Glasgow has the best nightlife in Scotland - there’s no doubt about that - with hundreds of pubs (many of which in the city centre now have a late-night license) and dozens of nightclubs spread in every corner of the city.
But doesn’t it feel like there’s something missing? There really was a certain something back in the day that made Glaswegian nightlife what it was.
It was fun. It was ruckus. It was Glaswegian.
These new clubs don’t seem to get that, instead opting to emulate these European superclubs or be strict moneymaking operations that care little for the actual Glasgow nightlife scene.
That’s why today we’re looking back at the very best nightclubs Glasgow had in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
5. Cardinal Follies
Housed inside an impressive-looking former church, The Shack was a favourite amongst students in the early 2000s. It has also been known as Cardinal Follies and The Temple over the years, but sadly it was destroyed in a fire in 2004 and the building was demolished soon after. Photo: Thomas Annan\Wikimedia
6. Maestros
Two women at Maestro's in Glasgow around 1985 - one of the clubs with the strictest door policy around. The club channelled a different 1980s atmosphere with alternative fashion and sounds championed. | Photo by Simon Clegg Photo: Photo by Simon Clegg
7. Tuxedo Princess
There's nothing that screams '1980s' quite like a party ship with a revolving dancefloor called the Tuxedo Princess. The boat was anchored at Broomielaw for a few years during the late 80s and early 90s before it set sail and returned to Newcastle. Photo: Craig A Rodway\Flickr
8. Bennetts
A hot, sweaty night at Bennetts in Glassford Street, Glasgow, the city’s first gay club which was opened by club entrepreneur Colin Barr in 1980. | Contributed