Glasgow ‘deserves’ music fame
Glasgow could be as famous as Nashville with better promotion, insists new report
GLASGOW could rival Nashville as a music destination if more was made of its venues and heritage.
That’s according to a report, which says the city boasts the largest music economy in the UK outside London and generates £160million a year.
Beyonce and Jay-Z, Britney Spears and Nile Rodgers are due to perform here this year.
There is great potential but more work needs to be done
GLASGOW could be as famous as Nashville for music, world-wide, if the city capitalised more on its rich heritage, venues and diversity of acts – and the industry’s leading lights want to sing it from the rooftops.
The city boasts the largest music economy in the UK outside London, generating around £160million a year and attracts some of the biggest names in rock and pop to venues, including the SSE Hydro and Barrowland.
However, despite drawing in 1.4million music fans annually and earning the title of UNESCO City of Music in 2008, figures show only 2 per cent of gig-goers travel from outside Scotland and book hotel accommodation.
A new report, commissioned by Glasgow Life and Scottish Enterprise, found there was to scope to boost international music tourism with improved marketing and the findings have been backed by industry leaders and home-grown talent including Glasgow band Belle and Sebastian.
Beyonce and Jay Z, Britney Spears and disco legend Nile Rodgers are among the acts due to perform in Glasgow this year, and the city has experienced a surge in new pop and rock festivals including TRNSMT, Summer Sessions as well as a dedicated boutique festival at Kelvingrove Bandstand that has featured bands including indie legends the Pixies and Primal Scream.
A panel of experts, including representatives from the Scottish Music Industry Association, Scottish Enterprise, and SSE Hydro, will today be presented with 22 recommendations to help Glasgow market itself in a similar way to Liverpool, New Orleans and Nashville.
Ideas include a marketing drive to promote the stories behind famous venues, such as King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, where Oasis were discovered, the Barrowland Ballroom, which has been cited as a favourite venue by bands including the Rolling Stones and the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, home of Stan Laurel’s first stage performance.
Dougal Perman, chair of the Scottish Music Industry Association and a member of the panel, said: “Glasgow is a world-class, world-renowned city of music.
“Now we just need to tell the world.
“Music tourism makes a significant contribution to the economy but most of the money spent on music events in the city comes from locals.
“Glasgow’s high reputation at home and abroad is undervalued and under-exploited.
“There is great potential but more work needs to be done to learn from the experience of others and to design practical affordable and costeffective interventions which would command the support of the industry.”
Mick Cooke, of Glasgow band Belle and Sebastian, said: “I’m surprised music tourism to Glasgow isn’t stronger considering how vibrant the music scene is here.
“It’s recognised globally, even being awarded UNESCO City of Music status.
“More needs done from a marketing point of view.”
However, some music figures have warned against adopting a pigeon-holing the city’s music scene by drawing comparisons to the likes of Nashville.
Bruce Findlay, the long time manager of Simple Minds, as well as China Crisis and the Silencers, said Glasgow already has a strong reputation for music and is wary of any “cheesy” campaigns.
He said the international reputation of the annual Celtic Connections alone cements the city’s status as a world-player in music.
He said: “Glasgow does deserve this – but I would be careful of comparisons, because Nashville is all about one kind of music – country. Glasgow is far more eclectic, there has been a lot of highly individual artists.
“I would include The Blue Nile, Simple Minds of course, Wet Wet Wet, and in recent times Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian.
“You can go back to Alex Harvey, and Stone the Crows, a great band ahead of their time.
“What has really given the city world standing is Celtic Connections, which is a world-class festival and on a par with anything else out there.
“Years and years ago there was a campaign ‘ Costa Del Clyde’, how cheesy is that? So I would be careful.
“I don’t know whether you need to sell the music side of it.
“Maybe there is a case for letting the people know in places such as New York what is happening here.”
A recent report by creative consultants Inner Ear found Glasgow is home to 43 live music venues including the O2 Academy, the Royal Concert Hall – which is the main venue for the Celtic Connections festival as well as the City Halls and 35 music bars.
Fiona Shepherd, of
Glasgow City Music Tours, who contributed to the report, said: “I definitely think we could make more of the Unesco title.
“One of the issues for Glasgow is, Nashville is famous for country music, Liverpool has the Beatles and New Orleans has jazz but we don’t have one particular type of music to promote.
“People come to Glasgow because it is considered a cool city.
“We do see a mix of foreign and local people on our tours.
“We have a dedicated one for Belle and Sebastian.”
A spokesman for Glasgow Life said: “Music and tourism go hand-in-hand in Glasgow, with data from UK Music showing that of the 1.4 million annual attendances to gigs in the city, nearly 450,000 are from music tourists; representing almost half of all music tourists to Scotland.
“The promotion of our music assets, from our worldrenowned and much loved venues – like the Barrowland – to our thriving portfolio of annual events and festivals, and the people who make our industry tick, is also a key theme of the city’s Tourism and Visitor Plan, which aims to attract one million more overnight visitors by 2023; boosting our tourism economy by more than £770m and creating 6600 new jobs.
“However, while music is certainly a driver, it’s just one element of the city’s wider tourism appeal.”