Mary Chain, to Supernaturals, Texas, Belle & Sebastian and Frightened Rabbit. The music venues of fame include King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and The Barrowland Ballroom are familiar to all. But what about all the other venues and what’s on this spring of note? What do you do if you are a traveler and haven’t a clue where to go. Well, you are in for a rest regardless, there is so much musical going on here.

Like any city you may visit, look at the local clubs and independent papers for where you are traveling to. You may want to do this several months before you arrive as some of the more popular bands may sell out quite early. If you are lucky and have friends and family in the place you plan to visit, you can have them get live tickets for you, but many places use services like eventbrite.com and other online ticket sellers and you can store on your phone. You may not be able to purchase unless you are in the UK as some apps and ticket selling sites are set up for UK addresses only at checkout, even if it’s an online ticket.

Local Papers and Music Resources

I always find and love to look through the local indie rags for any city like Glasgow. All port towns have a great independent news and cultural paper or two, usually online but occasionally you can still pick up a hard copy which is great as you can get that old textile feel for the paper. Music and theatre are a steady, vibrant beat in this town. Another great way to find out who is playing is of course to pick up flyers and promo cards from independent music stores. Some of the local stores are Record Fayre and Rubadub. Check the registers and windows for bank promos, and don’t forget your local cafe and coffee houses. Don’t forget to listen to the Buskers in Buchanan or other mall streets, many of them have CDs or will also tell you about the local music scene and who’s playing.

Some of the music venues are:
Òran Mór
Bar Bloc
O2 ABC
Old Fruitmarket

Like big music events? Spring marks the beginning of the festival season, so along with small music venues, you will find weekend festival events filling the air with sound. Check and see if there is one during your stay. These venues are filled with bands all day and into the night. Festivals coming up in Glasgow are the new May West Festival May 27, 28 TRNSMT 2017 Festival July 7 through 9 and they are hosting the BBC6 Festival this year.

Is This Music ? is a great, Northern UK publication online with music reviews and listings for where bands are playing. Glasgow Music has reviews and information specific to the city and outlying area. Reviews and venue information. And best of all, never forget that the universities in most cities have a student run radio station. The University of Glasgow’s student run station is Subcity Radio. Check out their reviews and music offerings.

Links
Top Music Venues Glasgow
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/scotland/articles/the-10-best-music-venues-in-glasgow/

Is This Music?
http://www.isthismusic.com

Glasgow Music
http://www.glasgowmusic.co.uk/GMHome

Local Independent Music Stores
http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/record-store-day-2016-glasgows-7755773

Independent Culture
http://www.theskinny.co.uk

Subcity Radio Glasgow University
https://www.subcity.org

May West Festival 2017
http://www.may-west.com

TRNSMT Festival 2017
http://trnsmtfest.com

Photo by Craig Monaghan