Summer skiing in the French Alps
The spectacular neon starburst outside is as famous as the atmosphere inside.
The Bar row land Ballroom, with its 1960s décor, papier-mâché stars, sprung floor and incredible acoustics, is regarded by bands – and their fans – as one of Britain’s greatest venues.
But it’s more than just the music and aesthetics that make it so special.
A new book takes a look behind the scenes at the people who make the Barrowland run smoothly, from the cleaners and bar staff to the nightwatchman and load-in crew. And, of course, the musicians and the gig-goers.
Barrowland Ballads is a joint project involving writer Alison Irvine, photographer Chris Leslie and graphic artist Mitch Miller.
Known as the Recollective, this is a “dream project” for the trio.
“We do a lot of heritage projects,” explained Mitch. “But a couple of years ago we looked at what else we wanted to do and agreed the Barrowland was the one.”
After raising the funding required, the group approached the Barrowland and were given the go-ahead.
“It’s something of a world
of its own,” said Mitch. “We went in after hours, hung out with the staff, met the manager, Tom Joyes, and tried to get a sense of the place.
“It still has a very family feel about it. People are at the centre of what makes the Barrowland so special.
“There’s also the history of the building, the energy from the market, the sprung dancehall floor and the décor. It has an impregnable sense of atmosphere and magic.”
Mitch has created a giant dialectogram – a 1m x 1.6m graphic artwork that uses the shape of the Barrowland to tell its story through a series of intricate sketches.
“Iknewi thad tob especial–to convey the atmosphere and be as big and mad as possible,” he added.
Alison interviewed many of the people associated with the venue and said: “I wanted to write about the day of a gig, from the loadin at 8am to the clean-up overnight – who does what and when and where and how do the hours pan out.
“The book isn’t a catalogue of bands who’ve played the Barrowland.
“It’s about what it’s like to play at the Barrowland and what it’s like to see a gig there, but above all it’s about the staff who work there and know it far better than we do.
New book captures heart of iconic Scottish music venue