A new bar has opened its doors in Glasgow that pays loose homage to the city’s original ‘music mecca’ - that once stood tall just a stone's throw away.
As Scotland's premier rock venue, Glasgow's legendary Apollo Theatre played host to some of the biggest names in rock and roll during its heyday.
Acts who made their way to the Renfield Street venue over its years of operation - between September 1973 until its closure in June 1985 - included the likes of David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Blondie, Queen, Neil Young, Abba and AC/DC.
Now The Flying Duck has transformed its back room venue space into a bar and rechristened it as The Apollo Bar, in acknowledgement of its proximity to the iconic long-lost venue.
A sister venue to Glasgow’s Stereo, Mono, The Old Hairdressers & The 78, the basement venue has been an integral part of Glasgow’s vibrant underground music and bar scene since it was established in 2007.
READ MORE: The rock venue that created lasting memories for rock and pop legends
Long-beloved for its DIY aesthetic and diverse gig and club programming, an inopportune flood in the main room forced a temporary closure and caused pause for thought for the bar owners.
A switching of the two spaces – affectionately known as the ‘big room’ and the ‘wee room’ by staff – was decided; giving Glasgow’s musicians, promoters, gig-goers and clubbers a freshly decked out 250+ capacity venue and an intimate ‘if you know, you know’ late bar - The Apollo Bar.
Rather than via the main Renfield Street entrance to the Flying Duck, entry to The Apollo Bar is gained by venturing down the lane on Renfrew Court off Renfrew Street opposite Cineworld Glasgow.
Open seven days a week from 5pm to late, visitors can enjoy a host of midweek events, weekend DJs and “a curated selection of nice bevvy” with an emphasis on good beer, a contemporary selection of wines (some organic) and unfussy classic cocktails.
Meanwhile, the new venue room at The Flying Duck, with fresh staging, PA and DJ booth, aims fully embracing the space's DIY roots while offering an upgrade in tech, production and capacity.
The aim is to create a true home for the city's DIY and underground experimental acts, with a focus on a strong late-night programme of live performances and left-field clubs from local promoters and international touring acts.
During the Apollo Theatre’s heyday, Glasgow had no real rivals in Scotland as a sizeable, indoor venue, and the venue commanded roughly the same sort of position that the OVO Hydro and the Armadillo between them have today in Glasgow.
Speaking in 2013 about the venue’s first few years, Kenny Forbes, a Lecturer in Commercial Music at the University of the West of Scotland, said: "It had an amazing run of bands that were at their commercial peak. Because of the constraints in Britain's concert network at that time, they had to play places like the Apollo. The venue opened at the perfect time."
Many artists spoke of the fearsome reputation of the venue and its audiences, but in the end they would be won over, and it was not uncommon to hear them describe their Glasgow appearance as one of the best concerts of their careers.
Paul Stanley Kiss has his own memories of the Apollo. In an interview earlier this year, he said: "The stage seemed to be up at the balcony level and I remember trying to make sure I didn't fall off the stage with my heels.
READ MORE: It's hard to believe but it's 50 years since the Glasgow Apollo took off
"It was an amazing experience to feel that close to our audience who were incredible. I'm not going to take anything away from arenas or stadiums but there's something about theatres, especially the Apollo".
Gary Numan played the Apollo for the first time in September 1979.
"It was really the first proper concert I did", he said in 2020. "I remember people in the street chasing after the bus when we arrived. It felt weird. I was really nervous. It was a massive building with a ridiculously high stage that would kill you if you fell off it.
!I remember the ear-splitting noise as I walked on, and I just tried to take it all in. The balcony moved so much, it was like it was on hydraulics. And the people at the front couldn't see because the stage was so high, so they ran up the back".
In 1978, when the then owner's lease expired, leisure giant Mecca caused outrage with plans to turn the Apollo into a bingo hall, but a potent public campaign, which saw between 80,000-100,000 sign a petition in protest at plans- ensured it survived intact.
But by 1985, when it was in a state of considerable disrepair, the Apollo closed, the final concert being Paul Weller's Style Council.
Today, the space is occupied by a skyscraper cinema and the Walkabout pub, but the Apollo's name lives on. Books have been written about it, a musical has been staged, and a website remains highly popular.
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