HOW TO: START A BAND AT UOFG

MODERN TALKING

Exercising musical sociability within a university whose students are incredibly musically sociable allows one the luxury of choice in a city in which every conceivable genre, niche and scene exists.

If you’re looking to start a dance punk band, consider traipsing to a pub, bar or nightclub, of which Glasgow boasts approximately 400. You can connect with your new drummer in Stereo’s smoke-filled rooms, sing-along to a violinist at Kitty’s, or challenge a guitarist to a shred-battle at a Box open-mic. Gunning to find some brothers in black metal? Why not rifle through Mixed Up, FOPP, or Assai, three of Glasgow’s 16 record shops. Dreaming of founding an indie-folk ensemble? It will all work out in one of Glasgow’s legendary live music venues. If you’re sleuthing around for an electro-synth explosion based on campus, why not try a UofG society (36 of which come under the arts and music umbrella), listen out for a full-gain Marshall amp across the street from your Murano dwelling, or walk up to someone at the UofG library wearing a t-shirt of your favourite band and ask them to jam. A study by Planet Cruise crowned Glasgow the best place in the world to visit for live music - highlighted by its 4.31 music arenas and 61.94 gigs per 100,000 people so jump into the pit at the Barras, and mosh into union with your new bandmates.

MGMT

We all liked when James Murphy said “I hear you’re buying a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your computer out the window because you want to make something real”, however the socioeconomic realities of student life place a caveat on this scenario. The median total income for undergraduate students in Glasgow was £1180 per month from 2023-2024, with living expenses sitting at approximately £1060-£1700, meaning that the average disposable income of UofG students is minimal or very slightly positive at best. Then, considering the substantial costs of instruments, recording gear, practice rooms, transport, gigging and more, how can you make it all work?

Luckily, funding routes do exist for bands at UofG. While the most significant body, Creative Scotland (a public body who present grants between £500-£50,000 to freelance and self-employed creatives all year-round) does not offer grants to those in full-time education, other opportunities are available. For example, The Agar Trust and Dewar Arts Award present grants of up to £1000, focusing on musicians from rural Scotland. Additionally, the PRS for Music Foundation offers various grants to musical artists, women in music, musical innovators, and those seeking to fund live music performances abroad. Furthermore, the Creative Communities Scotland fund, backed by £320,000 from the Scottish Government, offers grants of up to £35,000 to creative projects which “engage in local communities and reduce access barriers.”

When it comes to gear, Glasgow’s 18 musical instrument stores are your best bet, with the iconic Jimmy Egypt and Sons the place to be for the classic good quality starter gear (Squier, Epiphone, Behringer, Casio, Focusrite etc.). Once you’ve got your gear, why not get the bus to your mate’s flat, which is free if you’re under 22 with the must have Young Scot Card. If you’re wanting to make some more noise, share an Uber XL and get yourselve to one of the 63 rehearsal rooms across 11 studios in Glasgow, such as the famous Berkley 2, which has a plethora of good quality gear to use – the more bandmates the cheaper. And if you’re a music student, UofG offers three studios, an Audio Lab, the University Concert Hall, and a few seminar and practice rooms, free to rent out.

JOURNEY

Ready to take your music up a level? Ready to play some gigs? Well, look no further, because Glasgow has the best crowds in the world. As of 2025, there are 70 grassroots music venues operating in Scotland, perfect for a first gig: Nice N’ Sleazy, SWG3 Poetry Club, or even King Tut’s – keep it DIY and give them a call. Once you’ve played your gig, arranged your tickets, got your mates to come, and hopefully made enough money for a Tony Macaroni, you’ll often be recognised for doing a good job, maybe by labels such as Crowded Flat, or concert and event management such as DF Concerts. Then you can play bigger shows, maybe a support at the Barras or a headline at Tuts, or even a grassroots festival, such as Tenement Trail.

However, sometimes keeping it DIY can be your best bet. Found your own club nights, start your own label, and get your music up on SoundCloud. Recording studios are extortionate, so learn how to do it yourself: Get yourself a Focusrite Scarlett Solo, go halves on a Shure SM57, become an Ableton wizard. It can be surprising how quickly one can find themselves moderately successful in the Glasgow independent music scene, lost amongst the gig offers, photoshoots, practice sessions, recording sessions, big decisions, ego. Always consider the power you have not just as a band, but as an individual. Be nice to people.

THE BAND

Young people, particularly from working class backgrounds, face systemic challenges in the creative arts: GCSE arts uptake has dropped by 40% since 2010, creative arts teachers and professionals are in decline, and leadership in cultural organisations is dominated by the privately educated, making the sector feel inaccessible. Mid-range artists touring percentages fell from 19% in 2022 to 12% in 2024, as Brexit related complications hamper touring in Europe, streaming revenue remains low and insufficient to sustain careers, and major labels favour “playlist-friendly acts” over experimental expression. Since 2020, over 25% of grassroots late-night venues have shut, which translates to approximately 800 establishments, with estimates suggesting that only 810 venues remain in 2025; venues which operate in the context of unimaginable costs, the most successful achieving miniscule profit-margins of 0.5%. Musical expression exists as a luxury, when it has been and should always be a human right.

David Bowie said that “to be in a band means you get to shape the soundscape of your own emotions – and you have the power to steer the narrative”. In the face of socioeconomic hopelessness, joining a band at university allows one to live out their dreams as a result of simple proactivity, forge an unforgettable university experience, and develop a swagger they may never lose – standing up for the rights of creative expression, grassroots communities, and everyday people. All in a city legendary for its music; a beacon of creative expression with a thriving community of artists, in a world where such expression is being stifled.