The Glasgow Guardian‘s News Editors headed down to Hive on launch night. Although expecting queues, there was no waiting around as we were ushered into the brand new venue. The brand new extension has grey breezeblocks lining the hallways and toilets, and this decor is continued in ‘The Well’, a bar with a raw industrial ambience. Bare pipes are left exposed on the ceiling, but the small bar offers a quiet retreat from the main Hive dance floor.
The main Hive dance floor is massive, with little in the way of decor. No pillars or tables means the dancing spreads over the whole room. Dangerously steep steps line one wall, and eager dancers battled to climb to the top and see the crowd. The flashing neon ‘Hive’ sign stayed white throughout the night, and when The Glasgow Guardian asked people what they thought of Hive, most commented in praise of the new decor.
The drinks were competitively priced, with most people choosing the various cans of Dragon Soop or vodka and mixer. The bar in the main Hive room was busy, taking a few minutes to get served and the usual crush of people pushing. However, The Well was less busy, and people used this to their advantage, heading in to get served quickly before heading back to the dancefloor.
The Glasgow Guardian didn’t hear many complaints, other than a busy bar (but what club bar isn’t?), and a strange lack of mirrors in the girls toilets. However, a few people have commented on the heat. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of air conditioning, and with hundreds of people crammed onto the dancefloor, things soon got sweaty. This didn’t stop the dancers though – the DJ was well received and played some great tunes. Lauren’s favourite songs from the night were Drake “Hold On We’re Going Home”, and “Hotline Bling,” but he also played some classic dance songs such as Haddaway’s “What is Love.” However, the DJ didn’t seem open to requests and was on a raised platform so no one could ask for songs.
Some people sported the free Hive tshirts that were given out, but the dress code was mixed. Most seemed unsure of how to dress given it was launch night, so the style choices ranged from plain jeans and shirts to dresses and heels. There was an excellent vibe on the night, everyone seemed excited to be a part of Glasgow Uni history in the making.
The night wound to an end at 2am – unlike most clubs, the Hive stayed busy and people were dancing right until lights up. A mass exodus onto University Avenue ensued, and for many, house parties the celebrate the relaunch ensured the night was not quite over.
