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    O2 Academy Glasgow

    3.2 (51 reviews)
    ModerateMusic Venues

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    The giant pint of Doom Vs A Normal Pint
    Lauren C.

    I love this place for gigs but it's never going to be as amazing as the Barras, that's just a fact. Another fact is that my brain cannot process this is the O2 Academy, it's still very much the Carling Academy to me and probably always will be! There's always a great atmosphere in here when there's a band playing and have only ever had problems in here once. My only main issue with the Academy is the ladies. About half an hour or so after doors, they ALWAYS end up disgusting. I had to visit them about halfway through the main set last night to find the only cubicle available at the time had become a vomitorium, although given the amount of empty quarter bottles scattered around I'm not surprised! I know it's always mad busy but if someone was even checking once an hour or so, it'd probably do a lot to improve the situation! The discovery of the giant 2 pint tumblers was stumbled upon last night for the first time. I foolishly thought they sounded a good idea until it was plopped on the bar in front of me and my pal burst out laughing. They fill them right to the top the same as the normal pints, but this then makes it a 2 handed business as the big ones are a bit too flimsy to negotiate with one hand until at least about halfway down. In a scale drawing of me last night, I would have looked like a child with a sippy cup. Albeit full of alcohol. They're a good idea if it's completely rammed and you won't get near the bar for an age but I don't really recommend them otherwise. Goes flat v quickly etc. Amusing though!

    Counting Crows
    Debbie B.

    A stones throw from Bridge St subway, this beautiful, former church and cinema has been rebuilt as an Art Deco live music and events venue. Home (so to speak) to live gigs from the likes of Counting Crows, Black Stone Cherry, Korn, QOTSA and Disturbed (to name a few of the acts I've seen there) as well as Burlesque extravaganza Club Noir (which, sadly, has become a bit mainstream for me these days) the venue is comprised of a standing area, as well as a seated balcony, more akin to a theatre than a concert hall. There are 4 bars, which, typically, are over-priced, and offer the standard range of spirits and yellow fizzy stuff (I think they call it lager), served in plastic cups. I believe on occasion they also offer cocktails. In plastic cups. (I HATE drinks served in plastic cups!). However, the beautiful interior still remains true to the Art Deco form, and the sound quality is damn good! There's also a reasonably priced cloakroom for those of you, like myself, who can't be bothered hauling about a furry coat whilst indulging in some moshing.

    Trivium - 4th Feb 2014 (c) Iain Purdie www.moshville.co.uk
    Iain P.

    Offhand I reckon I've been to about thirty or so gigs here. For me, sound quality means a lot and I've had everything from perfectly acceptable to absolutely terrible. Moving around at one recent gig, the sound was poor at floor level, but OK when up a set of steps near the sound deck. The one gig I went to where I was on the balcony, it wasn't too bad. Staff are superb, on the whole, but I find it very annoying when I'm taking photos (with a pass / permit) that I have to leave the building to drop my camera off at the box office before re-entering after my last photo session when the headliners are on. It means I miss some of the gig, plus I have to battle through crowds to get my camera back at the end when it would be far easier to leave via the fire exit at the front. Full credit, though, to the ShowSec people - a mile ahead of the violent neanderthals who beat up and threatened the crowds at gigs in years gone by (happened to me at Barrowlands in the early 1990s). I'm also not a fan of people stood in the toilets selling you toilet paper and cologne. Sorry, but they're utterly out of place as a Killswitch Engage show... Oh, and the beer's ridiculously expensive just like it's sister venue across town. Credit for their free supply of drinking water during and after the gig, though.

    Lindsay O.

    We went to see Chris Moyles Live here on Sunday night. Good gig. Have been here many times before and the venue is good but a little tired around the edges with the decor. The bars were sponsored by Tuborg beer so that was what they were selling and not much else. We got parked easily on the side street by the academy and the place emptied quickly after the gig so that was all good and no crushing. Mid size venue and they do a fair selection on their line up.

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    Quite a good venue but the carpeted bit is very dated considering its a newish club.

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    O2 Academy Glasgow Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - O2 Academy Glasgow

    but the Carling Academy is the close 2nd best venue by far (Barrowlands is still in the number one slot for me).

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    Saint Luke's

    Saint Luke's

    3.9(8 reviews)
    1.0 miGallowgate
    ££

    This converted church next to the Barras shows just what can be achieved in re-using old church…read morespaces - Cottier's, are you listening? This is a wonderful addition to the Calton area and I hope it does well. The church interior has been lovingly preserved, even down to the pulpit sitting at one side of the stage, and the organ pipes provide a fine backdrop and a reminder of the venue's former incarnation. I wonder if the organ still works? I also noticed a cinema screen overhead so I guess they may show films? Or maybe it's just for presentations? The funky purple lighting didn't seem sleazy at all, although it could easily have done. Even the installation of the necessary sound and lighting technology didn't manage to detract from the beautiful architecture. Through a curtain to the right is the bar/restaurant area, which we didn't try on this visit. It has an American diner-style menu, with ribs, steaks, burgers, open sandwiches and pizzas being the mainstays - although I was pleased to see that they do have a couple of veggie options and even a vegan nut loaf. Parking is pretty straightforward on the street outside, or there is a tiny car parking area behind the church that holds about 6 cars.

    I started reading about St Luke's about a year before it opened, following the whole conversion…read morefrom derelict church to swanky bar/restaurant/music venue. And I didn't just want to like it; I wanted to love it, heart and soul. But I don't. And I'm really, truly sad about that. Sinceriously. The conversion itself is awesome - the building has been beautifully restored, and the space utilised pretty well. But it had a really weird, tense atmosphere when we visited at the weekend. Bordering on hostile. And the music was just insanely loud for a bar that wasn't even half full. I probably wouldn't go back at the weekend - but I'll definitely so in for a midweek drink sometime.

    Photos
    Saint Luke's - From website

    From website

    Saint Luke's
    Saint Luke's - Winged Ox

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    Winged Ox

    Sweeney's on the Park

    Sweeney's on the Park

    3.9(7 reviews)
    1.4 miQueen's Park, South Side
    £

    Why I like Sweeney's on the Park: -it sells two real ales…read morefrom Fyne Ales at £3.30 and in good condition -it has very friendly staff -nicely refurbished interior -feels like a locals' pub even though it's been gentrified somewhat -has a selection of great value snacks such as pies and sausage rolls -has sky TV for the fitba -welcome break from some "classier" venues nearby -breaks up the journey between John Striling Maxwell and Mulberry Street

    We were booked as a band for a night of music in Sweeney's, playing alongside some other local…read moreacts. The night itself wasn't organised by the bar but someone outwith who hosts a regular music showcase. The evening felt very uorganised, and although, little of this is down to Sweeney's, the staff were of little help. We arrived early. The decor is eclectic, the pub definitely has a personal touch. I really liked the musical and instrument motifs by the stage area. There's also some quirky signs by the bar. Although, it did all a bit funky and mismatched to me. When we walked in, instruments in hand, we made our way from one half of the bar to the other; one which has the stage. Although the bar staff in the first room had explained we'd to head through to the second, nobody welcomed us or explained what would be happening when we got there. Other than a heckle from some folks at a table and a 'What will you be playing for us?!', we were left to it. We took a seat and, noticing no other instrument-in-hand folks, wandered exactly what the plan was. So we ordered drinks, and then I introduced myself and the band. At this point, more musicians were in the bar. Phew! The barman explained that the person who runs the night was running late. Understandably not their fault, what could they do? But then time went on and on. And there was no update from the bar. We just waited and waited. We'd presumed we were first since it had been listed that way without a mention of running times but after waiting till after the night should have begun (when the organiser finally arrived), we found out we were second. By this point, we just wanted to play; play and go home. In addition, the monitor mix wasn't great and the organiser had mistakenly thought there was two of us, so Sweeney's only paid two of us for performing. The general feeling was that there's venues out there doing amazing things for local music. The best and memorable gigs for us have had great hosts behind them. We just didn't feel this way about Sweeney's, and that's a pity.

    Photos
    Sweeney's on the Park
    Sweeney's on the Park
    Sweeney's on the Park

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    The Rum Shack - Sit outside and "lime" - which means hang out in Caribbean slang

    The Rum Shack

    4.2(24 reviews)
    1.0 miSouth Side
    ££

    This was part of our International Food Night arranged by our very own International Yelper Man of…read moreMystery Rocco G. It sounded like a nice wee change and a visit to deep south of Glasgow. This was indeed a special wee Yelp outing as these don't happen very often. I was looking forward to my Caribbean treat and meeting up with my fellow Yelpers. I managed to find the Southside by train to Queen's Park Station and it's only a 5 minutes hop, skip and jump to The Rum Shack. I was unfortunately in still a bit of pain from the Kiltwalk so think I didn't get to enjoy the experience as much as I had hoped. We were seated on stools at 2 separate high tables. I think I was craving a normal seat, which are available by the way. The menu had a fairly nice varied choice of Caribbean dishes, some with a Scottish twist. So I opted for the Haggis Balls to kick off this food night. The starter was absolutely delicious, the sauce wasn't too hot and with a pleasant amount of sweetness to compliment my balls. Oh yeah! OK, so they were actually "fritters". I felt some of the menu for me was a bit on the spicy side so opted for the vegetarian dish of Cuban black bean and rice with fried plantain and sweet potatoes. I have to say it was very different but quite palatable. It was lovely décor and the staff could not be any more helpful, they were very accommodating and polite. I'm not sure I would venture back here as I felt there was nothing else on the menu I would really try, I think it would be nice to swing by for some drinks as they have a fully stocked bar and I'm sure there's a rum lurking in there somewhere that I may like. Try for yourselves, for me I just wasn't blown out my boots.

    Popped in for lunch on Saturday after having it on my list of places to try for a while. It was…read morequiet and when walking in to the main bar for the first time there were no menu's on the tables. We weren't sure where to sit or the set up of the place but after finding a seat the staff were welcoming and helpful. We were in for food more than drinks, however I did have a tasty dark rum and ginger beer or two which was as nice as you'd hope. The service was quick and after ordering the waitress brought over a bottle of their house chilli sauce with a warning that it was incredibly hot - she wasn't lying! It was lovely though, not sure if they do, but they should sell it by the bottle. The menu was small which I find a welcome sign, I always hope this means the kitchen have perfected the few dishes they list and I was not disappointed. To start we had Accra and Popcorn Prawns, the prawns were nice and came with a tasty sauce but the Accra was the definite winner for the starter. For our mains we had Jerk Pit Fish of the Day and Jerk Pit Pork belly, both came with corn on the cob and rice and peas. The jerk seasoning was great, and had a good heat to it, as you would expect. The rice was well cooked and well seasoned and the fish tender and flakey. I could have done with an extra corn on the cob - that dipped in their hot sauce was a highlight for the veggie lover in me. Not eating meat personally, I never tried the pork belly, however I was told it was delicious. It's not far from a top rating for me (I'd give it 4 and a half if I could), the only downfalls I found were the atmosphere little a lacking, probably down to the time of day we visited, between lunch and dinner. I think it would be a great evening trip. I found the material of the plates a little distracting, it felt a little like eating off of paper plates. Over all I'd recommend it, I'll definitely be back to eat here again!

    Photos
    The Rum Shack - Beer garden

    Beer garden

    The Rum Shack
    The Rum Shack - Great prices and a lot of food

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    Great prices and a lot of food

    Barrowland Ballroom - Barrowland's world famous neon sign

    Barrowland Ballroom

    4.7(75 reviews)
    0.9 miGallowgate
    ££

    Went to a concert last night, this is a great venue. We ubered so idk about the parking situation…read morebut our driver found us easy enough. Super spacious inside, has stairs to get to concert area (i didn't see any elevators but I also didn't go out of my way to check)

    Came here recently for the fantastic Blur gig and wanted to add a few things to my review. I'm very…read moremuch still in love with the Barrowland Ballroom, nothing will ever change that. Please never take it away! I can never remember queuing to get in here. I've arrived at gigs early for support bands and just before the main bands come on and have always just walked in to get searched. You don't get that much these days. Maybe some other establishments could take a leaf out of their book? The bar queue is a bit of a nightmare sometimes, but I tend not to drink much at gigs so this doesn't bother me too much. The bar downstairs next to the cloakroom can sometimes be a little more quiet. Queues for the toilets can be long but always go down fast. Don't expect the Ritz here ladies, not much has changed decor-wise in this place and that includes the toilets. Merchandise is on this level too, with an old-skool hot food hatch next to it, The smell of fried onions always makes my mouth water. The Barras can't be beaten for atmosphere, bands and artists agree. Glasgow crowds are the best too, obviously, so it's a match made in heaven.

    Photos
    Barrowland Ballroom - The one and only Barrowlands

    The one and only Barrowlands

    Barrowland Ballroom - Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5

    Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5

    Barrowland Ballroom - Obligatory flag holding!

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    Obligatory flag holding!

    O2 Academy Glasgow - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

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