Advertisement
Music

Glasgow’s ‘Generation DIY’ is dominating the city’s new night culture

Eventbrite’s ‘Generation DIY: Glasgow’ showcased the under-25s in the city who are spearheading diversity in the live industry and events culture

As the smoke clears from the second devastating School of Art fire, it’s a crucial time for Glasgow’s arts community to galvanise and rise again. Glasgow city venue, Stereo, provided the perfect arena for this rise to be televised, bringing together a young set of DIY creatives to showcase their talent in a short film.

Eventbrite’s short film Generation DIY: Glasgow,part of a series of shorts celebrating young creators up and down the UK, was premiered in the venue last week and highlighted a new wave of artists, curators and promoters – all under the age of 25 – who are ushering in a new era of nightlife in Glasgow. Encapsulating the spirit of DIY to get out their art and distribute their music, it’s this resilient and experimental culture that will continue to cement Glasgow as one of Britain’s leading cities when it comes to arts and music.

So, if you’re looking for the next gems in Glasgow’s underground music and arts scene, here are four to look out for.

VAJ.Power (Music and Art Collective)

Vaj.Power is a music and art collective consisting of Holly and Sofya, who are both 24. They run workshops, club nights and animation lessons for the general public and their night, Fuse, is also rooted in the visual side of arts. They aim to push electronic, bass, footwork and grime music and are committed to creating a platform for the underground music scene. VAJ.Power say “the work that we as the underground scene need to undertake, is to actually listen to each other and not be defensive if we are getting criticised”.

Where People Sleep (Art Collective)

Where People Sleep includes artists Amy (21), Samantha (22) and Shaheeda (22); an art collective who exhibit their artwork out of their flat. They aim to push diversity and equal representation. However, a difficulty that is affecting Glasgow’s art scene is the lack of funding: “the cuts that creative Scotland have recently had were shocking and it makes things harder for us, but that’s why I feel we strive to be self-sufficient as much as we can” says Samantha. Shaheeda adds: “I think when you don’t have someone feeding you funding, it really pushes you to take matters into your own hand.”

Peach (Music Platform & Club Night)

K4cie is a 25-year-old DJ, radio host and promoter from Glasgow, who runs a music platform/club night called Peach. The night encourages women to come out and dance in a male-dominated environment. “That’s our main aim,” says K4cie. “With Glasgow being where we are located in the UK, it’s had a major effect on our music scene. On one hand it’s great, because for me, people from elsewhere will see that there are girls playing rap, trap and grime music if they check out our club night– but then on the other hand some people will still assume that there is no scene in Glasgow– we need the whole country behind us and I think the only way others will realise that we are doing good things, is by inviting them up.”

Advertisement
Advertisement

Forij (Creative Collective)

Forij are a creative collective based in Glasgow, most known for curating events and managing artists in the urban music world– a genre they feel is underrepresented in Glasgow. Including Mobo (25), Tekena (25), Angus (22) and Andre (25): “The fundamental idea behind Forij is noticing creatives in different fields and then giving them all the space to interact and share ideas.” This is also helped by Glasgow’s School of Art, which has supplied Forij with visual artists, musicians, DJ’s and producers, who have come together to curate project exhibits, warehouse parties and epic music concerts across various venues in the city.

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
Laura Mvula: 'I don't know if I'd be a singer without my family'
Laura Mvula recording her rendition of Paul Simon's 'I Know What I Know' for John Lewis. Image: John Lewis
Music

Laura Mvula: 'I don't know if I'd be a singer without my family'

Reverend and the Makers release Samaritans charity single: 'You don't have to be on your own at Christmas’
Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers
Music

Reverend and the Makers release Samaritans charity single: 'You don't have to be on your own at Christmas’

New Order's Transmissions podcast digs up wild new stories of the band – and I'm mad for it
New Order in 1989
Music

New Order's Transmissions podcast digs up wild new stories of the band – and I'm mad for it

Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie: 'I had a young family – children and hard drugs don’t mix'
Bobby Gillespie
Letter To My Younger Self

Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie: 'I had a young family – children and hard drugs don’t mix'

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue