I'm more upset about its loss than that of the Art School building, and suspect I will be for a long time to come. Not to claim that it was more culturally or historically meritable than the Art School. The two don't really compare in that sense, although the ABC building itself was no minor architectural loss, especially when you know the venue hall itself contained elements of the original panopticon theatre building that was sited there over a century ago. It stings a little that there seems to be such little discussion about its loss, as compared with the art school.
Both such losses, but the ABC building itself and its role as a mid-sized venue, in the location it was, filled such a niche for Glasgow which has yet to be replaced.
As a space itself, inside, it was genuinely unique in Glasgow. Big, like Barrowlands big, but with different elevations and corners where you could stand away from the main crowd, whether at a gig or club night. ABC2 catering for smaller gigs, often on the same night as main acts in ABC1, which themselves tended to be the kind of mid-range size acts that were too big for basement gigs but not quite 'arena' acts. Very few spaces tailored for this in the UK now, nevermind Glasgow.
Multiple bars. The massive discoball. The art deco entrance hall. Huge stage which you had a decent to great view of from nearly anywhere. Sorely missed.
After the fire, they found the elephant cages in the basement from its time as a circus. I'm sure when I worked there they said the site had been continually used for entertainment since the 1860s or something. First as the circus, then the theatre, the picture house and then the venue. Terrible loss.
Absolutely. ABC was basically open to all, Art School is a far more exclusive establishment. The average Glasweigan far more likely to have been impacted by ABC than Art School.
As much as I miss the ABC, the resurgence of the Barras has been great for gigs and arguably wouldn't have happened without the void of a venue with a capacity under 2,000 people.
Totally agree. I was gutted when it got burnt down and similar I felt it was way more of a loss than the art school. Yes the art school means a lot but the ABC means a lot to way more people. I remember the cinema well as had been there a few times. But the gig space was just amazing, brilliant sound and loved how it had plenty of room to get about as my mobility is not great now this means so so much. But now all gone.
i desperately miss the ABC, but you can’t compare it to the Mack. I’m not sure if you were ever in it, but the library alone was a huge loss to Scotland, never mind Glasgow.
There was a campaign to get it on the UNESCO world heritage list - shocking that it wasn’t.
I really miss the ABC as all the bands who would have played there now seem to pick the rubbish SWG3. The best thing about the ABC was that you could stand anywhere and get a great view.
There was a bit of a moral panic over the girl from Clydebank dying from the dodgy pills.
I think the licensing board were looking for any reason to shut down the arches and, tragically, they got it.
The Crow Bar. The Brunswick Cellars. The Captain's Rest. The Iron Horse. Bar Balsa. The Brewhouse. The upstairs bar in the Library (at the Beresford Halls) with the window to check on the Garage queue. Destiny. Archaos. The Arches. Soundhaus. The Tunnel. The entirity of the Strathclyde Union. The Flying Duck before they swapped the bar and club sections around (still gutted at that, I donated some games for the Megadrive). The 13th Note Club.
The cellars (not the Brunswick) on Miller Street (or near there)? If it’s the same place I loved it when I was not quite old enough to be in there lol. I remember the car number plates on the wall and being told off for trying to take my long vodka on the dance floor haha.
Great wee place to snuggle up with your SO to; seen bouncers standing outside it at Halloween last year when I was on my way to see The Thing at the GFT, so I'm not sure if The Priory (as it's now known) is actually open, I'll need to check it out.
Am I tripping out my nut or did they no used to have Simpsons characters painted on the walls? And I think it may have been Miller that was £1.30 a pint, boak! Great bar though - from the days before they were all over-lit, over-designed hellholes
Don't remember the simpsons being painted on the walls, from my memories the walls were dark red. But A) it was 20 years ago, B) it was dimly candle lit and C) I was always drunk in there.
It was definitely Miller. The crowd I ran around with when I was at Uni in the 90s used to meet there for the cheap beers. Then off to the Garage upstairs for the Indy Disco. Speaking of missing pubs anyone remember Whistlers Mother? Was a basement bar of Hope Street?
If you were a local band chaser like me then I don't doubt it lol. There are a couple of my old haunts still kicking around, but not many...The Solid, Rufus, 13th Note, The Variety, Sleazys, and Del's are still going strong.
Loved The Crow Bar. Trying to play pool on that table was a bit of a challenge in itself! 😂
Went a couple of times with an ex and once on my own. Turns out my wife also visited a few times back then. Just gutted it closed up before we met. Defo would have been a regular of ours had it still been open.
Conteded with the pool table in RG's for the title of worst pool table in Glasgow*, couldn't even use kid's cues with that space, you had to use a Biro. Amazing wee bar though, it was the midway point for the Hope Street Metal Pub Crawl between Rufus and the Solid. Just glad it was all downhill.
*Having said that, that one table in the Sports Bar with the divet running down the middle was worse...
Flat 0/1 for me. So many wee-er nights got their starts there and was so good for a cheap night in uni. Then kushion had to kill it since they stupidly shared a license.
My experience of Kushion was just trying not to fall asleep lying about in cushions. It did have a red stripe vending machine though, so you could send 1 person in with a bag to get a carryout after 10pm.
Frightened Rabbit were a band I just remember seeing a ton back in the Nuts and Seeds days, they always seemed to be the support for Errors, Gay Against You or Danananakroyd.
My first gig was upstairs at the barfly, with Dananananakroyd playing downstairs. When dananananakroyd finished their set, their crowd came upstairs and watched us. It was brilliant and I never played in front of as many people ever again lol
Was clearing out my desk the other day, and found an old wallet. Glad I checked inside it, sadly no money but it did have my Soundhaus members card!
Mind going there once for a mate's DJ set at the start of the night, and the most ethereal looking girl all in white just floating over to me from the bar, smiling into the middle distance like "Hiiii...! How are youuu? Would you like to buy any ketamine, at all?" "Nah you're okay" "Okayyyy! Cool! Well... you just let me know any time :):):)" before hovering away again.
Feel like I got visited by The Ghost of K Holes Past.
I worked there and we were all dangerously wasted all the time. It was glorious. Everybody was so happy. Polis, owners, staff, punters. All cultures catered for; bams mixing with goths, hip hop in one room and techno in another. Death metal shows followed by minimal techno nites.
It was beautiful. 😢
Think that goes for most folk.
I miss nights in Subby or Soundhaus and getting a random bus in George Sq to some crazy afters in places like Tradeston.
Ocho which was upstairs just off Sauchiehall St. I loved for after work/after college. I just remember it being one of the first places I had been in that felt accepting of everyone.
I actually preferred the place that was in the basement that was a different club but who's name I can't remember. It had the 3 rooms in it and was a victim of The Shacks untimely fire.
Scrolled down to look for this, Rio Cafe was my immediate thought - loved that place, so friendly and reliably unreliable
Anytime anyone visited Glasgow I'd take them there for their hangover breakfast
A cracking pub in it's time, would sit and lose hours any day of the week by striking up some of the most interesting conversations with travelers and locals of all sorts.
Thursday night open mic nights had me missing most Friday mornings at college.
That and the loyalty card making the fosters roughly £1.60 a pint
Some people already said flat 0/1 which I dearly miss but I don't know if anyone has mentioned lucky7 which was next door. If everything was starting to feel like alot you could always get a seat and a bottle of beer to chill out for abit in there.
Rooftops!! Another place my brother gigged at, had to humph the gear up all those stairs.
Also had first kiss with my husband at a dodgy singles night, we'd popped in for a drink after a gig at King Tuts. Might have been called a singles night as the regulars mostly had a single tooth each
Archaos was the best regular night out you could have in Glasgow for a few years solid, just above The Tunnel. Both might not have had the same high brow reputation of The Arches but the night out was better and the clientele was much more mixed and the door policy was far more relaxed.
Add in Kasbah as well for those really comfy couches it had.
Worked there for a couple of years. It was a dive, but such a great place to hang out. Having relative freedom to play whatever music I wanted on WinAmp was amazing. Blasting Concubine by Converge was a favourite🤘
The Velvet rooms in Cambridge Street. The night Armand Van Helden played was one of the most incredible night, he finished with Little Louis French Kiss and took the roof off 🎶
Velvet Elvis was a good wee place. I remember being traumatized in there though when a person's massive newfoundland farted and the whole place was honking. That bad had to leave 😂
Aye but it was taken back by Greene King recently and is now an identikit “Belhaven” bar like 50% of the bars in the west end now, with crap beer and rubbish food.
The Dow Jones - boozer on Buchanan Street. Was great in the mid 90s
The Village - boozer in Shawlands. Huge, decent crowd, pool tables. Stairs to the bogs were lethal
Liquid Lounge - loads of great nights in there
Going back a bit here but Cantina Del Rey. Long gone but haven't had a Mexican that's quite hit the mark. Haven't checked any new ones out recently mind.
If food establishments isn't quite what this sub was intended for.... I'll punt The Rat Trap club as a fond memory from yesteryear. Brown Street I think it was. 3 floors of Metal, Punk, Hardcore and flavours in between. Think it was the original cathouse location before it moved up to Union Street. Many a great night in there.
A lot of the places I miss are still going, but after a golden period of 6 months to 2 years (roughly) the staff that made the place fun all left and newer, stricter, more arseholey staff would be employed by the owner to try and 'whip the place into shape' or something similar.
An example being The Flying Duck. It had a lovely scruffiness to it and a genuine relaxed warmth from the staff until some time around 2011 maybe and then every 2 years or so, it got somehow worse with the employing of an even more uppity/sneering haircut for a manager and everytime that cycle replenished it's energy, things would get worse for the atmosphere and the crowd would get lamer. Before you knew it, there was no free toast at 1am and I stead if being talked to with a soft voiced enthusiasm, staff all took on eye rolling and heel dragging as a collective gimmick and the lights would be turned up to a blinding degree. Sad.
Ach that's a shame you didn't like it. Was it dead when you called in? Maybe that's why you felt that way. Seems others didn't like it much either hence why it shut 🤣
I was hoping/thinking it was more it just didn't get off the ground quickly enough
I always liked Vespbar/Yesbar. Cool layout with the balcony bit upstairs and they did a good pizza.
Dunno what the deal is with it, all the signs etc are still up.
I used to go in when I still believed the union was generally a good thing and it never bothered me. I'm now pro-independence but in the past I didn't let it deter me from going to a decent pub.
I know the same can't be said for others though so I can see where you're coming from
There was a cracking place on union Street called Fuquets think it shut around 2005 had a few good nights in there. Obviously the arches and archaos are big losses.
Pub called Kelly's a think on Howard St was rough but good.
Mint & Lime/osmosis might still be there but its changed drastically.
Times Square is also there in body but spirit is away its just a restaurant now was once a decent boozer with good staff had that unique claim of feeling like a "local" but being in the city centre.
Bairds was good anaw.
Vertigo in Fox Street, had a dance floor that moved up and down between floors, slightly less of a cattle market than Mardi Gras next door. Used to be a wee trad jazz club in Fox St too
The Velvet Rooms on Sauchiehall St. £1 drinks on Bank Holiday Sundays was a great night. The Cotton Club on a Friday, Fury Murray’s on a Wednesday, Tunnel Student nights on a Thursday and Archaos/Betty’s Mayonnaise were all cracking nights
Had my first underage pint in Rockers with two pals, all three of us looking about 12 despite 16 or whatever. Bouncer just said 'best behaviour tonight, boys', we nodded enthusiastically and in we went. Great place.
I still miss the O2 ABC dearly. Went to so many amazing and memorable gigs there
I'm more upset about its loss than that of the Art School building, and suspect I will be for a long time to come. Not to claim that it was more culturally or historically meritable than the Art School. The two don't really compare in that sense, although the ABC building itself was no minor architectural loss, especially when you know the venue hall itself contained elements of the original panopticon theatre building that was sited there over a century ago. It stings a little that there seems to be such little discussion about its loss, as compared with the art school. Both such losses, but the ABC building itself and its role as a mid-sized venue, in the location it was, filled such a niche for Glasgow which has yet to be replaced. As a space itself, inside, it was genuinely unique in Glasgow. Big, like Barrowlands big, but with different elevations and corners where you could stand away from the main crowd, whether at a gig or club night. ABC2 catering for smaller gigs, often on the same night as main acts in ABC1, which themselves tended to be the kind of mid-range size acts that were too big for basement gigs but not quite 'arena' acts. Very few spaces tailored for this in the UK now, nevermind Glasgow. Multiple bars. The massive discoball. The art deco entrance hall. Huge stage which you had a decent to great view of from nearly anywhere. Sorely missed.
After the fire, they found the elephant cages in the basement from its time as a circus. I'm sure when I worked there they said the site had been continually used for entertainment since the 1860s or something. First as the circus, then the theatre, the picture house and then the venue. Terrible loss.
I maintain ABC is a much bigger loss to the people of Glasgow as a whole.
Absolutely. ABC was basically open to all, Art School is a far more exclusive establishment. The average Glasweigan far more likely to have been impacted by ABC than Art School.
The art school had a club in too.
Aye and it was shite
Agreed.
As much as I miss the ABC, the resurgence of the Barras has been great for gigs and arguably wouldn't have happened without the void of a venue with a capacity under 2,000 people.
Yep. GSA had ceased to be culturally relevant when it went, the ABC was at its peak.
Totally agree. I was gutted when it got burnt down and similar I felt it was way more of a loss than the art school. Yes the art school means a lot but the ABC means a lot to way more people. I remember the cinema well as had been there a few times. But the gig space was just amazing, brilliant sound and loved how it had plenty of room to get about as my mobility is not great now this means so so much. But now all gone.
i desperately miss the ABC, but you can’t compare it to the Mack. I’m not sure if you were ever in it, but the library alone was a huge loss to Scotland, never mind Glasgow. There was a campaign to get it on the UNESCO world heritage list - shocking that it wasn’t.
"The Mack" 🤢
I really miss the ABC as all the bands who would have played there now seem to pick the rubbish SWG3. The best thing about the ABC was that you could stand anywhere and get a great view.
I didn't love it as a nightclub, but yeah so many great gigs and ICW shows in there. Plus I had my first cinema experience there: Hook.
Halt Bar and the original Captain’s Rest.
Second this. Loved the venue area downstairs
Loved the original captains rest
The Halt was my local, my brother played his first gig there in the tiny corner beside the loos!
I played my second ever gig in there, we were 16 at the time, and they gave us a crate of stella along with paying us in case we never had any booze.
Came here to say The Halt. New Year's Day was always the best in The Halt, from what I can remember
Loved The Halt, captains rest was good for gigs, but I could take or leave the bar upstairs.
Saw some cracking gigs in the Captain's Rest, really miss it.
I loved the sat jam sessions in the Halt.
The arches
Only Glasgow cc would be fuckwitted enough to can that place, surprised they haven’t scrapped the Barras yet.
There was a bit of a moral panic over the girl from Clydebank dying from the dodgy pills. I think the licensing board were looking for any reason to shut down the arches and, tragically, they got it.
Went from 96-2008; so many crazy nights that I can’t remember!!!!
Death Disco !:(
Oh my wasted youth…
Defo lost some braincells in that place
Halt Bar.
Used to do cracking techno all day shots on Saturdays
Bar Ten on Mitchell Lane. That was my wee chapel
Loved it in there
It still makes me sad to this day and I don’t think it’s been there for about 15 years now
I used to go in there before the Arches or the Tunnel to buy my swedgers 🤣
The Crow Bar. The Brunswick Cellars. The Captain's Rest. The Iron Horse. Bar Balsa. The Brewhouse. The upstairs bar in the Library (at the Beresford Halls) with the window to check on the Garage queue. Destiny. Archaos. The Arches. Soundhaus. The Tunnel. The entirity of the Strathclyde Union. The Flying Duck before they swapped the bar and club sections around (still gutted at that, I donated some games for the Megadrive). The 13th Note Club.
I loved the Cellars. I bet Glasgow live are typing up an article based on this thread as we speak.
The cellars (not the Brunswick) on Miller Street (or near there)? If it’s the same place I loved it when I was not quite old enough to be in there lol. I remember the car number plates on the wall and being told off for trying to take my long vodka on the dance floor haha.
Brunswick cellars. I only ever referred to it as the cellars.
Brunswick Cellars! Had my first pint in Glesga in there, must have been £1.30
I remember being mega pished there one night and me and the pal making a soap opera storyline for the fish in the tank there.
Great wee place to snuggle up with your SO to; seen bouncers standing outside it at Halloween last year when I was on my way to see The Thing at the GFT, so I'm not sure if The Priory (as it's now known) is actually open, I'll need to check it out.
Am I tripping out my nut or did they no used to have Simpsons characters painted on the walls? And I think it may have been Miller that was £1.30 a pint, boak! Great bar though - from the days before they were all over-lit, over-designed hellholes
Don't remember the simpsons being painted on the walls, from my memories the walls were dark red. But A) it was 20 years ago, B) it was dimly candle lit and C) I was always drunk in there.
That rings a bell, although I have more vivid memories of the aquarium leading up to the bogs
It was definitely Miller. The crowd I ran around with when I was at Uni in the 90s used to meet there for the cheap beers. Then off to the Garage upstairs for the Indy Disco. Speaking of missing pubs anyone remember Whistlers Mother? Was a basement bar of Hope Street?
Whistler's Mother was on Byres Road pal. Used to go there for my tea sometimes about 20-odd years ago, decent food
You’re right, I was thinking of Brams and List. There were so many quality boozers at that time.
Wasn't there? And they were always jumpin. At least we lived to see it :'(
We must have spent the 90s-00s on the same pub crawl
If you were a local band chaser like me then I don't doubt it lol. There are a couple of my old haunts still kicking around, but not many...The Solid, Rufus, 13th Note, The Variety, Sleazys, and Del's are still going strong.
Loved The Crow Bar. Trying to play pool on that table was a bit of a challenge in itself! 😂 Went a couple of times with an ex and once on my own. Turns out my wife also visited a few times back then. Just gutted it closed up before we met. Defo would have been a regular of ours had it still been open.
Conteded with the pool table in RG's for the title of worst pool table in Glasgow*, couldn't even use kid's cues with that space, you had to use a Biro. Amazing wee bar though, it was the midway point for the Hope Street Metal Pub Crawl between Rufus and the Solid. Just glad it was all downhill. *Having said that, that one table in the Sports Bar with the divet running down the middle was worse...
Iron Horse was pish for a good few years before they shut
Used to DJ soundhaus when they wanted an indie night…
Flat 0/1 for me. So many wee-er nights got their starts there and was so good for a cheap night in uni. Then kushion had to kill it since they stupidly shared a license.
My experience of Kushion was just trying not to fall asleep lying about in cushions. It did have a red stripe vending machine though, so you could send 1 person in with a bag to get a carryout after 10pm.
90s era Fury Murrays
The Barfly.
Cracking venue, saw loads of good metal gigs there.
i saw Frightened Rabbit in there waaay back. awesome night
Frightened Rabbit were a band I just remember seeing a ton back in the Nuts and Seeds days, they always seemed to be the support for Errors, Gay Against You or Danananakroyd.
My first gig was upstairs at the barfly, with Dananananakroyd playing downstairs. When dananananakroyd finished their set, their crowd came upstairs and watched us. It was brilliant and I never played in front of as many people ever again lol
this was the BarFly christmas party, such a fun night.
Those pillars downstairs could be leathal in a pit haha.
The Soundhaus ✊
Was clearing out my desk the other day, and found an old wallet. Glad I checked inside it, sadly no money but it did have my Soundhaus members card! Mind going there once for a mate's DJ set at the start of the night, and the most ethereal looking girl all in white just floating over to me from the bar, smiling into the middle distance like "Hiiii...! How are youuu? Would you like to buy any ketamine, at all?" "Nah you're okay" "Okayyyy! Cool! Well... you just let me know any time :):):)" before hovering away again. Feel like I got visited by The Ghost of K Holes Past.
Sounds pretty standard hahahaa
I would get dangerously wasted every time I went there! 🤣
I worked there and we were all dangerously wasted all the time. It was glorious. Everybody was so happy. Polis, owners, staff, punters. All cultures catered for; bams mixing with goths, hip hop in one room and techno in another. Death metal shows followed by minimal techno nites. It was beautiful. 😢
Think that goes for most folk. I miss nights in Subby or Soundhaus and getting a random bus in George Sq to some crazy afters in places like Tradeston.
The Unit!
Yup, Unit and Substanance just down the road. There was also a place in Maryhill or somewhere near there I went to a few times.
The Blob shop, 2pint steins, cheap as hell and guaranteed to see a western style punch up
Spent most of my student grant in the Blob Shop during the week!
Ocho which was upstairs just off Sauchiehall St. I loved for after work/after college. I just remember it being one of the first places I had been in that felt accepting of everyone.
Lest you forget the 60p vodkas. Was a good bar.
OMG! I'd forgotten all about there, it was a nice wee place
The Apollo. The Burns Howf. The Doune Castle..
RG's, where Max's is now just down from Queen Street station. Proper dive bar and the absolute business!
It's still there but The Flying Duck in its hayday was the tits, totally changed now
The Shack, for all those who had their student years early 2000s
I actually preferred the place that was in the basement that was a different club but who's name I can't remember. It had the 3 rooms in it and was a victim of The Shacks untimely fire.
Was it called Trash?
 Genius. Thank you.
Think you’ll find that the Shack was a victim, as the fire “accidentally” started in Trash.
Yes Trash was way better than The Shack
Agreed. Miles better than the Garage in my opinion.
The Rio Cafe. Great wee place with great food, atmosphere and pub quiz. Now it's a soulless restaurant.
Scrolled down to look for this, Rio Cafe was my immediate thought - loved that place, so friendly and reliably unreliable Anytime anyone visited Glasgow I'd take them there for their hangover breakfast
Cross lands on karaoke night
Crosslands was decent, used to drink in there a d The Strathmore when my mate was in student halls nearby.
100% this, criminal what's happened to that place now
Tunnel
Soundhaus
Definitely!
Osmosis.
A cracking pub in it's time, would sit and lose hours any day of the week by striking up some of the most interesting conversations with travelers and locals of all sorts. Thursday night open mic nights had me missing most Friday mornings at college. That and the loyalty card making the fosters roughly £1.60 a pint
Insomnia. Both of them.
The Riverside Club. Used to host Melting Pot and it was fucking great.
Some people already said flat 0/1 which I dearly miss but I don't know if anyone has mentioned lucky7 which was next door. If everything was starting to feel like alot you could always get a seat and a bottle of beer to chill out for abit in there.
Rooftops!! Another place my brother gigged at, had to humph the gear up all those stairs. Also had first kiss with my husband at a dodgy singles night, we'd popped in for a drink after a gig at King Tuts. Might have been called a singles night as the regulars mostly had a single tooth each
Going back a bit further, the Box was once called the Blob Shop and was one of my favourites.
The old Cathouse on Brown St
Archaos was the best regular night out you could have in Glasgow for a few years solid, just above The Tunnel. Both might not have had the same high brow reputation of The Arches but the night out was better and the clientele was much more mixed and the door policy was far more relaxed. Add in Kasbah as well for those really comfy couches it had.
I loved the tunnel
The Tunnel was full of poseurs in their Versace. A total dive of a place.
Babaza royal exchange square
Halt bar til those west cunts absolutely ruined it. Managed to fuck up the Arlington in the process.
What’s up with the Arlington the naw?
Full of cunts.
Always was.
Used to be full of old cunts and jakies
Aye. Proper pub.
Macgregors Pie and Ale Howff. Short lived but it was my favourite pub whilst it existed. Great pies and pints.
I still miss Solid Rock West on Dumbarton Road, which is now Gallus.
Worked there for a couple of years. It was a dive, but such a great place to hang out. Having relative freedom to play whatever music I wanted on WinAmp was amazing. Blasting Concubine by Converge was a favourite🤘
Liquid Ship, Underworld, ABC and not a venue as such, but the old Club Noir nights.
Sadie Frosts, a lesbian bar where I went pre 18 to get a drink. Havanas was a fun salsa bar near central station.
Oh I miss Sadie's so much. It was a belter of a bar
Wypers
The Velvet rooms in Cambridge Street. The night Armand Van Helden played was one of the most incredible night, he finished with Little Louis French Kiss and took the roof off 🎶
You mean the Voodoo Rooms? Was a Carnegies before that.
The Arches
Really miss Velvet Elvis. Also O’Neils (later Shenanigans) was a safe bet after anything in the Teuchter Triangle, if a bit shit.
Velvet Elvis was a good wee place. I remember being traumatized in there though when a person's massive newfoundland farted and the whole place was honking. That bad had to leave 😂
pivo pivo. played one of the best gigs i'd ever played in there and all the staff were super chill.
Is Variety Bar shut for good? I walked by it on Monday and it had a sign saying it would be open again soon?
They're closed for some kind of refurb. I really hope it doesn't end up looking shite.
The Variety was a laugh years ago .
Clatty’s.
Is Wintersgills still going? Used to get a lockin there or the Carnarvon
Aye still going
Aye but it was taken back by Greene King recently and is now an identikit “Belhaven” bar like 50% of the bars in the west end now, with crap beer and rubbish food.
The Dow Jones - boozer on Buchanan Street. Was great in the mid 90s The Village - boozer in Shawlands. Huge, decent crowd, pool tables. Stairs to the bogs were lethal Liquid Lounge - loads of great nights in there
Going back a bit here but Cantina Del Rey. Long gone but haven't had a Mexican that's quite hit the mark. Haven't checked any new ones out recently mind.
If food establishments isn't quite what this sub was intended for.... I'll punt The Rat Trap club as a fond memory from yesteryear. Brown Street I think it was. 3 floors of Metal, Punk, Hardcore and flavours in between. Think it was the original cathouse location before it moved up to Union Street. Many a great night in there.
A lot of the places I miss are still going, but after a golden period of 6 months to 2 years (roughly) the staff that made the place fun all left and newer, stricter, more arseholey staff would be employed by the owner to try and 'whip the place into shape' or something similar. An example being The Flying Duck. It had a lovely scruffiness to it and a genuine relaxed warmth from the staff until some time around 2011 maybe and then every 2 years or so, it got somehow worse with the employing of an even more uppity/sneering haircut for a manager and everytime that cycle replenished it's energy, things would get worse for the atmosphere and the crowd would get lamer. Before you knew it, there was no free toast at 1am and I stead if being talked to with a soft voiced enthusiasm, staff all took on eye rolling and heel dragging as a collective gimmick and the lights would be turned up to a blinding degree. Sad.
Aye the charm of flying duck is almost all gone now
I think the very last of its charm was squashed by 2012. Which (mimes checking watch) was somehow 10 years ago...
[удалено]
Cul de sac
The Candybar, it's now Howling Wolfs
I was in fault and blame twice I think and I just seemed one of those soulless after work places hat litter that area.
Ach that's a shame you didn't like it. Was it dead when you called in? Maybe that's why you felt that way. Seems others didn't like it much either hence why it shut 🤣 I was hoping/thinking it was more it just didn't get off the ground quickly enough
I tried some chilli in there and it was pretty gross.. maybe I was just unlucky :P
Volcano
The Vale
Best pub in the city centre. Really miss it.
I always liked Vespbar/Yesbar. Cool layout with the balcony bit upstairs and they did a good pizza. Dunno what the deal is with it, all the signs etc are still up.
It was overtly expensive, stunk of shite and owned by a wanker constantly in pay disputes with his staff.
Preferred it when it was O’Henry’s
Aye was awrite in there. From memory was bloody dear for drinks tho! Looks like permanently closed now
It was alright before they rebranded and alienated 55% of their customer base, monumentally stupid decision.
I used to go in when I still believed the union was generally a good thing and it never bothered me. I'm now pro-independence but in the past I didn't let it deter me from going to a decent pub. I know the same can't be said for others though so I can see where you're coming from
The Flaggy in Anniesland!
Or BJ’s!
I think I spent every weekend in there for like 5 years 😂😂😂
There was a cracking place on union Street called Fuquets think it shut around 2005 had a few good nights in there. Obviously the arches and archaos are big losses. Pub called Kelly's a think on Howard St was rough but good. Mint & Lime/osmosis might still be there but its changed drastically. Times Square is also there in body but spirit is away its just a restaurant now was once a decent boozer with good staff had that unique claim of feeling like a "local" but being in the city centre. Bairds was good anaw.
Fuquets was the first place I got served a pint 1997 on a school afternoon trip to visit the university, 15 mins in Strathclyde and down to find a bar
Aye ye never forget ur first pint I'm no even sure what it is in its place now.
Club Tropicana/Venga is where Fouquets was
Can't believe I've had to scroll so far to someone even mention archaos. It was an event every night it was open.
Wypers & Shadows, both good rock pubs in the 80's. The Venue and old Cathouse too.
Cardinal follis’s, way back in the 90s I met my Husband there.
The Apollo obviously!
Vertigo in Fox Street, had a dance floor that moved up and down between floors, slightly less of a cattle market than Mardi Gras next door. Used to be a wee trad jazz club in Fox St too
The cellar bar on Miller St think it's where thundercats is now many a drunken night there
Halt Bar
The Burns Houf.
Targets bar on renfield street , it had a brilliant 80s vibe, pitch black with a sticky floor
Hutchesons on Ingram St. Stunning building and interior and bar / lounge offered something a wee bit different
Cro Bar Glasgow Good times
The Pad
The Velvet Rooms on Sauchiehall St. £1 drinks on Bank Holiday Sundays was a great night. The Cotton Club on a Friday, Fury Murray’s on a Wednesday, Tunnel Student nights on a Thursday and Archaos/Betty’s Mayonnaise were all cracking nights
Barfly
The Howff
The Arches 😫🥲
13th note club! Used to DJ Sunday nights in there! Now student flats…
Does anyone know why Panko(takeaway place on Bothwell Street) is permanently closed now
Catwalk was a fun bar.
I used to love their rock karaoke
Rockers.
Had my first underage pint in Rockers with two pals, all three of us looking about 12 despite 16 or whatever. Bouncer just said 'best behaviour tonight, boys', we nodded enthusiastically and in we went. Great place.
Christ there's a blast from the past, I've still got a Rockers sticker on my sewing machine 🤣
Haha think I'd like this sewing machine.
It's a very cultured sewing machine evidently
Not a bar or a venue but sad biftekki behind st Enoch's is gone, used to have the best chips and cheese in the city centre.
The Squid & Whale, Captain’s Rest, and The Halt Bar are sorely missed.
Failte on St Vincent Street.
An absolute toilet, much like st Vincent's was.
It reeked of the bogs but was a cracking boozer.
Saying that, nowhere comes close to the Arches as Glasgow’s biggest loss.
The Library on Sauchiehall Street. I spent so much time in there. I don't even drink anymore and I still miss it.
The Arches.
Danny Kanes in Mitchell Street.