IN 1991, whilst seeking a venue for a party to celebrate the launch of our label, Soma Records, we wandered into The Arches’ cavernous environs for the first time and met Andy Arnold. Andy had single-handedly set up The Arches theatre in the structure that holds up Central Station’s main lines. The space had been recently renovated for use as a temporary art exhibition during Glasgow’s year as European City of Culture in 1990.
Since that fateful encounter we, and countless others, have been blessed with some of the best times of our lives within its atmospheric confines.
Our mutual vision was that both club and music events could merge and broaden the cultural reach of both Slam and The Arches theatre, while benefitting the city’s developing arts scene. The relationship between these diverse spheres of culture in Glasgow’s premier arts and music establishment has been symbiotic ever since.
We have enjoyed putting Slam nights on at The Arches for 23 years without any untoward incidents or problems, only good times with high-quality sound, music and spectacle and a wonderful collection of people. During these decades some of the biggest DJs, producers and bands on the planet have played alongside Slam, including Underworld, Daft Punk, Laurent Garnier, Maya Jane Coles, Richie Hawtin, Nina Kraviz and Sven Väth, helping make The Arches, and Glasgow, amongst the most highly rated centres of dance music in the world.
As with The Arches’ experimental, risk-taking theatre and arts programming, our club nights also provide a platform for local talent and emerging artists alongside many global stars of the scene. People come from all over Scotland and often much further afield to be part of events at this special venue. It’s been such a great advert for our city, attracting many tourists.
The closure of The Arches is a tragic blight on Glasgow’s cultural landscape and extremely sad for us, and for all the music fans, clubbers and artists alike. The repercussions of this illogical decision by the powers-that-be have put Glasgow on the map for all the wrong reasons and will damage tourism as well as the city’s economy.
We sincerely hope that common sense and justice can still prevail. Already the public have made its voice heard, with 40,000 people signing a petition asking for the licence to be reinstated. The Arches should not be made a scapegoat for some of society’s shortcomings because the venue is well known as the safest in the city, with the strictest code of care. The Arches has meant so much to so many over such a long time.
The beating heart of Glasgow’s artistic and night-time scene is being ripped out by those who should have the intelligence, understanding, foresight and courage to protect it. Glasgow deserves to have The Arches.
We hope this is not the end.
Dave Clarke is manager of Slam, promoter of Pressure, and director of Soma Records
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