All Points East

The Barrowlands is an impressive sight in the heart of Gallowgate, with the large neon sign which was erected in 1985 during the Ballroom’s renaissance.

It may not be as busy as it once was, with ever increasing competition with other venues across the city but the best bands know that the Barrowlands is a must play. Oasis and Metacilla are just two bands to have named it as one of their favourite venue around the world. David Bowie played the Barrowland in 1997 and took a ceramic star from the ceiling away with him as a souvenir.

The Barrowlands is known for its excellent sound and atmosphere. The ballroom is spacious with plenty of room to find a good spot for the gig.

Lynsey C on Yelp Glasgow says “It's a reasonably large venue with capacity of 2100 yet manages to feel intimate and creates a great connection between band and audience. The acoustics are excellent and the atmosphere is rare to find elsewhere. A legacy of its original purpose as a dance hall is the sprung floor, making gigs that little bit bouncier! I quite like to perch at the sides where the little step up gives my short self a better view.”

With lots of great acts lined up for this year, visiting the Barrowland Ballroom should definitely be on your to do list. Pete Doherty is playing in May, Jamie Lawson is playing there in October, and Deacon Blue in Decemeber. Singer Amy MacDonald even wrote a song about the famous Ballroom, including the lyrics “oh nothing beats the feeling of the high Barrowland ceiling when the band starts to play.” To listen to the song please click here.

To see more upcoming events at the Barrowlands then you can follow them on Twitter, or Facebook, or visit their website. 

WEST is a fantastic bar and restaurant located at the far side of Glasgow Green. It specialises in artisan lagers, wheat beers and traditional German food. Its beer hall’s dark wood-panelled walls, seats and floors also feel very German, but the German-style lager and beers, which are brewed on-site, have been given Glasgow-inspired names (King Tuts and St. Mungo feature).

Some of its German specialities include currywurst and weiner schnitzel.

One of the best things about WEST is their dog friendly policy. This means you are almost guaranteed to bump into a cute four legged friend on any visit there. West has a large beer garden with lots of benches which makes it the go to place for many people on a sunny day.

WEST is situated in the former Templeton Carpet Factory Building, a beautiful building which was modelled on the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The building was built as a carpet factory in 1892 for James Templeton and Son Carpet Makers. The design of the building was based on a palace as the wealthy people living around the area where it was to be built did not want to look out on to a factory.

Debs M on Yelp Glasgow gives a great review of the brewery side of WEST:

“The main thing about West is, of course, the brewery - I love that you can look down and see all the...brewing stuff (technical term) and I also like that they brew different seasonal beers throughout the year, it means you can't really get bored of their offerings! (As if I would anyway, pfft.) All West products adhere to the German Purity Law of 1516, or Reinheitsgebot (bless you) which means the only ingredients are hops, barley and water - no rubbish and tasty beer as a result. I went to their Day of Beer last year with some pals to learn a bit more about the brewing process and beers themselves, which was really interesting!”

Visit WEST brewery in the Templeton Building on Glasgow Green.

St Luke’s is a converted church turned music and arts venue. The former disused 19^th century church on Bain Square in Calton is thought to be one of the oldest churches in Glasgow. Originally built in 1837, the church has been restored and modernised to high standards. One wall of the church is even covered in a mural of Saint Luke with a record in hand and headphones around his neck. However, many of the original features have been left intact, including the beautiful stained glass windows.

The restaurant area – the Winged Ox – hosts an American diner-style menu, with ribs, steaks, burgers, sandwiches and pizzas making up most of the menu.

The venue hosts many events of all different types from comedy nights to theatre and music.

If you are interested in seeing the transformation of this beautiful building into the thriving, modern venue it has become, please click here to watch a video of the transformation.