The Apollo (Glasgow)
| Green’s Playhouse (1927-1973) | |
| Address | 126 Renfield Street (1973-1987) (its demolition) Glasgow Scotland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Owner | George Green Ltd |
| Designation |
Music Venue Cinema |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 5 September 1973 |
| Closed | 16 June 1985 |
| Years active | 12 Years |
| Architect | John Fairweather |
The Apollo was a music venue in Glasgow, Scotland, that operated in the city between September 1973 and its closure in June 1985. It was opened by Unicorn Leisure, on September 5, 1973, after acquiring a lease from the owners, George Green Ltd. It was then officially opened to the public on 8 September 1973 and its debut live performance, held on 5 and 6 September 1973, featured country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It also played host to folk singer-songwriter John Denver, who sold out 3 concerts. While in operation, the venue hosted a number of popular music acts; however, due to the poor condition both structurally and ergonomically the building became a financial burden which led to its closure in 1985 and further demolition in September 1987. The Apollo was located in the same building as Green's Playhouse, a cinema and ballroom that operated from 1927 to 1973 at 126 Renfield Street in Glasgow's city centre, and is now occupied by Cineworld Glasgow Renfrew Street.
The Apollo, owned by Frank Lynch and Max Langdown, was the leading concert venue in Glasgow and Scotland throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being labelled "the greatest concert venue in UK rock history" by the Daily Record and Sunday Mail. 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 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 contemporary bands, such as Simple Minds, Elvis Costello, Sham 69 and The Rich Kids. These were unable to attract a large enough paying audience to fill the concert venue.
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