Seen some bands here over the decades and it’s quite unique in the sense that, because of the acoustics, the crowd are quite audibly singing the songs and passionately so. Something that is lost in an outdoor venue. Forget all the soor pooses yammering on about the obvious need for a makeover, the ambiance would be lost in a heart beat. If you have never seen a band here, make a point of changing that. It’s a damn site better than the antiseptic cavern that is the Hydro.

Attended a concert here (The Mountain Goats). The neon sign outside and star-covered ceiling inside are really iconic, and the sound was great. There are a lot of stairs, so be aware of that if you have any sort of mobility issue (I think they have accessibility options for people with disabilities, but there are, of course, also people who have unrecognised mobility issues or who are simply tired after doing sightseeing before the concert/standing in queue outside). Please also be aware that the cloakroom is 2 pounds per item, but they accept card payments. Tap water was free (well, either that or I accidentally stole some?), which I think is really important for health and safety of concert-goers (at my local concert venue a single cup of water is 6 pounds).

We had a ball at the recent Bruce Dickinson gig at the Barras. Our first ever gig happened to be Iron Maiden at this very venue back in 1998 so it was fabulous to see Bruce gracing the same stage many years later! It was a great atmosphere. Everyone around us was up for enjoying the gig, with no nonsense like constantly talking over the music, thankfully, and it was a bonus to experience the Barras roar without the accompanying beer rinse for once. All the staff we encountered were efficient and friendly from the security staff to the barman who was full of the Glasgow patter when the hubby asked if there was a charge for a glass of water “it’s free of course, it’s tap water!!”. The way it should be!