Why every band skips Edinburgh (and every student ends up on the Megabus)
We all know the feeling of trying to see your favourite band, only to realise they’re playing in one Scottish city. And shock horror, it’s not the capital. We explore why Glasgow has all the gigs and crucially – how the N900 Megabus has become a staple (and necessity) of concert-going for most Edinburgh-based students…
If you enjoy live music, you probably factored this into those 5 daunting UCAS choices. Edinburgh, the Great Scottish Capital, was surely a safe bet? By Semester Two, you’ll have discovered this isn’t true. Still, when our favourite artists announce a tour, we always find ourselves checking Ticketmaster naively: London (3 nights) is typical; Manchester is to be expected; Newcastle (hmm); Glasgow — there it is. The list of artists guilty of Edinburgh erasure includes Fontaines, Gracie Abrams, The Kooks, Metallica — even the likes of Katy Perry and Foo Fighters.
So, why does Glasgow get all the gigs?
Logic dictates it comes down to better venues and favourable geographic placement, but entering Autumnal concert season — it’s starting to feel slightly personal. Edinburgh isn’t that bad, is it? And god knows Barrowland is hardly built on sacred ground.
Much to the dismay of us Edinburgers, Glasgow is branded a UNESCO City of Music: praised worldwide for its vibrant and booming scene. It’s no surprise the city has birthed Indie icons like Franz Ferdinand, The Fratellis, even Simple Minds. Essentially, they’ve received a knighthood by a committee of artsy Springsteen listeners (which makes it an iconic place for artists to check off their list).
‘Glesga’ is also home to some great, mid-sized venues that Edinburgh’s historic landscape simply can’t offer. Anyone wanting to play in Lothian ends has got to be THAT small (or bad) they’re inhabiting Sneaky Petes and La Belle Angele, or THAT huge they’re filling the likes of Usher Hall and Murrayfield. For most, it’s sadly unfeasible to garner the capacity of Harry Styles’ and ACDC’s stomping grounds.
Glasgow favourites include King Tut’s Wah Wah Club — mostly because nobody ever shuts up about visiting where Oasis was discovered. But QMU, SWG3, and St Lukes offer great spaces for more intimate, ‘medium’ gigs that most of our favourite bands look for. Although a pint will still set you back a tenner!
What Edinburgh lacks in tour dates, it makes up for in character-building late-night returns from Glasgow. Part of the experience for any Edi student venturing west is the charming Megabus service home. Anyone who’s sat in Buchanan Bus Station at 1:27 AM, probably clutching a warm Tesco meal deal, knows the pain (and novelty) of this adventure.
When it eventually rocks up 29 minutes late, the 900 doesn’t QUITE provide the haven of quiet you’re craving post-concert, but it’s a rite of passage all the same. Have you really done Glasgow’s music scene ‘right’ if your night doesn’t end sitting next to a Scotch Egg Champion Eater, desperately hoping one USB port will work, already planning to skip your seminar tomorrow morning? And as tradition dictates, upon arrival at Edinburgh Bus Station, you succumb to the £16.80 Uber home — reminding yourself that the music was worth it.
Yet, as much as we slate it, the CityLink Megabus is a (mostly) reliable way back home that we use time and time again. The Megabus is where the gig really sinks in; it’s a cultural ritual deeply embedded in anyone’s tenure at Edinburgh Uni. So, maybe it’s a twisted blessing that Glasgow steals all the good gigs. Whilst London gets the flashy 3-night residency and smooth journeys home, we get a pilgrimage: a shared experience, a community. Still, maybe one local gig would be nice. Australian Pink Floyd Show, anyone?
“KX61GEK 53641 stagecoach megabus in rugby” by martin 65 is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
