What a fabulous way to enjoy some theatre - outside, in the sunshine and far away from any actual…read moretheatre. Bard in the Botanics is a simple idea - a play in a park, essentially. It's set up nicely with a closed off area on a banked part of the Botanics so you get a good view of the stage from where ever you're sitting. We were seeing the Comedy of Errors and the performance was brilliant. Added to it was an absolutely glorious summer night, so it was a pleasant experience to sit out and enjoy it. You can hire a wee stool but why not take along your own blanket and enjoy the picnic experience? You can also take your own food and drink (I don't think there's any to buy nearby anyway). They ensure the park toilets are kept open if you need to visit - beware of the mad dash during the intermission though! Bard in the Botanics is already on my list of things to do next summer!

I try to go to at least one performance of Bard in the Botanics every year and I've yet to be…read moredisappointed. My favourites have included King Lear, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream and, most recently, Coriolanus. Sometimes the plays are done the traditional way, sometimes the Bard in the Botanics team put a bit of a spin on things. So, for example, the version of A Midsummer Night's Dream that I saw a couple of years ago featured a lot of sequins and some show tunes - it was unexpected and very, very camp but it totally worked with the play. In this summer's edition of Coriolanus the main character becomes Caius Marsha rather than Caius Marcius in a clever gender-swapping of the role. The plays either take place outdoors in the Botanic Gardens, or in a marque, or in the Kibble Palace which has surprisingly good acoustics! Very occasionally a play gets rained off but I've only been unfortunate enough to have that happen once. My understanding is that the usual way of dealing with this is to either offer customers a ticket to a different showing or to give them their money back. It's rare though, and getting rained on happens less often than getting bitten by midges, so watch out for that! This year the plays haven't been limited to Shakespeare, with a production of Dr Faustus being billed alongside Coriolanus, Twelfth Night and Macbeth. So even if you've been traumatised by studying Shakespeare at school and can no longer bear the plays, there could still be something here for you.

Theatre Royal is the oldest surviving theatre in Glasgow, the original building dating from 1867…read morewhen it opened as Bayliss' Coliseum before being renamed as Theatre Royal in 1869. Perhaps uniquely, it has been rebuilt twice by architect C J Phipps following major fires in 1880 and 1895. Although not as prolific a theatre architect as Frank Matcham, Phipps' style is splendidly represented in this building, regarded as the largest and best surviving example of his work. But don't judge the building from its bland exterior; you have to see the wonderfully ornate auditorium to really appreciate Phipps' work. The building was home to STV's studios for many years, before being sold to Scottish Opera in 1975, and it has been their home stage ever since, and is also the main home to Scottish Ballet's productions as well as being a main-scale house on the UK touring circuit. The stage is not huge by today's standards, but it's still larger than many London theatres and is the largest Glasgow can offer at the moment. The theatre is currently run and programmed by ATG (as is the Kings), so Glasgow is well served by the big touring shows. Currently the building is having a new foyer added at the corner of Hope Street and Cowcaddens in the form of a round tower, which has been a major feat of engineering to fit in with the existing architecture. As part of this refurbishment parts of the auditorium have been altered to something closer to the original design, with old entrance arches and the seating layout restored to improve audience flow and sightlines. Like any theatre, this one has a few ghosts, and like the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, there was a fire-related incident here that resulted in new legislation coming into force. In 1969, when STV moved out of the building into their new premises next door and the theatre was being restored, there was a major fire in the sub-stage area. The fire department tackled this with the then relatively new technique of pumping suppressant foam into the fire. One of the fire officers Archie McLay, working in the darkness of the stage area, fell through the stage floor into the sub-basement of the building - this extends about 20m underneath the stage floor and is carved out of solid bedrock (it was a former quarry), so it was full of foam. He was not reported as missing until the fire was under control, by which time it was too late. Resulting from this dreadful accident, the fire department introduced a 'deadman switch' device to be worn by all officers, which would radio an alarm signal if the officer was stationary for more than a few minutes. This incident is now marked by a stone plaque in the pavement of Hope Street. There have been a few reported sightings of Archie in the sub-basement, and most staff who have occasion to be down there late at night when the building is quiet will report a spooky atmosphere and a feeling like they are being watched by ghostly eyes...

I'm fairly certain I've seen things here prior to the refurb, but for the life of me I just can't…read moreremember. However, since the refurb I've been several times: some plays and operas. And i like it. Vanilla Black's has moved from Sauchiehall St, and is now the resident café for the theatre - and it's turned out to be a handy place for me to pop in for a quick work lunch. The foyer itself is open, spacious, and very welcoming - the spiral staircase is awesome, and is becoming an iconic feature of the theatre. Beyond that, it's functional and does what you expect, and you'll tend to find quite a lot of less populist productions here. The only downside is the extreme pricing at the bar. Seriously, £11 for 2 bottles of cheap lager is disgustingly extortionist.

Although I have not been to the RAFA club for a few years now, it was one of Glasgow's more…read moreexciting spaces. Originally a social club for RAF veterans, it picked up a hip audience through the occasional DJ night. The incongruity of the venue- working man's club, good range of beers at a cheap price, long bar space that doubled as a dance floor- added to the charm, and it quickly become a centre for the more off-centre event: I saw a Kate Bush tribute night here, surrounded by fans who had dressed up specially as Bush, or in a fancy dress interpretation of Bush's songs. It isn't one for a casual visit: most of the time, the veterans are using it, but anything that happens here in the way of clubs is worth a visit.

The Old Fruitmarket is, without a doubt, in my top 5 favourite music venues…read more You'll find it hidden away within the City Halls venue, where it's been restored over the years to show the space in its original glory. Above the bar, wrought iron supports hold up an awesome balcony where you get a super view of the main stage. I've been to many gigs in here - it's the perfect intimate venue where there's also enough space to dance (not me obv!). There's always some great Celtic Connections events held here. Great place! Can't wait for my next gig here!

The Old Fruitmarket is a gorgeous venue in the heart of Merchant City, that you may not yet have…read morediscovered. I went here for a jazz concert, and the combination of the musical talent and the atmospheric surroundings was quite amazing. There were round tables scattered across the floor, in a jazz cafe style, which created a lovely ambiance that complemented the musical backdrop. The lighting was low and the walls were decorated with fairy lights, which was a charming touch to this beautiful big building. With its original wooden beams and cobbles, this place reeks of history and is a truly amazing venue for any occasion.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! You've just gotta say it as soon as walk into this amazing…read moreworld of western. I've always been a little apprehensive about entering the doors of the Opry as I used to work round the corner from it and I know exactly what the other bars are like round there. Well The Old Toll Bar's alright during the day/early evening/during the week. Anyhoo I had seen the posters for line dancing outside and I do love trying new dance styles, bollywood my favourite at the moment, but line dancing. Hmmm?! I think you know it's gonna be for the older person as it's let say a more gentle kind of dance and you're stuck in a line. Well you may ask how on earth did I end up here with my angst of line dancing? My mate had invited me to see a band called the Bad Bad Men and bad in the slightest they were not I'll have you know. As soon as I walked into the Opry I thought I had walked into a Texas social club airport. It's such a strange layout of seats that remind me of an airport but with other seating that reminds me of a local social club. Well there was plenty of rootin tootin guys and gals dressed to impress with the whole country and western thing happening but you don't get the feeling of "darn I should have made the effort and slipped on my spurs and holster before I left the house". Although with the gun slinging classes that were advertised along with line dancing and bands made it tempting to get the old holster out, that's if I had one of course, well I do but it's pink and plastic. That count?! It was a great night out with great friends and bands, one from Canada called Silver Creek and a lassie from out that way too called Sarah McClurg. I had a super night and I wasn't even drinking as I had the car. Drinks were very very reasonable priced, guess who's leaving the car next time?! I'm definitely up for a proper night out here as they even have a bit upstairs that sells food. Oh yeah!!!!! Sold!

Ok so i really want to start this review with some terrible cowboy/western style comments......and…read moreso i will!! Yeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Grab your rootin tootin ten gallon hat, yur bestest gal, saddle up your finest steed and mosey on down to the finest waterin' hole this side of the Mc Graw's Gulch!!! Confused, you will be. This place is an institution. A place where those of the cowboy shirt/boot/hat/holster(yes you heard, holster) wearing minority of Glasgow can frequent and square dance the night away with there dearly beloved, latest squeeze or even their posse of mean hombres. An institution in Glasgow running for over 30 years, the Opry offers the afore mentioned cowboys and cowgirls the chance to dance their chaps off in a welcoming, if slightly community/bingo hall esque setting. Along side the obligatory line dancing sessions, there trots a wild west "shoot out" competition with regular gun slingers shooting it out for the weekly kudos. Add to this a healthy shot of live music, mixed crowds, eclectic outfits ('coon skin hats, floral shirts, chaps, holsters, ten gallon hats, horses...actually no), roomy dance floor to strut your stuff and a bar with stupidly reasonable prices and you have yourself the mixin for a wild, wild night. Ok, so the area around the place isn't the most welcoming. When arriving it feels a bit like stepping into the Alamo, which kind of adds to the feel of the place to be honest, but once you get in and get into it, its a fine, fine night.

First on my doors open day list as a trip to Scottish Opera's HQ. The building was built for the…read moresociety of engineers and it is very grand. If you're into stained glass windows then please try to get in to see it. The windows celebrate Glasgow's industrial past and notable engineers. The grand staircase is marble and there are some rehearsal spaces. I made a wee video of my adventure http://ktch.tv/2ly7 and you can hear their youth choir in bits of it. One of the saddest bits was the plaque near the entrance in memory of all the engineers who died on the Titanic. I believe they stayed on the ship keeping the lights etc working (if you've seen the film you'll have seen the lights stayed on but not realised why) while it sank. A beautiful, living building.

From small scale tours across the country, to the major productions that crowd Scotland's large…read moretheatres, Scottish Opera remain dynamic and innovative. Having introduced short opera as part of their 5:15 programme, and reinterpreting classics with a determinedly contemporary spin, the company is fighting to make opera accessible, especially for the youth market. The large scale of their productions has threatened their financial security in the past, but their ambitions are admirable. They offer regular discounts, link up with other businesses to offer night out packages and tour almost relentlessly. Despite the modern settings, they never compromise on quality, and guarantee a sophisticated evening's entertainment. http://www.scottishopera.org.uk/

First time in here last night for the band Glasville for their sell out show. We were upstairs in…read morethe top room for the show and it was a pretty decent sized space. There were a few seating areas dotted around the outskirts of the room but we were down on the main floor. The sound was great and although I wasnt drinking the bar prices looked decent. £2 for a vodka and mixer! Overall I was pretty impressed with the classic grand as a gig venue and i would happily see more gigs here!

I don't mind the Classic Grand as a gig venue. It's not one of my faves but it's decent enough. My…read morefriend is a huge Nashville fan and got tickets to Glasville so although I'm not a fan of the show (and can usually be found head banging at a heavy metal gig) I did my good friend deed and went with her. Showed our tickets at the entrance and headed up the stairs. The venue itself was a decent size. A few areas with tables/chairs and of course, the main floor, stage and bar. Not a huge venue, but a decent size. The bar was pretty busy but we got served really quickly. £1.80 for a can of diet coke? I'd have been better off ordering a vodka + mixer for £2.00. Anyway, we found a place to stand and waited for the band to come on. Sound quality if's not the best I've heard at a gig bit it was okay! Music wise, not bad but not really my cup of tea. They did put on a good show though and the crowd seemed to enjoy it! Not sure why 6ft tall men insist on standing infront of women who are barely over 5ft but don't get me started on that... Anyway, I'm not here to review the band or the ignorant habits of others. Toilets were clean and we managed to leave pretty quickly after the mad rush to the exit. My friend had a great time and I'm now looking for a head banging gig to take her too. Time to introduce her to my sort of music!!

Was suggested to go there for live entertainment. It was really great. Listened to four bands snd…read morehad a awesome time. Sound system was on point and the bands were jumpin.

What is there to do on a Sunday evening in Scotland? King Tut's Wah Wah Hut!…read more It has that cool, underground indie bar/club feel. There's a bar for all kinds of drinks and in the back is a concert room for up-and-coming local and international bands and artists. The venue is a bit small, but makes you feel closer to the artists. It has a very mellow, sweet vibe. I would want to check it out on a Friday or Saturday. Tickets are 2 for £15 on a Sunday. What were you planning on doing anyway? Sleeping early? Check out this scene.