The Barrowland Ballroom has long been a cornerstone of the live music scene, embodying Glasgow’s identity for decades. Alison Irvine offers readers a brilliant cultural history of the venue, and here she tells BooksfromScotland her own favourite memories.

Barrowland: The Inside Story of Glasgow’s Beloved Ballroom
By Alison Irvine
Published by Luath Press

Imagine having an Access All Areas pass to one of the greatest music venues in the world: the Barrowland Ballroom. Imagine on quiet days being allowed to stand on the empty Maplewood dance floor or peek into the main band dressing room with its iconic stars above the mirrors. Imagine, on gig nights, standing at the back of the hall and watching a crowd go wild as a band returns to the stage for its encore.

That’s been my experience at the Barrowland Ballroom for several years while researching my book and I have loved every minute of my time there. For my research, I spoke with Barrowland staff, gig-goers and musicians and all of them talked about the chemistry created between artists and audiences and the shared experience of being at a Barrowland gig. Staff expressed pride at working in such a beloved venue and of playing a part in making a gig-goer’s experience extra special.

I wanted to capture as many stories and memories as I could about the Barrowland Ballroom and in, doing so, I observed staff at their work, spoke to gig-goers and was witness to many wee details that make up the Barrowland experience. Here are some of my favourite moments:

Working a shift behind the bar

Pints, half-pints, gin, vodka, cider, alcohol-free: I served it all alongside the famous Barrowland bar staff. These colleagues of mine worked hard. From the moment security staff called ‘doors’ and the first gig-goers entered the hall, the Barrowland bar was busy. Yes, there were lulls, when we could look over the tops of heads to the musicians on the stage – in my case, I saw Lucy Dacus play – but mostly we had our heads down and kept serving. I loved it. My favourite moments were witnessing the legendary Barrowland chant: ‘Here we… Here we… Here we f**king go’ and seeing everyone in the crowd lit up in golden light with their arms in the air. It was an extraordinary sight.

Observing the world-famous Glasgow crew

The crew that loads in bands equipment prides itself on being the most hardworking and reliable in the world. This is primarily because there is no lift at Barrowland and there are several flights of stairs to climb to get to the ballroom. There is a hoist for really heavy pieces of equipment but everything else is carried up the stairs and carried down again at the end of the night. I saw these guys empty the contents of two artic lorries at seven-thirty in the morning. Amps, crates, lights, monitors, they all went up the Barrowland stairs. The crew sang and joked and sweated and smoked and they got the job done.

Checking in coats in the cloakroom

This was fun. I was there at the start of the evening when I could sense the excitement everyone had for their night ahead. I greeted people as they walked along the red-railed pens and checked in their coats, bags and umbrellas. I chatted to customers, wished them a good night, and had some fascinating chats with staff members as they came in to say hi during the gig. I can’t tell you how many times I glimpsed men coming into the cloakroom then turning on their heels and exiting because they’d mistaken it for the gents’ toilets next door!

Watching a gig from the control room

A gig in miniature. In Rock Steady’s office on the floor below the ballroom there are TV screens showing pictures from inside the Barrowland Ballroom. One night, I saw silent black and white images of a Bear’s Den gig. I wouldn’t have known there was a gig on upstairs were it not for the sound of people’s feet stomping on the ceiling above us. That night the band wanted to play an acoustic number in the middle of the dance floor and the security staff had to ensure that everyone was ready for the musicians’ walk from the stage into the crowd. It went without a hitch.

Seeing my friend play with The Pogues

I watched from the crowd, notepad and Dictaphone put aside, as I experienced The Pogues and their guests play a recent Barrowland gig. Sweat, beer, heat and joy is what I remember most, as well as pride at seeing a pal of mine up on the stage. She is in a folk band called Stick in the Wheel which not only supported The Pogues but joined them on stage during the gig. I asked her afterwards what it was like. ‘Amazing,’ she said. It looked amazing from where I stood too. She and The Pogues seemed like they were having the time of their lives and I can assure you that I was too – along with the other 1900 people in the crowd that night. Another Barrowland shared experience.

I’ll miss my AAA access to the Barrowland Ballroom, but I’ll be back, there’s no doubt, happy to be a punter again.

Barrowland: The Inside Story of Glasgow’s Beloved Ballroom by Alison Irvine is published by Luath Press, priced £20.