The iconic Scottish venue Wolf Alice and LCD Soundsystem agree is the greatest in the world
One of the highlights of becoming a successful band or artist has to be the fact that you’re afforded the luxury of being able to perform in some of the most luxurious venues around the world, and this is what becoming a rock star means to so many who choose this path.
While not everyone gets to the level of playing at Wembley Stadium or Madison Square Garden, ultimately, two of the venues that those who dream of stardom would hope to get the opportunity to grace the stages of, even performing to an audience of thousands of adoring fans in slightly more modest-sized venues, can bring a thrill like no other.
Of course, when bands are on the rise, they’ve got to slum it out playing on what is sometimes affectionately referred to as the ‘toilet tour’, where they find themselves in dishevelled venues no bigger than a lavatory cubicle. They’re where artists earn their stripes, and are the backbone of the entire music industry, but so many bands have dreams that go far beyond these 100-capacity rooms situated at the back of a pub, no matter how fun the experience might be in the early years.
However, when you ascend to the heights that the likes of LCD Soundsystem and Wolf Alice both have – that is to say, a level of indie stardom rather than a universal recognition – you’re going to end up playing in some more glamorous environments to bigger audiences, and it’s going to feel like a considerable upgrade to playing in a dank basement with a backline that may or may not cut out on you halfway through your set.
While both of these two examples hail from opposite sides of the Atlantic, they’ve both been fortunate enough to travel to different parts of the world that other bands don’t have the privilege of being able to do, let alone afford.
Despite their far-flung adventures, though, it’s in one of their home countries where their mutually shared favourite venue in the world happens to be situated, with both parties agreeing that the Barrowland Ballroom, situated in the heart of Glasgow, is the finest venue to play in the world. With a capacity of just shy of 2000, ‘the Barras’ is widely considered to be one of the city’s most iconic places to see live music, and with such praise coming from two of the most celebrated acts to pay a visit, that only goes to underline how much of an institution it is.
“There’s a right way and a wrong way to play Glasgow,” LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy told Scottish culture magazine The List, calling Barrowland Ballroom “my favourite venue in my favourite city in the world.”
The singer and producer continued by praising the audience who attend shows at the venue, stating that they’re the main reason he adores playing there. “The crowd is really committed, one way or the other. I’ve seen that crowd not like people before and they aren’t like, ‘Ah I dunno, I think I might just go home.’ They’re like, ‘Fuck off!’ The level of willingness to go for it means you play for them and they’re your friend or your enemy, there’s no grey area.”
Wolf Alice vocalist Ellie Rowsell concurs with this sentiment, having also expressed that it’s her favourite independent venue in the entire world. “There is a real romanticism that you don’t find in many places these days,” she told Condé Nast Traveller. “I love everything about it; the flashing neon sign, the sprung wooden floors, the carpeted dressing room that looks like your grandad’s favourite boozer. We’ve played here a lot and it always draws a fantastic crowd; Scottish people know how to enjoy live music.”
It says a lot about Scottish audiences that they’re a large part of why both acts consider the Barrowland Ballroom to be the best venue in the world, but with such a rich history of acts that have passed through over the years, it’s ultimately the consistent work of the venue itself that keeps the people coming back to this holiest of places.
