An introduction to Glasgow's DIY scene

By Artur Kraft on Unsplash

Zines, Gigs and more - an insight into the Glasgow DIY scene.

Glasgow is one of the best cities in the UK as it is a hub for live music. However, some may argue that the music scene is oversaturated with the same types of ‘indie’ bands. And to be honest, it’s something we’ve all seen before.

With places such as the Audio Lounge, Old Hairdressers, and more growing in popularity, I wanted to get an insight from those involved in the scene.

What is DIY and what does it stand for?

As you may already know, DIY stands for Do It Yourself and is usually related to arts and crafts. The core values of DIY in regard to music are being self-sufficient, creating your own merchandise, putting on independent shows, creating and participating in fanzines and so on.

The DIY scene has strong roots in the punk movement, as the sole point is to overcome mainstream, capitalist organisations and Do It Yourself. Bands and promoters in this scene come together to form a community, sharing resources and supporting each other.

There is no shortage of this attitude in Glasgow as on every street corner, there is more than likely a poster advertising an event or gig. Recently, you may have noticed the rise of these posters, which can range from advertising craft fairs, gigs, fanzines and more. The majority of these are created and distributed by independent creators and promoters based in Glasgow and the surrounding areas.

What is a Fanzine?

Fanzines, or alternatively Zines, are commonly found within DIY communities, with creators trading with others and supporting one another. Fanzines are a way for people to express themselves, whether it be through art, poetry and so on.

Zines have been a staple in various music scenes over the past 30 or so years. Some may argue that they are declining in popularity, but there has been a recent resurgence in certain scenes, such as the hardcore-alternative scene.

I spoke with Rebecca De Felice Porter, creator of Hot Topic, a Glasgow-based fanzine.

J: “So, you're familiar with the creation and sourcing artwork etc for zines, can you tell me what ones you are involved with?”

R: “I do my own zine, which is called Hot Topic, and I've done that for coming up to four years, but I also help out a lot with my friends. I’ve worked with Gunshot Glitter, and I've been involved in a couple of other ones, but not extensively, just kind of like submitting things and helping people out. They’re all Glasgow-based as well.”

J: “Can you tell me about the process of making art and sourcing material for zines?”

R: “For my first Zine, I did it entirely myself. It was about riot grrrl. It's something that I hope no one will ever have to read ever again, because I look back on it and I'm really embarrassed, but I did a lot of it on Picsart and got photos from the internet, which is really bad copyright-wise looking back on it now. It was kind of just like bedroom floor kind of thing.

“For the second one, I got submissions, put it on my Instagram so anybody could submit our poetry or whatever. I actually had a lot of people from all around the world like submitting to it, so I managed to get a few things in there.

“For the third one, I didn’t include submissions as it does take a lot of work. It's a lot of coordination. I usually just kind of get, scrap booking paper, then print, glue it on top, and then put pictures on it. it's just the most like basic process but it always comes out quite nice.”

J: “How do you market and distribute zines?”

R: “I mainly use Instagram to promote them and try to gain a following. I link people to where they can buy them, it's through Big Cartel that I sell them, because I think you can have more control than something like Etsy. But honestly, selling it online in the time that I've been doing a zine, it has fallen off massively. I think it's coming back a little bit now though. I think that that's a really good thing, because it allowed a lot of people, like including myself, to learn about that type of music and like, DIY culture and things like that. So, I would trade my zines with a lot of people from around the world. A lot of my articles are on Stubstack now, so it kind of makes sense that people don't buy the zine as much as they used to.”

While zines may be time-consuming to run, they provide an outlet for artists too showcase their work within the DIY community. Speaking to Jack Gilbert, a media student, he said:

“I’ve made Bis art for their song, Kill Your Boyfriend, because I don't remember what the actual thing was. It was a zine for someone called Nick that I met through, weirdly, through an American friend, but he's based in Ireland, so I think the internet is really good to share art. It’s the first zine that I've actually submitted something for, because I've been really kind of nervous getting into the DIY scene. I’ve been listening to DIY bands, understanding these things since July. It was really fun to get involved, and it's something that I think I want to get more involved in.”

Responses based on a survey conducted show that the majority of people involved submitted photography, artwork and written features. When asked what they think of the rise of DIY culture in Glasgow, responses varied from “I like it. It’s creative and adds an edge to the city.” “It’s good, but some people go overboard.” And “I think it’s great! But has started out of necessity due to ticket prices rising.”

A closer look at Glasgow’s DIY music scene

As we’ve previously established, zines are an important part of the music scene, but what’s going on in Glasgow?

Glasgow has been a long-standing figure regarding its music scene, with so many influential bands and artists hailing from the city. The DIY scene is bustling at the moment, with venues such as Audio Lounge, the Old Hairdressers, the Hug and Pint and more. Independent promoters favour these venues when booking gigs as they are pillars of the DIY community.

Audio Lounge in Maryhill has made a name for itself in recent years as it hosts hardcore, punk, emo and a whole range of alternative bands. The venue provides a starting point for these bands, offering a central location with low prices. New to organising -but not he scene-TeenWarfare, promoter and zine, regularly books events in Audio lounge as well as Ivory Blacks and venues in the surrounding areas of Glasgow.

Other independent promoters have made a name for themselves in the past few years. Promoters such as Scottish Music Collective and Shrunken Head Promotions have been very active in the music scene, regularly booking upcoming bands and developing a great relationship with grassroots venues.

Citizen Head, a band in the scene, to get a first-hand perspective on being independent musicians. I interviewed them outside the Bungalow in Paisley. A great hub for new bands and artists.

Lead singer and front woman Vera said:

“I've made lots of friends, really cool people.”

When asked if the scene felt like a community, Guitarist Rueben said:

“Definitely, everyone is so nice. When you're playing with other bands, everyone just wants to get to know you and talk to you.

“Everyone seems to know each other, we're obviously speaking with other people tonight, and they’re like, you know that person, I know that person. It's like a big, connected web.

“There’s a new band forming every day, there's gigs every single day too.”

Grassroots venues the band would like to play in future include SWG3 Poetry Club, Ivory Blacks and Classic Grand.

Since I was already at the Bungalow as a photographer, I managed to interview the headlining act, EYESORE. The band is made up of four members, Chris, Sean, Adam and Aaron.

How can you get involved?

“It’s as easy as 123”

It doesn’t take a lot to get involved in the local scene, as long as you start attending independent gigs for up-coming bands, have a passion for music and maybe even an inkling for arts and crafts, you're basically set.

New faces in the DIY Scene keep it going for years to come, whilst building a community of like-minded people. As well as this, it also provides a social outlet for young people without breaking the bank.

With ever-present societal pressures and challenges, it’s important to get involved and keep this growing scene going.