The theory goes that the bleakest, most austere times under right-wing governments become golden eras for culture. The vast majority of the arts community lean heavily to the left; perhaps the outrages, the unfairness, and the struggle to survive that become everyday for so many provide plenty fuel for the creative fire.
The dark days of the mid-80s were a particularly prolific time for Glasgow’s music scene. Groups like Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera, The Pastels and The Jesus and Mary Chain emerged from the gloom, all defiantly anti-Thatcher and anti-corporate. It was a time of fanzines and independent labels, bad haircuts and no jobs. The Art School was the epicentre of it all. On any given night you could witness a nascent Teenage Fanclub playing, or a young, pre-Belle and Sebastian Stuart Murdoch strutting it on the manky dancefloor as Andrew Divine spun northern soul.
These days, things are equally diverse. Take this weekend: tomorrow night there’s a Subcity Radio party, which has garage, funk, disco, and deep, dark techno. It’s followed by Astral Black on Saturday, where you can enjoy a taste of “liquid jungle” for your entrée, get a crash course in the obscure South African house variant GQOM for mains and finish it off with Junto Club’s live “no-wave industrial-funk”. Coming weeks have Balkan Beats meeting Mungo’s Hi-Fi’s reggae sounds in a cross-cultural showdown, and local hero Jackmaster slaying the Assembly Hall with his high-powered eclecticism.
Glasgow has always been a city in rude cultural health and The Vic is one of its most important creative spaces. In these utterly dismaying times, we need it more than ever.
This week, we asked clubbers: What law would you introduce if you were elected President tomorrow?
Clubber of the Week
Nayeem Hassan, 29, West End
Favourite Club?
Buff Club
Favourite Bar?
The Vic
Favourite DJ?
Demantha
Favourite Band?
Kalleo
What you Drinking?
Glengoyne
First Club?
Sleazy’s Basement
Describe Your Dancing?
Just so dope.
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