The Apollo (Glasgow) - History

History

The Apollo, owned by Frank Lynch and Max Langdown, was the leading concert venue in Glasgow and Scotland throughout the 1970s and 1980s (it has even been labelled "the greatest concert venue in UK rock history" by the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspaper). The cinema tradition was initially continued following the transition of the venue to the Apollo, but this became financially unviable and was discontinued.

The lease to the Apollo was held by Unicorn Leisure, the management company for comedian, Billy Connolly, Midge Ure's band Salvation which was rebranded as Slik and singer, Christian; the company also operated many of Glasgow and Edinburgh's pubs, clubs and discothèques during the 1970s, including the White Elephant and whats accepted as the first ever 'Theme pub', the famous 'pop art' Muscular Arms.

The ballroom operated above the main concert auditorium, originally known as "Clouds", following various name changes that included "Satellite City" and "The Penthouse". The ballroom became a music venue for up-coming and relatively lesser-known bands (at that time, such bands included Queen, Simple Minds, Elvis Costello, Sham 69 and The Rich Kids) that were unable to attract a large enough paying audience to fill the concert venue.

Despite the Apollo's success as a music venue, the building was in a poor condition and its structure was gradually deteriorating; maintenance repairs were undertaken only on a "make-do" basis. In mid-1977, the owner of Unicorn Leisure relocated to the warmer climes of Florida, United States (US) and the lease for the venue was acquired by the Apollo Leisure Group. The new leaseholders experienced considerable problems with the buildings structural condition and later considered relinquishing the lease in 1978, with Mecca Bingo expressing interest in the acquisition of the building.

AC/DC's concert at The Apollo on 30 April 1978 later became the bulk of the band's first live album, If You Want Blood You've A Month Later. The resumption was to herald a seven-year downward spiral, until the venue finally closed for business on 16 June 1985, with The Style Council the final performers on the bill. The building was demolished in September 1987, following a fire that rendered the building structurally unsafe and is now the site of the world's tallest multiplex cinema complex, Cineworld.