Legendary Glasgow nightclubs our readers will never forget

Recently we asked our readers what their favourite nightclub was back in the day, and we were flooded with answers.

Here are some of the nightclubs Glasgow Times readers will never forget:

Cleopatra’s aka Clatty Pat’s

Cleopatra’s was a staple choice for a night out in the West End back in the day. It was opened in 1984 in the former Hubbard tearoom, and it soon became known by the affectionate nickname Clatty Pat’s.

Club founder Tina Conway is said to have been far from impressed by the nickname when it first caught on but grew to love it. It was replaced by Viper, which then closed in 2018. Today the space belongs to the Irish pub Kitty O’Shea’s.

Archaos

Clubbers at Archaos (Image: Newsquest)

First opening on Queen Street in 1995, Archaos was one of the entertainment businesses owned by pub magnate Stefan King of the G1 group.

The city centre spot was famed for its school disco-style disc spinning, where records would literally play one after the other rather than fade in and out. It was popular with celebrities including Rangers hero Paul Gascoigne and American actor Charlie Sheen.

The club has been closed since 2007.

The Arches

The Arches originally opened as a means to fundraise for theatre events in the city, but it became a go-to night out in Glasgow for over 20 years. In 2007, a magazine poll voted the venue the 12th best club in the world.

One of its most loved club nights was Slam, which featured Underworld and electronic duo Daft Punk in their first UK performance.

In early 2015, over 40,000 people petitioned to reinstate their nightclub licence when bosses had it removed, but despite the effort, it closed that year after it went into administration. Today the space belongs to the event space Platform.

Tiffany’s

The history of this venue extends long before it was a discotheque. It opened in 1926 as the Charing Cross Electric Theatre, and then it became the Locarno Ballroom.

In the 1960s the name changed to Tiffany’s, and it became a nightclub, but the building changed once again into a casino in the 1970s.

While it has been a casino for many years now, Tiffany’s remains a fond memory for many of our readers.

The Tunnel

Remember Ark Fridays, Triumph Saturdays, and Renaissance night? This basement venue opened in 1990 and could hold over 1000 people. It was one of the top choices for the best DJs.

Resident disc jockeys over the years included Steven McCreery, Colin Tevendale, Michael ‘Silky’ Kilkie, Lisa Littlewood, Simon Foy and Harry Miller, with special guests such as Tiesto and Judge Jules.

The club was named UK Discotheque of The Year by the British Entertainment and Discotheque Association in 1995.

The club closed in 2014 and was bought by G1 Group and turned into Revolution Bar.

Victoria’s

This Sauchiehall Street venue was the product of club magnate James King, who poured millions of pounds into giving Glasgow its own version of London’s Tramps or Stringfellows.

The mirrored walls, chrome décor, piano bar and disco ball added to the atmosphere of Victoria’s – ‘the grand old lady’ of Glasgow’s nightclub scene.

Famous guests over the years included Celtic and Rangers legends Frank McAvennie and Ian Durrant, Hollywood star Robert Duvall and Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley.

The singer once remarked on its institution status, saying: "It was one of those places that people across Britain had heard of, like the Barrowland."

While it was undergoing a refurbishment, the club sadly closed in January 2018 when an electrical fault tripped, and the building was ravaged by a huge fire.