Looking at a sample of 10 small venues in Glasgow, we gauge if they are wheelchair accessible and how readily that information is made available online.
Glasgow was given the status of Music City by UNESCO in 2008 and in 2017 the Live Music Census reported it to be home to 241 venues, including the legendary Barrowland Ballroom voted in 2005 the best venue in the UK. The census found the words most used to describe live music in Glasgow were “varied, vibrant, quality, plentiful”. This post focuses on small venues as they can be particularly valued by audiences. One can be physically close to the performer, creating an intimate experience. They sometimes have more character than bigger, newer venues, contributing to particularly strong memories. They have also been essential in musicians’ career’s early and developing stages. Finally, 78% of respondents to the 2017 Live Music Census had seen live music in a small venue (defined as under 350 capacity) in the past year.
But does everyone have access to these undeniably valuable and formative experiences? 24% of the UK population has a disability and it is reported that around 1.9% of the UK population specifically uses a wheelchair. Glasgow is reportedly the Scottish city to have the most inhabitants with disabilities across all age groups with 24% of working-age Glaswegians declaring a disability that limits their day to day life “a little” or “a lot”. Attitude is Everything’s 2018 report advocates that “deaf and disabled music fans need … equal access to everything.” They define what three key components make a venue physically accessible; “a step-free entrance, step-free routes to all areas of the venue, and at least one functional accessible toilet.” In 2014, only 44% of venues visited met these criteria. They deem finding out this information prior to buying a ticket crucial, however their 2016 report found that two-thirds of independent venues didn’t make that information available.
We carried out Google searches of a sample of 10 Glasgow venues of 100 to 300 capacity to test this firsthand. If we needed to know accessibility requirements before buying a ticket to an event in one of these venues, would we succeed? And of this randomly selected group of venues, how many are wheelchair accessible? (All information was correct at the time of writing, 07/10/2024).
1. The Garage’s website provided extensive information about accessibility but apologized that The Attic venue, which we were interested in here, wasn’t wheelchair accessible at all. They even clarified that seating options there are “typically unavailable due to merch and [are] also located out of view of the stage.”
2. Slay provided detailed information also, proudly claiming their basement venue to be accessible via a lift. They confirmed the presence of accessible toilets (one of Attitude is Everything’s three conditions) and encouraged patrons to get in touch beforehand to ensure access to limited seating options.
3. The Hug and Pint clearly displayed on their website their lack of wheelchair access and apologized for it: “We have so far been unable to find a solution to this problem.”
4. Mono had the information clearly displayed on their website too, proudly announcing their venue to be fully accessible.
5. The Old Hairdresser’s website had only three sections, “Home” which encompassed all upcoming events, “Contact Us” and “Vacancies”, neither which provided us with any information about accessibility. One can reasonably assume to be able to use the “Contact Us” form to find out more, but that extra step could be a deterrent. What’s more, the venue is located up several flights of stairs – not clearly labelling that could potentially cause harm or inconvenience.
6. King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut provided the most detailed information of the sample, an “Access Info” page with thirteen sub-sections, including “venue description”, “accessible toilets” and “disability equality training”, indicating a keen awareness of the issue at hand… However, only to say that the venue isn’t wheelchair accessible at all “as it is located on the top floor, and there is no lift available within the venue.”
7. The Glad Cafe also have a whole section dedicated to accessibility on their website. The venue is committed to being completely accessible and to “improving Deaf and disabled people’s access to live music, great food and creative opportunities.” They offer a downloadable PDF Access guide, offer extensive information about the layout of the venue and offer free companion tickets.
8. The Poetry Club (SWG3) offered vague information. There is a section on the SWG3’s general website about accessibility, however it was not very detailed or venue specific. They do say that The Poetry Club doesn’t have a viewing platform as it is too small, but do not give insights on the venue’s layout. Some of the other venues in SWG3 do however, and they also offer free companion tickets.
9. The Rum Shack didn’t mention accessibility on their website. Knowing that they are a basement venue, this could be detrimental, however a “Contact Us” form is present.
10. Nice N Sleazy didn’t mention accessibility on their website either, and like the Rum Shack, are also a basement venue.
To recap, of the sample of 10 venues researched online, only three were fully wheelchair accessible. Of the seven non-accessible ones, four clearly said so on their website while three didn’t make any mention of it. It is evident that while some small venues have had the means to make their venue accessible, the majority may not yet be able to do so. Indicating this clearly on a website feels like the bare minimum to avoid disappointment or harm to potential gig-goers, however. Glasgow is evidently rich in venues and musical experiences for those lucky to live there or pass through. It is unfortunate that small venues, which are often valued by gig-goers for the intimate experience they offer, are often located down in basements or upstairs from bars. What does it mean when physically disabled gig-goers can’t experience these smaller gig settings for themselves, let alone find out easily if they will be able to attend via the venue’s websites? Horner asks: “What does society deem appropriate for disabled audiences, and what are venues willing to make accessible?” The situation is made more complicated by the crisis grassroots venues are facing due increased operating costs and other challenges to stay afloat.