Glasgow nightclub loved by Celtic heroes and One Direction

Scotland’s biggest nightclub, The Garage, officially turned 30 earlier this week, having been opened by clubbing mogul Donald McLeod in 1994.

The Sauchiehall Street space has long played an important role in Glasgow’s cultural sphere, as it was formerly the Locarno ballroom where many of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents would have met and formed their own love stories at ‘the dancing’.

Locarno ballroom (Image: Newsquest)

These days, the younger generations are still finding love, friendship, and fun at the club, whether the soundtrack of their night is the chart music in the main hall, RnB tunes in the G2 room, nostalgic, cheesy hits in Desperados bar or indie and rock in the Attic.

While there were numerous Locarno ballrooms across the country, Glasgow was the first to open in 1926 in the shade of the Charing Cross electric cinema, and it is one of the only buildings still standing.

It continued to provide Glaswegians with a social hub for decades until McLeod took over 30 years ago, with an ambitious vision to transform the site into somewhere students would flock to dance away their study stresses, while also pulling in the music crowd.

Long before the Hydro was even drafted into the city’s plans, The Garage proved itself as a contender for live music alongside famous venues such as King Tut’s and the Barrowlands by hosting some legendary acts.

The Strokes, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro and one of the greatest artists of all time, Prince, walked through the doors and graced the stage.

Paisley’s own Paolo Nutini visited the club on more than one occasion, and he even made a (last) request to veteran DJ Nicola Walker.

Paolo Nutini with Nicola Walker (Image: Newsquest)

She revealed all to the Glasgow Times, saying: “I had Paolo Nutini in one night and he asked to come up and have a go at DJing.

“He wasn’t too bad, though I was talking him through it. He was really fun; he’s got a love for 70s disco.”

Long before he was selling out solo world tours and collecting Grammys, Harry Styles visited The Garage when he was still one-fifth of One Direction.

In a now-famous photo snapped by the club photographer, the boyband looked pleased as punch to be given their very own souvenir hoodies with the iconic truck emblazoned on them. 

The Sauchiehall Street club clearly made an impact on the Watermelon Sugar singer, as he recalled how ‘great’ it was in a radio interview. 

He told Beats 1: “We played a place in Glasgow once called the Garage. It was tiny. It was great.

“It was the first time and they had hoodies and hats and stuff, and we were absolutely buzzing because it was the first free stuff we got.

“I was like ‘I’m going to wear this Garage shirt every single day for the rest of my life’ - and we did for a bit.”

Harry isn’t the only celebrity with a soft spot for the Garage – Still Game’s Sanjeev Kohli once said that watching Travis perform there was one of the best gigs of his life, while Celtic hero John Hartson used to bring his friends there when they visited from Wales.

What is your favourite memory of the Garage over the last 30 years?