The Glasgow Apollo: Were You There? Participants Required For University of Glasgow Study

Posted: Monday 10 September 2012

2013 marks the fortieth anniversary of the opening of Glasgow’s famous Apollo theatre and now an academic study is attempting to find out why the venue is so fondly remembered by thousands of local concert-goers who attended the Apollo to see performances by prominent artists of the 1970s and 1980s such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, AC/DC, The Clash and Thin Lizzy, among many, many others. 

To help identify some of the reasons behind the venue’s legendary reputation, the study is looking for Apollo audience members as well as former employees to contribute to the research process by reliving their experiences at the venue during a series of upcoming Focus Groups, to be held in Glasgow during October 2012. 


Kenny Forbes, a mature student at the University of Glasgow, who is leading the study, said, “The Apollo was a key part of Glasgow’s social and cultural fabric, and this is not only reflected by the numerous books, videos, documentaries, websites and other media devoted to the venue, but also by the large number of local people who just simply wantto talk about their experiences at the venue.  Since I started the study in 2010 I’ve been overwhelmed by the response of the Apollo audience and staff towards the research; they’ve all been extremely keen to contribute what amounts to facets of their real life experiences at the venue, and hopefully this will continue when the next phase of the research starts.  I’m especially interested to hear from those who attended jazz, pop, soul and folk concerts at the Apollo, and also from those who worked at the venue in any capacity.” 

This upcoming phase of the research process will feature a series of Focus Groups to be held in a central Glasgow location.  “The Focus Groups”, says Kenny, “will allow audience members to interact, share experiences, and provide an opportunity to reflect on what, if anything, made the venue special.  I’m interested to hear about all aspects of their experiences at this famous venue.” 

Formerly the Green’s Playhouse, The Glasgow Apollo opened on 5 September 1973, with the first act to preform at the venue being Johnny Cash. The venue, which was operated by a local company, Unicorn Leisure headed by Glasgow entertainment entrepreneur Frank Lynch, attracted numerous major artists and gained a global reputation for its high levels of audience engagement.  Following plans to convert the Apollo to a bingo hall in 1978, Unicorn relinquished their lease to the building, but following a major public campaign to save the venue, it was later re-opened by its new owners, Apollo Leisure.  However, amidst increasing levels of disrepair and debates about its viability, the venue finally closed in June 1985, and was later demolished following a fire in 1989.

If you would like to re-live your Apollo experiences and take part in this study, then please visit the Glasgow Apollo Research website at http://glasgowapolloresearch.wordpress.com (or Google ‘Glasgow Apollo Research’) and click on ‘Take Part in the Research’ Section.

Contact Details: Kenny Forbes, School of Culture and Creative Arts, University of Glasgow

Email: k.forbes.1@research.gla.ac.uk
Tel: 07515-658-367

Tags: City Centre, Music venue