The Best Student Music Venues in Glasgow

Music is a part of life. Waiting on hold for something monotonous listening to mind-numbing polyphonic tones, being partially deafened at a sticky-floored, youth filled club or blissfully relaxing with your headphones in – it’s virtually impossible not to hear music every day. If you’re like me, your ideal past-time is going to see a really good artist or live band. You, your friends and amazing music; there’s nothing quite like it. However, we are in a recession (I like to blame the recession rather than the fact I’ve spent my student loan on Nandos and Kopparberg) and it is more than likely that our bank balances will not allow us such luxuries as concerts/gigs. Fear not; Glasgow is a hotbed of musical culture with a variety of cheap music venues spread right across the city. Here’s a list of some of the best music venues in Glasgow which won’t charge £30 a ticket.

SubClub

www.subclub.co.uk

SubClub is one of the best clubs/venues on the alternative scene. If you like your music loud then this is definitely the place for you. The low ceilings and massive speakers attract some of the most notorious DJs to Scotland’s capitol. Fedde Le Grand is playing the end of February: a definite must watch for dance lovers! SubClub is also where the underground, upcoming DJs play to showcase their talent so you could well end up stumbling across the next big thing!

The Arches

www.thearches.co.uk

The Arches, much like SubClub is another club which largely contributes to Glasgow’s alternative music scene. Dubstep, house, dance, as well as indie music are all largely celebrated at The Arches with greats from all genres regularly raising the roof of this club. Located in the centre of Glasgow The Arches is an ideal music venue, perfect to start your evening with some good music and perhaps progress somewhere else. Jaguar Skills, The Pigeon Detectives, Chase & Status and James Blake are to name but a few artists coming to The Arches in the next few months from just £12.50.

O2 Academy

www.o2academyglasgow.co.uk

The O2 Academy is without a doubt one of the best music venues in Glasgow (that’s strange, seeing as that’s the title of this blog..). It draws some of the biggest names on the current music scene for good prices, including Brit 2013 nominee Jake Bugg who’s playing soon. The Gaslight Anthem, Counting Crows and the ever depressing yet remarkably popular Lana Del Rey (don’t all her songs sound like an abundance of ferries simultaneously leaving the dock?) are just some of the many acts also appearing at the O2 Academy this year.

O2 ABC

www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk

The O2 Academy’s sister club O2 ABC is host of famous Glasgow student nights Jellybaby and Propaganda. Not only this, the O2 ABC is another venue for cheap, good gigs. Both this venue and the O2 Academy are (quite obviously) related to o2 so those on that network can get priority tickets for all gigs. Lawson, Lianne La Havas and Foals are to name but a few artists featuring at this venue soon, with Brit 2013 Award Nominees Alt-J coming later in the Summer.

King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut

www.kingtuts.co.uk

Described by NME as ‘quite possibly the finest small venue in the world’, King Tuts is notorious for unearthing new and upcoming bands/artists. Glasgow’s source of new music is set in a cool, dingy bar venue where you can practically touch the people on stage from anywhere in the room. The ideal intimate setting for some new music to blow your mind. Brit’s 2012 Critics Choice winner Tom Odell, Gabrielle Aplin (of that deliciously haunting John Lewis ad with the cute wee snowmen) and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus are all playing in March alone, definitely worth a check out!

And there you have it. Good music, good venues, good prices. Don’t say I’m not good to you!