CPL: Well Who Else Could Unite Prince and Rolf Harris?
Not content to rest on its comfy laurels, CPL continues to forge new ground in various exciting, original and occasionally barmy ways
| 13 Sep 2006
Managing to satisfy several different groups of people at once is bloody hard going. And, let's face it, exhausting. Cathouse Promotions Ltd. (CPL), are the multi-headed titans of Glasgow nightlife, booking great bands, staging events and keeping rockers, Goths, students, indie-kids and everyone in-between happy in their vast array of clubs.
The organisation was started in the eighties, with the original Cathouse in Bathgate the first venue in their portfolio. From a rock and punk background, founder Donald McLeod recognised the need for a club catering to the rock underground, whilst acid house was at its peak and clubbers in their millions were gurning away in fields. It was to be the start of an empire that now employs 500 plus staff, entertains around 1.25 million Scottish youths a year and serves them over twenty million drinks. They have stamped their indelible mark on the very forehead of Glasgow's night-time entertainment market, an industry that itself has been instrumental in regenerating the city.
Now 15 years-old, with the Garage Cathouse approaching its thirteenth year - hence their frankly filthy slogan 'Thirteen years of brown-bagging it' - CPL is determined to push the envelope, with rockabilly, industrial metal, burlesque, indie, the odd bit of hair metal and almost every other genre you could think of catered for behind the doors of their clubs. On top of this, the bands and musicians they have welcomed to Glasgow reads like the Rolling Stone Encyclopaedia of Rock or, occasionally, Heat magazine.
One of their most famous guests, Prince, came to play at the Garage, with a proviso forbidding the staff from looking at him. So, confused barmaids had to avert their eyes while pouring the teeny purple love muscle a drink, after he took the wrong entrance, was mobbed and took refuge in the DJ booth. Donald McLeod has been personally responsible for upping sales of Aftershock to trendy young things, after he poured it down their necks at one of the many aftershow parties held at the Garage. Most excitingly of all though, Shabazz played at Cube a wee while ago, sung Somewhere Over the Rainbow and reportedly entranced an initially circumspect audience. Holy Moly gossip reports that at this gig, oversexed (or undersexed) Shabazz offered to swap his fee for a chance to shag one of CPL's array of beautiful staff. Other gems include Rolf Harris, ever popular in Glasgow, being asked to sign a fan's enormous boob and the whole of Puddle Of Mudd, who sung grunge's death knell, arriving with venereal diseases so terrible, immediate medical attention had to be sought. Quite an interesting couple of decades.
Not content to rest on its comfy laurels, CPL continues to forge new ground in various exciting, original and occasionally barmy ways. Donald McLeod, the founder of CPL and Sunday Sun columnist, is set to judge the Glasgow leg of boxwars at the Garage. A nationwide phenomenon, the competition involves armouring yourself with enough cardboard to house a tramp's banquet then charging headlong at your friends and enemies. The Cathouse leg is an extra-special, Glasgow versus Edinburgh extravaganza, and we all know how much Cathouse goers love Edinburgh. Other exciting nights are Slip It In, an evening of cock rock, the girls from Pretty Ugly (voted NME club of the week at Bastille) playing a night, a host of themed nights like the famous Playboy garage night and guest DJ slots in the vein of the brilliant Smiths night, which had a tribute band playing and Andy Rourke on the decks. Also, Jack Daniels are set to bring their JD Set, which in the past has featured Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Flaming Lips, up to a CPL venue. Curated by RobDaBank from Radio 1, the first gig in September features Brakes, made up of members of British Sea Power, with a host of secret bands playing during the year. On the barmy side of things, the newly refurbished Underworld club will be hosting an open mic Live Cabaret Session, called Smoking Gun, which will welcome any entertaining, rehearsed and legal acts on stage to compete for a hundred quid. Phew. There's tons more besides that.
Next year is the Garage's thirteenth anniversary. To celebrate, CPL are giving away thirteen scooters between now and the massive party, culminating in a scooter an hour lottery for the party goers. The Garage is now a space that is perhaps the most diverse in Glasgow, with rooms for the glittery pop-pickers, live bands and an indie-loft with resident DJS Paul Cardow and Mig from Nice'n'Sleazys. This pluralistic approach, which reflects Glasgow's own diversity, is key to the Garage and CPL's enduring success. Ever since its inception, CPL has strived to provide variety, safety and great atmosphere for its many guests, staff and performers. Now, as always, a major force in Glasgow's nightlife, CPL is still pushing the envelope.
The organisation was started in the eighties, with the original Cathouse in Bathgate the first venue in their portfolio. From a rock and punk background, founder Donald McLeod recognised the need for a club catering to the rock underground, whilst acid house was at its peak and clubbers in their millions were gurning away in fields. It was to be the start of an empire that now employs 500 plus staff, entertains around 1.25 million Scottish youths a year and serves them over twenty million drinks. They have stamped their indelible mark on the very forehead of Glasgow's night-time entertainment market, an industry that itself has been instrumental in regenerating the city.
Now 15 years-old, with the Garage Cathouse approaching its thirteenth year - hence their frankly filthy slogan 'Thirteen years of brown-bagging it' - CPL is determined to push the envelope, with rockabilly, industrial metal, burlesque, indie, the odd bit of hair metal and almost every other genre you could think of catered for behind the doors of their clubs. On top of this, the bands and musicians they have welcomed to Glasgow reads like the Rolling Stone Encyclopaedia of Rock or, occasionally, Heat magazine.
One of their most famous guests, Prince, came to play at the Garage, with a proviso forbidding the staff from looking at him. So, confused barmaids had to avert their eyes while pouring the teeny purple love muscle a drink, after he took the wrong entrance, was mobbed and took refuge in the DJ booth. Donald McLeod has been personally responsible for upping sales of Aftershock to trendy young things, after he poured it down their necks at one of the many aftershow parties held at the Garage. Most excitingly of all though, Shabazz played at Cube a wee while ago, sung Somewhere Over the Rainbow and reportedly entranced an initially circumspect audience. Holy Moly gossip reports that at this gig, oversexed (or undersexed) Shabazz offered to swap his fee for a chance to shag one of CPL's array of beautiful staff. Other gems include Rolf Harris, ever popular in Glasgow, being asked to sign a fan's enormous boob and the whole of Puddle Of Mudd, who sung grunge's death knell, arriving with venereal diseases so terrible, immediate medical attention had to be sought. Quite an interesting couple of decades.
Not content to rest on its comfy laurels, CPL continues to forge new ground in various exciting, original and occasionally barmy ways. Donald McLeod, the founder of CPL and Sunday Sun columnist, is set to judge the Glasgow leg of boxwars at the Garage. A nationwide phenomenon, the competition involves armouring yourself with enough cardboard to house a tramp's banquet then charging headlong at your friends and enemies. The Cathouse leg is an extra-special, Glasgow versus Edinburgh extravaganza, and we all know how much Cathouse goers love Edinburgh. Other exciting nights are Slip It In, an evening of cock rock, the girls from Pretty Ugly (voted NME club of the week at Bastille) playing a night, a host of themed nights like the famous Playboy garage night and guest DJ slots in the vein of the brilliant Smiths night, which had a tribute band playing and Andy Rourke on the decks. Also, Jack Daniels are set to bring their JD Set, which in the past has featured Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Flaming Lips, up to a CPL venue. Curated by RobDaBank from Radio 1, the first gig in September features Brakes, made up of members of British Sea Power, with a host of secret bands playing during the year. On the barmy side of things, the newly refurbished Underworld club will be hosting an open mic Live Cabaret Session, called Smoking Gun, which will welcome any entertaining, rehearsed and legal acts on stage to compete for a hundred quid. Phew. There's tons more besides that.
Next year is the Garage's thirteenth anniversary. To celebrate, CPL are giving away thirteen scooters between now and the massive party, culminating in a scooter an hour lottery for the party goers. The Garage is now a space that is perhaps the most diverse in Glasgow, with rooms for the glittery pop-pickers, live bands and an indie-loft with resident DJS Paul Cardow and Mig from Nice'n'Sleazys. This pluralistic approach, which reflects Glasgow's own diversity, is key to the Garage and CPL's enduring success. Ever since its inception, CPL has strived to provide variety, safety and great atmosphere for its many guests, staff and performers. Now, as always, a major force in Glasgow's nightlife, CPL is still pushing the envelope.