Credit: drmartens.com
Deputy Culture Editor – Music
There is an audible buzz around Clyde Built Radio, and rightfully so. Not only is it the first ever independent radio station in Glasgow, but it is also striving to be a hotbed of emerging talent, championing the freshest local music projects to surface around the city. It was an honour to be invited to their launch party last Saturday, where creatives collided for one stratospheric music event at Barrowlands 2.
Dr. Martens were also working with the network to support Clyde Built’s mission, Bring Glasgow To The World, uniting the city’s sonic trailblazers for this special live event in aid of Glaswegian charity, Unity Charity.
Clad in my vegan Docs, I was greeted at the venue with a complimentary BrewDog, hungry for a taste of what the station had to offer. A sparsely decorated stage space, Berghain-esque neon lights and an electrifying thrum of bass from the DJ decks enveloped my senses, where it seemed all of Glasgow’s arts community were gathered in gleeful embrace. Live sets from the event truly captured the station’s aim for genre diversity, from Rihanna-endorsed industrial soul duo, LAPS (aka Ladies As Pimps), to performance artist Lady Neptune, who took laps of the stage like a crazed K-pop Björk. DJ Grim Lusk (aka Murray Collier) played an immersive closing set of dub-influenced and leftfield dance music, with my plus one stating that she “felt like she was raving in the Rainforest Cafe”.
To commemorate the launch and support the local community, Dr. Martens enlisted the help of Glasgow-based artist Raissa Pardini to create a limited edition Clyde Built Radio poster, where the prints – produced and printed in Glasgow – will be available at Dr. Martens Sauchiehall Street store in exchange for a ten pound donation. All the proceeds are going to Unity Charity, who give practical support and solidarity to all asylum seekers and other migrants in Scotland. So if you find yourself in town, finish scranning your Greggs and hop on over to the shop for a one-of-kind print for a charitable cause!
Clyde Built Radio is now blessing Glasgow’s airwaves, with station-head Andrew Thomson determined to give recognition to Glasgow’s scene-shapers, whether it be musicians, clubs, shops or labels. As an internationally renowned DJ, and founder of legendary party night Huntley’s + Palmers, Thomson has been collecting tracks from the most exciting acts around the city to share publicly on mass broadcast.
Do your part to support the scene and tune into Clyde Built Radio – what are you waiting for?
Follow their social media:
Website: clydebuiltradio.com
Facebook: /clydebuiltradio
Instagram: @clydebuiltradio
