Glasband 80 was created in 2006 due to the limited information online about the local music scene in and around Glasgow from the 70s and 80s.

Circa 1980 Radio Clyde, BBC Scotland and STV began promoting bands and musicians from the local the rock scene, this gave musicians the opportunity to showcase their talents on TV shows like Street Buzz, The Untied Shoelaces Show, Talk Back, Back On The Streets  and The Innocent as Hell documentary on Channel 4. DJs and journalists such as Tom Ferry, Paul Coia, Tiger Tim Stevens, and Tom Russell would often write about these bands in the press or play their latest studio or live recordings on the radio. 

Local musicians with support from Radio Clyde's John MacCalman initiated the annual Kelvingrove weekend music festivals at Kelvingrove bandstand starting in the late 70s and continuing until the mid 90s.

The Kelvingrove festivals promoted the best bands from the west of Scotland attracting thousands of enthusiastic fans every year. Radio Clyde DJ Tom Russell would usually compere these performances and highlights from the concerts would be broadcast on his ‘Friday Night Rock Show’.  During this time, Glasgow's rock scene thrived, with pubs, bars, outdoor festivals and TV providing exposure and a platform for bands to showcase their music live. Some of these bands even outgrew the pub scene and played in larger venues like The Glasgow Apollo, The Glasgow Pavilion and The Mayfair, occasionally they would hold one-off concerts at Kelvingrove or Queenspark bandstands, attracting thousands of their own fans.

These were halcyon times for bands and music enthusiasts as the bands got paid to play regularly, the fans could enjoy free shows at various venues throughout the city, and the venues made money through sales at the bar, it was a win situation for everyone.

Our aim is to inform you about these bands and musicians who excelled through the years, honing their songs and performances to an exceptional level while taking us along for the journey.  At the very least these guys deserve to be acknowledged and given a nod of appreciation and due credit  for a truly remarkable period in Scottish music history. This site is just a snapshot of that amazing time in the Glasgow rock scene, it is constantly being updated so feel free to browse, reminisce and enjoy  -  Glasband 80.