GLASGOW 2014 CITY GUIDE
and most successful shopping district outside London’s West End. This square mile, mainly Buchanan Street and around, has a concentrated hit of spending temptations, from unique boutiques and designer goods to flagship stores, plus the ever-expanding Buchanan Galleries and upmarket Princes Square.
SHARMANKA KINETIC THEATRE & GALLERY 103 Trongate, Merchant City, G1 5HD, 0141 552 7080, sharmanka.com Sharmanka (Russian for barrel- organ) is the creation of two St Petersburgers, now based in Glasgow, who produce moving sculptures from bits of scrap, old junk and carved figurines. It’s a unique, mesmerising performance of kinetic objects, music and light, enchanting with occasional and wonderful creepiness.
COMEDY
Laugh your socks off at some of Glasgow’s top funny spots
AT THE STATE The State Bar, 148 Holland Street, City Centre, G2 4NG, 0141 332 2159, comedyatthestate.co.uk This granddaddy of Glasgow comedy venues was one of the first in the city to host regular nights. The cosy basement setting in the traditional pub off Sauchiehall Street showcases local talent as well as established funny people. The regular Glasgow Gong Show is a stern test to see who can stay on stage for the full five minutes before the gong sounds.
THE HALT BAR 160 Woodlands Road, West End, G3 6LF, 0141 353 6450, thehaltbar.co.uk A long-standing West End classic whose recent new owners have continued the fine tradition of music and gigs in the neighbouring venue Halt Two. Pop-Up Comedy is a free weekly night of new and rising talent.
THE STAND 333 Woodlands Road, West End, G3 6NG, 0844 335 8879, thestand.co.uk Opened in 2000, this much- loved comedy club, housed in an old school, has sister venues in Edinburgh and Newcastle and attracts top national and international comedians. Regular nights also help nurture local newcomers with spots next to some of the big names on the circuit.
VESPBAR 14 Drury Street, City Centre, G2
VINTAGE GLASGOW Various venues (Merchant City, Glasgow), Sat 26–Sun 27 Jul.
We predict the 2014 look du jour over at the Athletes’ Village will be going very big on Lycra singlets, tech- filled running shoes and racerback sports bras. Meanwhile, down in the Merchant City, the fashion will be feeling far more nostalgic. Over two days, as part of the Merchant City Festival, streets and venues in this part of town will be taken over by Vintage Glasgow, a festival run by fashion designer Wayne Hemingway which debuted (and sold out) last summer, and returns to tie in with Glasgow 2014. Dressing up is strongly encouraged – and according to festival assistant producer, Sophie Crabb,
‘People go to so much trouble with their outfits. Just walking in, you sense you’re entering somewhere really special.’
It’s a celebration of British fashion, design and dance culture from the 1920s to the 1980s (think mink stoles,
wartime tea dresses or Mod suits – 90s shellsuits or scrunchies may well be disqualified) so the organisers are laying on a cocktail-soaked Charleston Brunch, rock ’n’ roll dance classes, retro food stalls and ‘flash-mob’ catwalks, alongside a massive vintage clothes marketplace, mini car boot sale, and two themed club nights. The Hair and Beauty Salon in Merchant Square will be dolling customers up with a variety of 40s finger- waves, 60s bouffants and backcombs, which can then be paraded at Soul Casino (featuring DJs playing Northern Soul and disco from the 70s and 80s), the Devil’s Music (featuring unlikely guest DJ Martin Compston playing ‘wild surf and vintage garage’), or the Torch Club, with live music from the Bratislava Hot Serenaders orchestra.
It’s a tribute to the elegance, rebellion and escapism of bygone eras, so for those about to rock – or jitterbug,
peabody, foxtrot, twist, jive or do the mashed potato with a Paul Weller hairdo – we salute you. (Claire Sawers) ■ See merchantcityfestival.com for more info. Tickets from ticketsoup.com
5AA, 0141 204 0060, vespbar. com This cool, compact venue down Drury Street’s cobbles is renowned for its good food, prosecco on tap and five-nights-a-week comedy offerings. From Vespbar Virgins letting raw talent take to the stage to its popular 10 o’clock show, it’s a relative newcomer getting the laughs.
CLUBS
Dance till the small hours at Glasgow’s finest nightspots
THE ARCHES 253 Argyle Street, City Centre, G2 8DL, 0141 565 1000, thearches.co.uk If you’re wondering where the edgy, arty hipsters of the city spend their time, you’ll likely find them here. A
cavernous underground mishmash of bars and stages offering a renowned theatre programme, including its own cutting-edge festivals, plus larger-scale indie shows, a variety of club nights and DJ sets.
THE ART SCHOOL 20 Scott Street, City Centre, G3 6RQ, theartschool.co.uk Despite the tragic fire that damaged the original Rennie Mackintosh Glasgow School of Art building in May 2014, the legendary student union opposite is open for business of the nightlife variety. It has a different home in the recently completed new building but the same focus on events, club nights and gigs that have seen it as a focus for Glasgow’s alternative culture.
THE GARAGE 490 Sauchiehall Street, City
Centre, G2 3LW, 0141 332 1120, garageglasgow.co.uk Scotland’s biggest club has been around for two decades, providing big and brash tomfoolery every night of the year. The large, friendly space houses five rooms, mixing it up from indie and alt.rock to chart and pop. Expect everything from space invader nights and hot tubs to bouncy castles.
THE SUB CLUB 22 Jamaica Street, G1 4QD, 0141 248 4600, subclub.co.uk This bad boy has been servicing Glasgow’s eclectic electronic needs since 1987, and has shaped much of the local scene in that time. With plenty on almost nightly, the finest house DJs across the city get together for the flagship Saturday’s Subculture, the longest- running house and techno night in Scotland.
10 Jul–21 Aug 2014 THE LIST 35