Barraland Ballroom

The **Barraland Ballroom** (kent as **Barraland** an aw) is a dance haw an muisic venue fund in the Calton destrict in Glesga, Scotland.

## History
The oreegional biggin appent in 1934 in a mercat area east o Glesga's ceety centre, biggit bi Maggie McIver, the "Barras Queen". The area an the bawroom are named for the Barras. The biggin wis halely rebiggit efter bein maistly malafoustert bi a fire in 1958, an appent again on 24 Desember 1960. The Barraland biggin includes muckle street-level haws uised for the Barras mercat in the weekend, wi a muckle weatherpruif haw abuin. The front o the biggin is decoratit wi a muckle animatit neon sign.

In recent years the ballroom haes been uised as a concert venue wi a 1,900 staundin capacity, kent for its acoustics an its sprung dance flair. Simple Minds filmt the video for thair 1983 single, "Waterfront", at the Barralands. Nixt tae the ballroom itsel is the Barrwland Pairk, whaur thare's a path shawin the names o mony airtists thit hiv played at the venue. Irish punk baund Stiff Little Fingers hiv played selt-oot concerts at the venue ivery St Patrick's Day frae 1992, an recordit thair *Best Served Loud* album thare in 2016 tae celebrate 25 year at Barraland.

## Bible John
Atweesh 1968 an 1969, three yung weemen (Patricia Docker, Jemima MacDonald an Helen Puttock) war fund killt brutal-like efter nichts oot at the Barraland. Aw three murders war said tae be the wirk o a man cried "Bible John" bi the polis efter he was heard referrin tae the Auld Testament tae ae o his veectims. Similarities atweesh the murders led the polis tae believe thit taey war the wirk o the same man. The man met wi aw three weemen at the Barraland Ballroom, afore rinnin thaim hame an rapin an stranglin thaim inwi yairds o thair doorsteps. Aw three weemen war menstruatin an thair haundbags war chored. An investigation failt tae fund Bible John, an the murders ur still no solved. On the nicht o the murder o Helen Puttock, Puttock's sister Jeannie Langford wis wi her an spak tae her sister's suspectit killer. Jeannie descrieved Bible John as: "25-35 years old, reddish/fair hair, wore a blue suit an matchin troosers wi white shirt. Spak awfy polite an wis awfy releegious". In 2007, follaein the killin o Angelica Kluk, fowk stairtit tae expect thit serial killer Peter Tobin wis Bible John, due tae similarities in modus operandi. Tobin went tae the Barraland aften, an muived tae Brighton, in Ingland, in late 1969 whan the killins endit.

## The Barraland 2
The Barraland 2 is pairt o the Barraland Ballroom an is uised as baith a baur whan mair muckle shaws are playin in the main haw an as a venue tae haud smawer gigs. While it plays host tae smawer or acoustic gigs frae mair estaiblisht acts nou an again, its ordinar function is as a venue for smaw local Glesga baunds. The promuivers haud an event shawin aff unsigned local acts in the main ballroom every year an aw.&#x5B;**&#x5D;

## The Barraland in popular cultur
The Barraland featurs heavy in the 2015 film *The Legend of Barney Thomson*, directit bi Robert Carlyle.

It featurs in pairt o the appenin scene tae the 2014 film *God Help the Girl* frae writer/director Stuart Murdoch (heid sangster frae indie pop group Belle &amp;amp; Sebastian)

Scots sangster Amy Macdonald haes a sang aboot the ballroom, cried *Barrowland Ballroom* on her 2007 album *This Is The Life*.

The edifice appears in a nummer o scenes in *The Field of Blood (TV series)*, a Breetish crime drama television series.

The Barraland is where yung lassies are pickit up afore bein killt in the novel *The Quaker* bi Liam McIlvanney.

Simple Minds named a track for the venue on their 2018 studio album, *Walk Between Worlds*. Track 6 on the album wis cried "Barrowland Star" acause o thair close sibness wi the venue.

It featurs in "Fearful Lightning", an episode o the telly programme *[[Taggart]]*. 

In Apryle 2021, a mural inspirt bi Douglas Stuart's Booker Prize-winnin novel *Shuggie Bain* wis first shawn on the waw o the Barraland Ballroom, featurin a boy dancin in the street, thegether wi a quote frae the beuk: "Ye'll no mind the city, ye war ower wee, but thare's dancin. Aw kinds o dancin." The airtwork an letterin wis duin bi the Cobolt Collective – comprisin Glasgow School of Art 2015 graduates Erin Bradley-Scott, Chelsea Frew an Kat Loudon – and is .

## References