Student Venues: Big Gig Venues

Barrowlands
244 Gallowgate, Glasgow
A total institution. Most people based anywhere nearby – Glasgow resident or otherwise – have probably been among the 2,000-odd punters you can cram into this Gallowgate musical wonderland. There’s a ridiculous starry façade outside, and inside a sprung floor which allows Barras crowds to jump higher and go crazier than anyone else.

The Garage
490 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
Beloved for their brimming club and gig schedule, the main room is an excellent live music venue and club which has hosted some bloody great shows over the years. The two other rooms, the Attic and G2, are smaller and feature up-and-comers and more leftfield choices.

The Liquid Room
9C Victoria St, Edinburgh
Well into its second incarnation after a massive fire knocked it out of action for a bit in the mid-2010s, The Liquid Room plays host to medium-to-largeish bands when they hit the capital. It's also a great place to catch big-time club nights from promoters like Nightvision.

O2 Academy
121 Eglinton St, Glasgow
The Academy knits together the notions of intimate gig and enormo-tour, making it the kind of venue which makes Glasgow’s music scene so special. Formerly an Art Deco cinema, the 2,500 capacity allows for established acts from near and far. Shout out as well to its sister venue, the O2 ABC, gutted in the Glasgow School of Art fire and which we hope to see back hosting amazing shows of its own one day.

The SSE Hydro
Exhibition Way, Glasgow
It isn't the most charming place in the world, and it looks a bit like a pie dish covered in the air cushions they use to stop your Amazon packages getting messed up, but the Hydro is the place to be when enormous acts hit the road. The lights and sound are spectacular, and the scale of the place is incredible. Go to a show at the Hydro, and you get A Show.  

SWG3
100 Eastvale Pl, Glasgow
This one’s come a helluva long way since its days as a decomposing grotto and hipster’s wet dream. Outdoor gigs in the summer in the Galvanizers Yard, multiple indoor spaces that suit electronic sounds as much as noisy guitar bands, and a great post-industrial aesthetic throughout. Even the toilets are dead cool.

Usher Hall
Lothian Rd, Edinburgh
At the heart of the Edinburgh International Festival, the hall has remained a key venue for homegrown and overseas acts alike over the last half a century. Expect to see a certain type of show here (BBC 6 Music fans, get ready); the grandiose archways and balconies give a real sense of spectacle to this Edinburgh classic.