BACK LIST
John Williamson explores opportunities for rehearsing and recording in Glasgow.
rate
the music shops in Glasgow are fairly well defined into one oftwo categories— the major city centre shops of the larger suppliers. and the smaller independent shops. As well as new equipment. nearly all give a chance to sell. trade in. or advertise used and secondhand equipment. 0 Band Supplies Scotland 5 Old Dumbarton Road. G3. 339 9400. Full range of instruments stocked. and also repaired.
o Bradley‘s Music Ltd ()7 West Regent Street. ()2. 332 1830.
O C.C. Music 421 Great Western Road. G4. 339 ()566. Full range ofleading brands ofequipment — also p.21. hire.
0 Sound Control 90—94 Saltmarket. 552 6825. Full range ofequipment. Specialists in pa. and recording repairs. Part exchanges welcome — also mail order service.
0 J.T. Forbes 122 West Nile Street. 332 1016.
o Hans Music 15 Charing Cross Mansions. G3. 332 6070. Full range of home organs. portable keyboards. etc. Specialists in new and restored upright and grand pianos. Also a printed music department.
0 McCormacks Music Ltd 33 Bath Street. 332 6644. McCormacks supposedly sell more musical equipment than any other Scottish music store — hence its wide range of products. Part exchanges. interest free credit (subject to status) are also offered.
0 n.s.c. Sound Centres Unit 13. Anderston Centre. GZ. 2484158. Wide range ofguitars. amps and keyboards — also repairs carried out.
0 Music Zone 85 Queen Street. G 1. Secondhand music shop — full range of equipment. specialising in trade-ins and swaps. As well as the usual equipment. there is a selection of records. books and accessories. Some new equipment also sold at ‘competitive prices.‘
0 Take Five Music 606610 Eglinton Street. G5. 429 2559. Another one ofthe larger stores — upright and grand pianos bought. sold and part exchanged. Full repair service also on offer.
0 Moon Guitars 974 Pollokshaws Road. G41.
60W
(132 9526. As recommended by the stars! Excellent reputation
REHEARSAL STUDIOS
0 Recovery Room Yorkhill Quay. 556 4445. Contact: Andy Thornton. Rates: £4 hour. Described as upmarket. with a four-track recording facility available if required. Free Nicaraguan coffee is provided. Clients include the Big Sur.
0 Centre City Sound 571 Sauchiehall Street. 221 5058. Contact: Derek Chalmers. Rates: on application. negotiable. Equipment includes full p.a. . guitar and bass amps. etc. Clients include Kevin McDermott. The Pastels. Centurion. Hipsway. The Soup Dragons. Pure Glass.
0 Tower Studios 92 Woodsidel-;111e. 332 6725. Contact: CraigTannock. Rates: £3’hour (midweek 9am—6pm ); £4 hour (weekends and weekdays 6pm—midnight );
£2.50 hour (after midnight). Equipment includes Tama 5-piece kit. Peavy Marshall backline. 300w p.a.. Shure mics. Range of instruments available free ofchargc. Free tea or coffee. Clients include The Hummingbirds. The Blue .‘slonkey Experience.
0 Pet Sounds 24 Gairbraid Avenue. 946 3366.
ROCK VENUES There are always more bands clamouring to play live than there are placesto bookthem. Many places are very cautious these days because of noise restrictions laid down bythe Environmental Health Board. which could result in
ROCK REPORT
Contact: Jim Mitchell. Rates: £4/hour. Featuring the largest in studio pa. in Glasgow. with what is described as ‘superior backline equipment.‘ Also a TV room and free tea or coffee. Clients include Wet Wet Wet. Love And Money. Tom \'erlaine. Julia Please. Victorian Kitchen. 0 Arch Studios 171Curle Street. Glasgow. 959 6251. Rates: £4» hour. Includes drums. backline and p.a. ‘Spacious soundrooms. acoustically treated.‘ Recent improvements have greatly enhanced Arch's reputation. 0 Culture Records 10—12 W'oodlands‘ Road. G3. 332 4024. Rates: £3.50/hour. £20 for a halfday (9. l5am—5pm):£l2 fora split day: (9. 15am—1pm. 1.15—9pm. 9.15pm—midnight). Prices include Yamaha bass and guitar combos. Premier drum kit and 6-channel p.21. 0 Sing Sing Studios 1084 South Street. Scotstoun. 954 9546. Contact: Jake Mcllvenna. Rates: £3 hour (basic). Two rehearsal rooms available. with Marshall amps and 400w p.a. supplied. Soon to expand the facility to four rooms. Clients include Kick Reaction. Glasgow. and Heavy Pettin‘. o Sirocco Studios 1 Glencairn Square. Kilmarnock. 0563 34377. Contact: Clark Sorley. Rates: negotiable. Six rehearsal rooms available in addition to the recording facilities detailed in the recording studioslisting. 0 Satellite Studios 32 Granville Street. G3. 221
their closure it they are breached. Juke boxes and tapes are quieter and don't answer back.
Take note at the kinds ol bands each venue usually books. and the sort of audience/clientele that tend to turn up. It makes no sense to book your band
6688. Contact: Frances or Willie. Rates: £2.50/hour (before 6pm); £3.50/hour (after 6pm). Newly-opened rehearsal facility. Fully equipped including guitar and bass amps. 5-piccc drum kit. 2 pa. amps. and stereo cassette deck for recording rehearsals. Free tea and coffee.
0 Backshop Studios 413 Shields Road. G41. 429 5555. Contact: Chris Adams. Rates: £4/hour. Limited rehearsal facility. designed mainly for bands who are recording at the studio anyway who are wishing to do pre-production work.
0 Berkeley Street Studios 87b Berkeley Street. G3. 248 7290. Contact: Steve Cheyne. Long established as one of the best and most popular local rehearsal studios — but forthcoming alterations mean that the current situation is uncertain. Telephone for more details/the latest situation.
MaiorVenues
o The Scottish Exhibition and Conlerence Centre Finnicston (next to Finnicston BR). 248 3000. Different sizes of hall. but most commonly used for music is the 10.000-seater Hall 4. Major league acts only. and the only chances for local bands are support slots— usually predetermined by the bands/promoters involved.
Recent gigs: U2. Alison Moyet. Peter Gabriel. Style Council.
0 Barrowlands 244 Gallowgate. 552 4601. Again used mainly to present touring bands. but
into a venue you’ve never seen anyone perform in. Send or take a tape in to the manager, or whoever it is that usually books the entertainments. and find out a bit about the facilities at the place. such as ilthere is a house PA and lighting, or it you will need to supply
the bigger name local bands are also usually able to command a reasonable crowd at this venue. Support slots are once again usually handled by the promoters.
Recent gigs: Curiosity Killed The Cat.Julian Cope. Blow Monkeys. Love And Money. The Pretenders.
o The Pavilion Theatre 121 Renfield Street. 332 1846. Slightly smaller than Barrowlands. with the added advantage of being all seated. Again ideal for the bigger local bands. and reasonably well known touring acts. Occasionally there are multi-band shows. featuring exclusively local bands. although once again these are mainly restricted to the better known bands.
Recent gigs: Suzanne Vega. Wet Wet Wet. China Crisis. Erasure.
Universities
0 Queen Margaret Union University Gardens. 339 9784. Contact: Graeme Pailing (Entertainments Convcnor). Easily the best of the university unions in terms ofbands on shovv. and last year saw the advent ofa couple of bands‘ competitions featuring lesser known bands. Also plenty of support slots about — again the bias is towards better known local bands.
Gigs last year: Hue And Cry. Goodbye Mr Mackenzie. Soup Dragons. Proclaimers. Lone Justice.
0 Strathclyde University Union 9(lJohn Street. 552 1895. Contact: David Scott. Reasonable selection of bands — mainly touring ones. with a typically drunken
your own. and itthe venue does its own advertising or not (even it it does it wouldn't hurt to supplement it with your own llyposling). Always publicise your gigs. especially it you're being paid a percentage of the door takings rather than a tlaltee.
student crowd.
Gigslast year: Latin Quarter. The Go Betweens. The Fall.
0 Glasgow University Union University Avenue. 339 8247. The last time any musical life (or come to think of it. any life ) was seen here is well beyond my powers of recollection — so unless things change dramatically soon it is not worth a phone call. Recent gigs: None.
0 Glasgow School olArt 11W Renl'rew Street. 332 069l. A good venue. which has been limited in its promotion of liy e music by the inevitable financial constraints. Watch the press to see it this changes. Recent gigs: Deacon Blue. Del Amitri. 'l'he Shamen. Working Week. 0 Glasgow College of Technology "11 (‘oyy'eatltlens l'Roatl. 332 0681. last year‘s musical diet was restricted to their end of term events but the selection of bands at those was enough to provide hope lor the future.
(iigs last year: Wet Wet \Vel . (itltitll‘) c Mr .‘vlacKenzic. l lgll. Deacon Blue. His Latest Flame. Kevin McDermott ()rehestra.
Other Venues 0 The Third Eye Centre 3TH
Sauchichall Street. 33- 7521. Contact: .lanic Munro. ()ccasional venue for live bands with both the cafe area and small seated theatre being Used (holds around 150 ). Tasteful venue.
Recent gigs: The Painted “’ord. Julia l’lease. Horse.
0 Tron Theatre l’arnic Street. 558 4267. Not a run-of-the-mill y enuc. but has recently played liosl lo a heartenineg large and varied selection of local bands. especially during the Maylesl period. Recent gigs: His 1 ,atest Flame. Soul Doctor. The Wake. The ( )l’cllitls. l)c.1l Heights Cajun Aces. l)cl Arnitri and the .‘vleCltiskey Brother's.
Clubs
0 FUN Murrys 96 Maxwell Street. 221 651 l Contact; Tony (iougli. Thursday nights are usually set aside for touring bands and the more established local bands. while other opportunities exist lor lesser established bands. The individual clubs which hire the y enue are prone to occasionally putting on live music. while the venue can he hired on some nights. Recent gigs: The Primevals. The Proclaimers. The Big Sur. Voice of the Beehive. lt's lrnmaterial. The Weather Prophets.
The List 21 Aug — 3 Sept-37
.J