We set out to create an audio tour of Glasgow music and indeed it’s impossible to go far in the city without hearing live music from somewhere nearby. But more often than not, it’s a building with a story of its own to tell.  Take a walk on the southside to the O2 Academy.

This is one of the stars of the route which leads across the Clyde on a longish trip through what might at first seem unpromising territory. But keep going. It’s well worth the walk, for the social history alone. And to see the architecture when we arrive at our destination – from some angles the beautiful old B listed Art Deco building looks like a luxury liner left high and dry by the tide.

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Like a luxury liner: O2 Academy Glasgow

Like many Glasgow cinemas – and many other music venues on our route – this building has survived by reinventing itself over the years. They often arose like Phoenix from the fire.  The New Bedford Picture House, which opened here in 1924 was destroyed by fire in 1932 but reopened the same year in a new building decorated in what was called a ‘jazz-moderne’ zig zag design.  A few years later it was bought by the enterprising Greens – who owned the Playhouse Theatre north of the river. And that would later become the immortal Apollo which of course also features on our tour.

From films to bingo. The Bedford Picture House became one of the city’s busiest bingo clubs through the 1980s but it finally closed in 1993 and remained boarded up until the Academy Music Group Ltd brought it back to dazzling new life with a three million pound restoration which restored most of its architectural splendour. It reopened as the Carling Academy with a Deacon Blue concert in 2003 when a 2,500 capacity concert hall was big for Glasgow (ten years later the SSE Hydro would open on the other side of the Clyde with space for 13,000).

O2 Academy dressed for comedy

In 2008, the old cinema gained another new identity as part of the O2 Academy group, with the O2 Academy Glasgow bringing a new focus of live entertainment to the southside. This is a popular spot during Glasgow Comedy Festival (Frankie Boyle holds the record for the most comedy gigs held here) and burlesque shows such as Club Noir bring another kind of audience. But, refurbished and revived, the venue has made its mark as an important destination for big name touring bands.

Such as… Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Primal Scream, Arab Strap, The White Stripes, Morrissey, to name but a few. James Brown played his last UK gig here in 2006. And this autumn Marilyn Manson is on the bill.

Interestingly an up and coming Franz Ferdinand were bottom of the bill when they played here in 2004. Indeed they were on so early they didn’t get much of a crowd at all. But, listen in, our guide Jim Gellatly, tells us where the real action was found that night…

And why not follow us to the O2 ABC in Sauchiehall Street another old cinema with a cracking story to tell.

In full sail up Sauchiehall Street: Art Deco O2 ABC