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WIZZ MAGAZINE
G L A S GOW
Glaswegians love music, but for those
not familiar with the city, getting a handle
on the labyrinthine scene can be tricky.
Walking Heads (
walkingheads.net)
,
a local
company, has tried to make things easier
for visiting music fans with a smartphone
app that includes an exhaustive directory of
venues – with locations, contact details and
up-to-date gig listings – and a selection
of audio tours to guide you round the key
musical spots, narrated by DJ Jim Gellatly.
Gellatly has tirelessly championed new
music in Scotland for many years on Xfm
and, latterly, Absolute Radio. He moved
to Glasgow in 2000. “As a music fan,
what struck me when I moved here was
that people I’d admired, like the lead
singer of The Pastels, would be hanging
out in the coffee shop down the road,”
he says. “There’s something quite unique
about Glasgow. It’s a creative place and it
attracts creative people from all over. One
minute they’ll be serving you a beer in Nice
N’Sleazy and the next week you’ll recognise
them playing up on stage at King Tut’s.”
Recording the Walking Heads tours
gave Gellatly the opportunity to meet some
interesting people. “It’s not just me talking
about what’s going on right now,” he says.
“
You get a sense of
the musical heritage
too. I spoke to the
legendary promoter
Tam Coyle about the
time Oasis first played
at King Tut’s when
he was the booker
there. And that was
the night that Alan
McGee signed the
band.” There are
four different walking
audio tours tailored
to different parts of
the city, and Gellatly
reckons even locals
might learn something
along the way.
Graeme
MacDonald is
singer and guitarist
in This Silent Forest
(
thisissilentforest.
com)
,
a hotly-tipped young Glasgow band
about to release their debut album after
two years gigging in the city. He thinks that
becoming involved in the Glasgow scene
influenced his songwriting. “I used to be
called a folk singer because it was just me
and a guitar,” he says. “Living in Glasgow
is how I got This
Silent Forest
together, and our
sound became
more raucous and
dynamic. Musically
and even lyrically,
Glasgow has had
a huge effect.
Everyone is very friendly – if you’re into
music, they welcome you with open arms.”
Nicola Meighan is a rock writer for
The Herald
and has been involved in
the Glasgow music scene for almost two
decades. “I think what makes the city
distinct is its grassroots scene and
the diverse styles,” she says. “On
“
THERE’S
SOMETHING
UNIQUE ABOUT
GLASGOW. IT’S A
CREATIVE PLACE
AND ATTRACTS
PEOPLE FROM
ALL OVER”
HERE:
AGEING
BUT STILL
GLAMOROUS
BALLROOM
BARROWLAND.
LEFT:
DJ JIM
GELLATLY,
BRAINS BEHIND
GLASGOW'S
WALKING
HEADS TOURS
