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118 - Glasgow Barrowlands with Alison Irvine

May 31, 2026
45:12

Join us for a deep dive into an iconic gig venue, the legendary Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom.  The building was first opened by Maggie McIver on Christmas Eve 1934 & hosts dances for the East End of Glasgow for decades, however once the big band era passes the venue begins to decline & loses popularity following the infamous Bible John murders in the late 1960s.  After a brief period as a Roller Disco the venue is revived following Simple Minds filming their Waterfront video in 1983.  In 1985 the famous neon sign goes up on the exterior of the building & the venue is still family ran to this day.  We hear about what makes the venue so famous from its legendary acoustics, to the ceiling stars & original features & also the famous Barrowlands atmosphere.  Some of the famous performances at the Barrowlands include The Pogues debuting Fairytale of New York with Joe Strummer on guitar, Noel Gallagher finishing an Oasis gig solo after Liam Gallagher walks off stage, debuting Whatever on acoustic guitar.  Unknown local acts Lewis Capaldi & Rianne Downeyt play early gigs at the venue while Scottish band The Saw Doctors hold the record for the most appearances at the Barrowlands.  Others to play the venue include Bob Dylan, David Bowie & dozens more.  It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it.  You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17 X: @simonmusicmaps Facebook: E17rockbookclub Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell Music by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

118 - Glasgow Barrowlands with Alison Irvine

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