As large proportions of the population of Aberdeen and Auld Reekie descended on our neighbourhood’s cafes and bars to see the Dons take on the Hibees on Scottish Cup semi-final weekend, we judiciously decided to get out of town. Sprinting to the car, we headed in the opposite direction of the incoming traffic and went where the wind took us, which turned out to be a deserted Leith - out of the gentrification frying pan and into the fire. The Edinburgh suburb – with its pretty, cobbled streets and Martin Wishart eateries – could only hold us for so long though and by night we were back in a bouncing Shawlands, enjoying the novelty of unfamiliar accents and watching the football stragglers cheerfully goad each other. People-watching at its finest.
No such fun to be had on Glasgow Derby day, unfortunately. By evening the mood around Shawlands felt sour. To escape any mention of the game we headed west this time, to Great Western Road’s The Crafty Pig. Run by the team behind Lebowski’s, Porter and Rye and The Finnieston, it replaced the Little Urban Achievers Club in 2014 and its strapline – “when an upmarket neighbourhood bar meets the dive bar 'bit on the side' the result is only going to be interesting” – promises much. But this stylish, modern boozer also promises peace from any Old Firm-related nonsense, because it is the home of the Glasgow Warriors official fanzone.
“We're Warrior mad down at Crafty, and we're the official go-to destination for all things Warriors,” their website breathlessly exclaims. Only the words “peace and mutual understanding” could be more repellent to the average Glaswegian football fan, so this is a place to head on days when tensions might run high. Days like, oh, this coming Saturday, for example.
Q: What’s the best album of the last twenty years?
Adrian Wiatrowicz, 30, Summerston - "Metallica - Nothing Else Matters. It's got my favourite song on it".
Janice Cannon, 37, Kelvinbridge - "Foo Fighters - The Colour & The Shape. It was my introduction to the Foo Fighters".
Dominic Ritchie, 26, Balmore - "Oasis - What's The Story (Morning Glory)? That album encapsulates a period of time for me".
Ciaran McMurray, 24, Spain - "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys. It defined my generation".
Owen Ritchie, 24, Balmore - "The first Kasabian album. It reminds me of going to school and, for the first time, hearing a really great album".
George Rosu, 26, Yoker - "Linkin Park - Meteora. I love Linkin Park, and this is by far their most melodic album".
Michaela Kamenska, 24, Yoker - "Green Day - Nimrod. One of the first albums I ever listened to".
Andrei Vieru, 26, Renfrew - "Linking Park - Meteora. It's the only album from them I really enjoyed".
Declan Jennow, 20, Kelvindale - "Green Day - American Idiot. I like the story the album tells".
Kieran McGill, 20, Knightswood - "Eminem Show. I don't know, all I can say is that I just like the songs on it".
Marco DiGirola, 29, Denistoun - "Blink 182 - Enema Of The State. It's a noisy album, but with lots of meaning".
Sebastian Mosele, 26, Denistoun - "Radiohead - Kid A. Man, when I lived in Berlin, I used to listen to it all the time".
Tamara Sanchez, 27, Maryhill - "Washington Irvine 1914. It's a friends band. The lyrics are really thoughtful".
Mona McAlinden, 36, Kelvinbridge - "Belle & Sebastian - Tigermilk. It has great melodies and lyrics".
Alistair Fraser, 29, Partick - "The Killers - Hot Fuss. Always reminds me of being 17".
Tom Long, 31, London - "Panic Prevention - Jamie T. It came out at an important time in my life".
Danielle McAlinden, 31, Partick - "Stereophonics - Word Gets Around. The first gig I went to, my first gig experience".
Paul McNulty, 33, west end - "The Strokes - Is This It? First gig I went to at the Barrowlands".
Sean Carlton, 19, East Kilbride - "The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow. I'd love to have been around at the time that was out".
Adam Carruthers, 25, Glasgow.
Q: Favourite club?
A: The Garage
Q: Favourite bar?
A: Hootenannys
Q: Favourite DJ?
A: Eric Prince
Q: Favourite band?
A: Queen
Q: What are you drinking?
A: St Mungo's
Q:First club you visited?
A: The Garage
Q:Describe your dancing?
A: The Shoogle
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