Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom

I have heard all sorts of stories about this legendary venue, tell me some of yours.

Capacity, sticky carpets, best show etc etc

I recall being at a Motorhead gig there and being at the back of the floor with my ears distorting like f*ck. I still had ringing in my ears 4 days later.
Ear plugs at gigs after that.

Some of my best concert memories from the Barras. Doesnt have carpets in the gig area as it’s a wooden floor. Hot, sweaty, rough around the edges. But great place for a gig.

It has to be Rage Against the Machine in 1995.

I’m absolutely amazed the “ballroom” area didn’t collapse into the bar below it.

“Jumping” doesn’t do it justice it. 3000 people going absolutely mental through the whole set.

Standing in the cloak room queue afterward looking at the steam coming off everyone!

I saw Big Country (RIP Stuart) there in 1993. Absolutely mental gig – couldn’t hear the next day or barely speak. Definitely got something special about it especially seeing a Scottish band on home turf. Sadly it was the only time I ever saw them live despite having been into them since I was a teenager

Runrig.
A full house.
Loch Lomond.
Christmas.
Barrowlands.

Fun Loving Criminals, weirdly living close to Glasgow i only ever went to a Barras gig once.

Felt like I was in a strangely large, dirty, smoky living room……i loved it. First gig I’d ever been to that had metal detectors on the door.

been to many Runrig ones, always great fun. Scariest experience was Ocean Colour Scence, we were near back, and Neil Lennon got attacked just next to us 🙁

I think my second gig was the Spin Doctors and Gin Blossoms at the Barras. I then saw the Black Crowes, about 2002, brilliant gig. I think a lot of bands cite it as a favourite venue.

Love the place. Think the craziest gig I was at there was possibly L7? Although the one I enjoyed the most was probably the Saw Doctors.

Really love this as well, where the old flea market used to be on the way to the Barra’s. It’s a brilliant walk down memory lane as you play spot the gigs.

Beagy

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Great Venue best shows for me toss up between Cocteau Twins 1990 or last years Arab Strap reunion,seen it in a completely different light a few years back was there for a Northern soul all dayer it has an amazing sprung dance floor
love it

Played there once.

It was epic!

The sound, the crowd – best venue ever 🙂

Also been to many a gig there through the 90’s and will always remember it with a special fondness!

Kinda hoping to play it again someday – trying to get the band back together so you never know 😉

First time this Sunday, off to see Depeche Mode as part of 6 music festival. They only play arenas, so looking forward to it.

Jesus Jones – probably around 1994.

EDIT: Looks like March 26th 1993 supported by Sunscreem. 24 years ago!

Almost too many memories to recount.

Smelling the worst fart of my life in the jacket queue after seeing the Aphex Twin. Convinced that the responsible party actually shat him/herself.

The wee wifey with the tracheotomy who worked in the cloakroom.

Early 90s metal gigs when still underage – Soundgarden touring “Superunknown”, Alice in Chains touring “Dirt”.

Mercury Rev’s Jonathan Donahue, unable to do anything but beam and laugh at the love roaring out of the crowd.

PJ Harvey touring Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. Did a solo rendition of “Rid of Me”, almost hidden behind her Gretsch.

Old Crow Medicine Show, a couple of years ago. Never thought I’d see one of the best crowds of my life bouncing the place (sprung ballroom floors are fun!) to a bluegrass/country band. Been to a few gigs there now, love the place.

Stranglers (post Hugh) and possibly The Fall.

scotroutes – Member
Runrig.
A full house.
Loch Lomond.
Christmas.
Barrowlands.

actually, we must have been there at the same time scotroutes 🙂 Was an annual event for me and missus through the early 90’s…..

Cracking venue. Manky and sleazy. Great sound.

Without thinking too hard

Terrorvision
Megadeth
Biohazard
The Almighty
Therapy
Rage Against The Machine
Slayer
Corrosion Of Conformity
Pantera
Plastikman

And coming up in the next few months, Leftfield in May and Larry Heard in July

Plastikman

I saw him there too; I think he had his Richie Hawtin (Itchy Bawbag) head on.

Bizarrely, he was there as the support act for ESG. I remember laughing at the utter bewilderment of the sweaty, pilled-up crowd, when he walked off-stage to be replaced by three giant-arsed Latinas in their mid-fifties.

Thank you, Optimo.

One of the best gigs at the Barras was The Orb. I think they brought their own sound system this time and I remember it sounded like whales were coming out of the stage and flying overhead. Altogether a very trippy night

Another time at a Henry Rollins gig, after a bit of jumping about the front my mate came out de-t-shirted. He had no idea what happened and it was nowhere to be found afterwards.

Chemical Brothers was probably the biggest bounceathon hoot that I remember.

Saw Leftfield anaw, another cracker. Quite a few I can’t remember either, I think I have some tickets somewhere.

Northside. remember them?

Not sure what year, some time between 1990-93?

And maybe PWEI …

awesome venue, nothing in the city comes close to the atmosphere and sound of the barrowlands.

only been to a handful of gigs there in my time here.

sisters of mercy
billy idol
manic street preachers
suede
lacuna coil
black veil brides (ahem, I was accompanying my daughter).

thought it was more than that though.

Jesus Jones – probably around 1994.

EDIT: Looks like March 26th 1993 supported by Sunscreem. 24 years ago!
How long?! – spooky though – I was at that gig and I think Duran Duran in the same week. Great place particularly when the sprung floor had an extra layer of crushed plastic pint pots on it and everyone was up for it.

I was at that Alice in Chains gig as well Arrpee 😉

It has to be Rage Against the Machine in 1995.

I’m absolutely amazed the “ballroom” area didn’t collapse into the bar below it.

“Jumping” doesn’t do it justice it. 3000 people going absolutely mental through the whole set.

Standing in the cloak room queue afterward looking at the steam coming off everyone!

I was at that one too. There was an impressive crowd surge when RATM first came onstage.

My ears were shagged for a good few days afterwards.

You could park a (tour)bus in the gaping chasms of my memory, think i saw Jurassic 5 in there….i canny **** remember.

ICe-T Body Count
Pantera
Sepultura
MAchine Head
NIN
Marilyn Manson
Biohazard
Corrosion Of Conformity
Faith No More
Soundgarden
Fun Loving Criminals

1998 Halloween and Daft Punk, when they were still jamming Chicago house..

Lots of great gigs, I was in student in in the early 80’s and at the time there were few venues in town plus the two student unions. Spear of Destiny were one of the best. I also saw the Clash, Stranglers and Stiff little Fingers amongst many others at the Apollo, another great venue.

It was also the worst gig, the Ramones who were truly awful – probably because they were so stoned – out of tune, sound balance off. They were blown-out by the support act, the Sting Rytes a psycho-billy group who used to play 50s and 60s classics at 200bpm!

Stiff Little Fingers about 5 years ago on Paddys day. Phenomenal atmosphere and cracking venue.

@bobafatt and @dumbott…Fun Loving Criminals wouldn’t have been about 1999/2000 would it? I was there, as a bouncer! Had the prime spot: in front of the stage, chucking any crowd surfers off to the sides. That was a real ‘I’m being paid to do this?’ moment. But most of the time I was bouncing I just had to deal with drunk young farmers and puking people.

^^^^ I remember seeing Fun Lovin Criminals in Irvine Magnum Centre….

Worst. Gig. Ever….

I saw the Levellers there just a couple of months ago. Brilliant place.

You are probably right Hannah, I seem to remember Huey chucking spliffs into the crowd

Every band and date here

http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/history/historybands.html

Mad crazy venue, always enjoyed a pint in the colourful (wrong colour for me) local drinking establishments, gigs in no particular order.
Stiff Little Fingers
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Kraftwerk
Inspiral Carpets
Charlatans
Wonder Stuff
REM

he he, scotroutes I went to see Runrig early 80s, not at the Barrowlands however but @ Tiffany’s ballroom Sauchiehall Street, myself, best mate another another classmate from Elgin – pre-drinks in the Park Bar, proper sprung dance floor, mental stuff (just after exams as well IIRC).

Stone Roses.1996. I missed my 6th year high school dance to go and turned down £200 for my ticket, which was about a months income from my after school dishwashing gig….

Great gig (even ian brown didnt sing out of tune too badly) but never seen so many people underage drinking and openly skinning up. Wonderful night…

BoardinBob – Member
Every band and date here

http://www.glasgow-barrowland.com/history/historybands.html

Wow, that’s amazing. Reliving the late 90s right now. Would have bet good money that I saw the New York Dolls there, supported by a random German group who came on naked.

Saw Pavement a couple of times there, and at the Art School, which was always special.

Loudest gig I remember was the Foo Fighters, just before I had to go to work (nightshift). Ears ringing.

Great thread!

Future Islands @ Barrowlands sounding good at the moment on 6music

edit : my mistake, it’s the O2

If anyone’s in the vicinity i thoroughly recommend this place

https://baadglasgow.com/achalltainn

Top notch seafood.