Although denounced as an expensive white elephant when it first opened, I'm glad that Glasgow has a…read morevenue like the Concert Hall. It's definitely the best large-hall environment for classical music, and it's also pretty good for rock or other amplified concerts too; although it can't compete with the likes of the SECC or the Hydro in staging the larger acts. I think they sometimes over-stretch themselves when trying to stage large ballet productions and the like, as the stage isn't designed to hold a lot of scenery and they just don't have the technical infrastructure that a normal theatre does, but I have to give them full marks for some of the more innovative shows that they have put on here. The biggest and best has to be Celtic Connections, which has grown from a small traditional music gathering intended to bring a bit of relief to dark January winter days, to the world's largest traditional music festival, a truly global phenomenon and a real feather in Scotland's (and Glasgow's) cap. They also use the smaller Strathclyde Suite for smaller shows, events and functions, and often you will find exhibitions or craft fairs taking over the foyers on quiet weekends - the regular Mind, Body & Spirit fairs are popular for example. The architecture of the building is nothing to write home about and is probably best described as 'functional'. Inside it seems very easy to get lost as there are so many different levels and areas to wander about in. It seems very spacious, but when a full house is trying to exit at the end of a performance, suddenly it feels very cramped. Good points - the foyer bar is nice and long so it doesn't get too mobbed. Bad points - There never seems to be enough loos at larger concerts and the interval queues can be lengthy.

I was 100% sure I'd already written this review but there you go, I think I have review amnesia…read more After reading Scott C's review I went back to read what I'd written and *boom* - there was nothing there. Anyway, I'm here now to tell you all about why I think this is a great venue. Mainly, seating. I love sitting down. Too much, if the news has taught me anything. Sitting down is going to kill me, but now I'm the other side of 30 it's my second favourite position after laying down. We went to see Ben Folds perform here and aside from the fact the gig was exceptional, the seats were comfy, well spaced out and generally amazing. We had good seats too - in the main section along the side, and had a great view. The rest of the building is worth a visit, even if you're not going to a performance there. It's a great space, well laid out and easy to navigate. This was my first visit, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the upcoming shows now that I know what a great space it is.

Shocking, power tripping wee "bouncers" one lookd like hed eat the other thing. Making up rules at…read morethe door just so they can refuse a bunch of people who where of age to attend. Appalling attitude towards anyone there even people who where so fortunate as to be favourd by the almighty gods that the "bouncers" think they are. A complete joke to our ever growing scene and an embarrassment to the bands that play. The bands them selfs even said its not right and done everything they could to remedy the situation but mr paul the door"man" had a bad 3 course breakfast this mornin so he made sure what he sayd stayed.

This was my first time at Audio,The accoustics were very good,it seemed a bit dark and had a bit of…read morea damp smell as it is in the railway arches,they had a very well stocked bar and best of all seats I am getting told to stand at gigs nowadays. I was going primarily to see Lou Hickey, but we also caught Fiach Moriarty, who is a charming funny talented young man from Dublin from Dublin. He has had two albums out the first debuted @ 62 in the Album charts, his second 'The Revolution' tackles subjects such as The 1916 Easter Rising, World War 1 and Los San Patricios (the Irish brigade in the 19th century Mexican Army) and debuted in the Irish charts at number 29. Then came Lou Hickey Scottish singer, songwriter, vintage obsessed, gin enthusiast, Ice-hockey and Rugby fan. A sexy mix of quirky jazz & burlesque glamour, Lou's retro pop perfectly reflects her vintage style. I first heard Lou in 2008, in Codiene Velvet club when she collabarated with John Lawlor aka John Fratelli, there debut single, Vanity Kills,Lou often performs @ Club Noir where she sings and DJ's. Lou had also had a solo career from 2006 and Codiene Velevet Club was dibanded in 2010, since then Lou has once again had a solo career, returning last night after having a wee son Lochlan. Last night we were treated to songs from her latest album True Love Ways Minutes Hours Days,Tap Dance and in honour of Halloween Zombie love and many more. I will certainly look out for future events at Audio I loved the atmosphere.

Now called Bajo, I saw this place during the week when we had dinner next door at Rishi's. On…read moreSaturday afternoon, we were looking for a place for a cocktail, but due to having sweaty roller girls in our company, couldn't go anywhere fancy. This place was pretty packed for a Saturday afternoon around 5pm - it seemed to be filled with lads getting warmed up for a night out, ladies celebrating hens plus an older crowd. So it was a bit of a weird mix of people. They were doing Saturday afternoon karaoke - to their credit, most people were passable singers. I ordered a jug of French Martini (£9) for three of us to share. The barman didn't say hello, or ok, or anything when I ordered my drink, which I thought was odd. He also seemed a little lost as to where to find the ingredients. When the jug arrived, it looked just like pineapple juice. It also tasted just like pineapple juice, and in all honesty I think he'd forgotten to put any alcohol in it. This venue has a definite market - people who like cheap booze and a dance on a Saturday afternoon. Sadly it just wasn't for me (or my friends who I was with) and I can't think of any reason I'd return in the future.

Retrospect has all the ingredients to be a fun, popular pub - retro, extremely bright eighties…read moredecor, quirky atmosphere, centrally located on Bath Street, good drink promos and open until 3am most nights. However, something just doesnt work and I really can't put my finger on what it is as I quite like it in here. The times I have been in here have been very quiet even on a Friday night and so maybe it is mere lack of bodies that detracts from the ambience or that some see it as too cheesy in comparison to all the dark, cooler Bath Street basement bars. It is rather cheesy and so-OTT but that's what makes it different.

I may seem a little harsh only giving 3 stars but I didn't feel I got the whole sparkle horse…read moreexperience. The place and staff seem nice, the decor freshened up from it's days of the old man Dowanhill pub. The place was buzzing when we arrived and we found the rest of the Yelp crew settled in the wee corner that became ours for the majority of the night. I never got to the bar so not sure what else was on offer, my man kindly did the bars trips for me. If I'm not sure what they have I'll go for a long vodka and that's exactly what I got. They weren't too bad, a little limey but overall good, so I had 3. I'm not sure of prices, I know I never got change from my tenners and I've heard from other people that drinks are a little steep. I didn't take in as much as the place was getting darker and darker as the night went on. I felt there was no need to dim the lights so much. I know it's to create an atmosphere but I do like to see. I did like the added touch of the charity shop picture of the week in the toilets. It gave a wee description beside the painting telling you about it and the artist. I think it should also say what charity shop it came from too, I think that would be a nice touch. The music was a bit eh... aye, em well different?! Not my taste, but hey each to their own. It was a good atmosphere but then I was in a good crowd. I would like to come back and try their food menu. I could smell good things from their kitchen as it hadn't long closed when we arrived. From their posters they look very active as well with quiz nights and also a knitting evening, which sounds very interesting. It even has it's own facebook page. They also cater for baby discos so encouraging for parents to do something a little different. I think this place will do well and hopefully on my next visit I'll raise them 3 stars up a notch or 2.

Although I live only a few blocks from this pub, it took a CMYE invite to the Monday night quiz to…read moreget me to visit. I still remember it as the Dowanhill when it wasn't that attractive as a pub so maybe that's why I'd been avoiding it. What was I thinking? Hip, casual atmosphere, good beer on tap, and great food that's way above the average standard of pub grub. We both had the baked haddock, which I was expecting to be some slightly tarted-up variant of the usual fish & chips, but it turned out to be a visual delight as well as tasty, and provided the perfect fuel to fire up the brain cells for the quiz ahead. We did have to wait a while for it to arrive, but the place was pretty packed so that wasn't a surprise, and they were very apologetic about the delay. It was definitely worth the wait, although if I hadn't been so hungry I might have taken more time so savour the taste instead of hoovering it up. I thought the prices were pretty reasonable too. If you like a pub atmosphere and good quality nosh, you could do a lot worse than Sparkle Horse. Although it was our first time tackling what is said to be Glasgow's toughest pub quiz, our team the Sparkle Dorks were victorious over the regulars (although it was a close call!), which means we'll need to return next Monday to defend our title. Oh dear; I'm not good with Tuesday hangovers... Finally, a bit of trivia - I remember reading somewhere that towards the end of its former life as the Dowanhill Bar, they discovered a hidden room deep in the bowels of the place with its own entrance where some guy had been living for years unbeknownst to the bar staff. I can't remember where I read this and haven't been able to find anything online to back it up, so it may have to go down as urban legend for the moment. But if anyone knows more about this story do please let me know!

Winterfest is by far the most fun time of year to be at George Square. I can't believe I haven't…read morereviewed it already! Beginning at the tail end of November, and running until January, George Square becomes a winter wonderland. The lights, the helter-skelter, the nativity scene, the huge Christmas tree, and all the on-stage festivites that accompany it make it a lovely place to visit. Add to that the recent bout of snow, and you've got a good couple of hours to spend merry-making. There are a few rides, including the helter-skelter, carousel, and swings. If you fancy an Angus burger, the bans will see you right, and there's a covered area where you can escape the rain and windchill and enjoy a wee drink and a sit down. There are also a host of musical offerings. The other day I passed through and caught part of the set by a Beatles tribute band, "Them Beatles", who sent us off on our journey to the Merchant City singing nananana, hey Jude. You cannae argue with that! It certainly brightens the place up, and I for one welcome its annual visit. The city Chambers looks lovely lit up behind it, too.

Ah. I took myself on a wander round here as a respite from retail therapy (which, given that it's…read moreChristmas time and the shops are sooo busy, wasn't therapeutic at all) and it certainly gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. The lights are so over the top and cheesy but everywhere needs a bit of that at Christmas time and the kiddies staring wide-eyed at them is a sure sign they have a place. Although much smaller than I remember it from previous years (though that could be rose-tinted glasses) every section here was busy. The helter skelter (I want a shot!!! Are adults allowed?!), the food stalls, the bar and, of course, the ice rink. Despite being half outside, the fairy lights of the bar made it somehow appealing. I found myself pausing at the ice rink and smiling. No, really, I did. It's not New York...or dare I say it...Edinburgh...but it's cutely Glasgow. I'm going to go all out & have a go next week. If you can't at Christmas, when can you?

The cocktail round just keeps going. A friend recommended this place as we were just out and about…read moreon the town hoping from one place to another. Your wouldn't know the vibe from the outside of the building. Once inside, your surrounded by a selections of gastropub/restaurant. It has that outside feel but your inside. The cocktails lost, great selection. Friendly staff. Food wise, didn't get anything to much on as we were just on a drinking binge. The surrounding pub had their fare share of food and drinks as well. You'll have your selection of burgers, pub food, and so on. Definitely would come back to this place and for sure will give the other gastropub a try. Love the cool vibe and outdoor feel even though your inside. Perfect shield from Scottish rain if your needing to feel like your outside.

Despite it's upmarket reputation, I've always found the merchant city to have more of a "neds with…read moremoney" feel, with venues like Arta crawling with foul mouthed 40 somethings in ill fitting suits, waving their fistfuls of tenners. Thankfully, that isn't the case here, as the Metropolitan is exactly as you'd imagine it to be from it's name. sleek, shiny, shallow, but with a brilliant cocktail list and a buzzy enough atmosphere, even if it is often full of people chattering about property prices. The cocktail list is huge and unusual, thankfully bereft of french martinis, and the staff were very friendly on our visit. It's by no means cheap, but definitely a pleasant way to spend an evening.

I always feel like I'm a trend behind when it comes to Optimo at the Sub Club. I'm wearing neon,…read moreeveryone else in in gingham- I stock up on the 'country gal' style and all of a sudden it's sequins....I'm never cool enough! The sub-club is a favourite haunt of the Glasgow art school set so expect this uber trendy vibe. Unless you are the pulse here, you will never be on it! Still, an awesome night out!

Been here a zillion times, though as with clubbing in general it's not really on my radar as much…read morethese days. If you're into banging, yet credible dance music, then Sub Club is probably still your best bet in Scotland. It's won various awards over the years, none of which I can remember. To be honest, I just don't get the exceptionally repetitive thudding of Saturday nights, and as good as Optimo was, once the style of music they played inadvertently became trendy, it lost much of what made it good in the first place. I've been to a couple of Drum n Bass nights which have been pretty good, but possibly not worth the headaches and the ringing in your ears afterwards. I did once get a shot at DJing in here on a Subcity night, and despite it being practically empty, the fact that I got everyone dancing to my favourite TLC tune, summed up the club for me. The punters are pretty open to anything, and don't give a toss as long as it sounds good. You can't ask for much more than that in a club.

Freebird is a cool little bar in what I'm starting to think of as the "cool little bar part of…read moreFalkirk." From having overheard a conversation at the bar, it sounds like they've recently had a bit of sprucing up which makes it nicer and comfier than it was. Having never visited before it's unclear how extreme the improvements are, but I certainly agree that it's nice and comfy. There's plenty of seating, including booths and sofas. There's free WiFi, a couple of TVs and at least one fruit machine that I saw. It has a vibe that I'd associate with a more modern bar rather than a traditional pub but it's not really hipster either. They have a few good ales on the bar (I was drinking Drygate's Glad Eye) as well as cocktails available. We got served quickly by friendly staff who were happy to chat in spite of it being a Saturday night and relatively busy when we arrived. We were told that a DJ would be starting at 9pm. Normally, this would put me off but when he did get started I actually quite enjoyed his set and it wasn't played so loudly that people were forced to abandon their conversations (pet hate of mine in pubs). It's just a very appealing and relaxed place to hang out. I'll definitely be back. I need to try some of those cocktails.