"...the best venue anywhere in the world" Status Quo 2002

On the 5th June, The Who continue their "Who Put The Boot In Tour" performing at the Celtic Football Ground in Glasgow, Scotland. The earlier and highly successful Apollo shows play their part in attracting 35,000 fans, over £100,000 taken at the gig is donated to charity.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse play at the venue treating the Glasgow Audience to a string of hits including "The Old Laughing Lady" and Cinnamon Girl.

The atmosphere created at the Apollo clearly made an impression on Neil.  In 1993, whilst performing at the SECC in Glasgow, he is quoted as saying to the audience that a particular song was "In memory of the mighty, but bulldozed Apollo".  A live performance with the same name is also available.

One fan at Young's 1993 in a different context.  Published in the Herald's Diary as "What's in a name"....." Robert Young insists the Glasgow Apollo wasn't the Glasgow Apollo in the seventies, alleging it remained better known under its original name, Green's Playhouse.

"Neil Young famously made the same mistake when he revisited Glasgow in 1993, performing at the SECC 20 years after his debut at Green's," says Robert. "Half-way through the latter gig he asked: 'How many of you guys were at the Apollo?' " Robert claims that among the resultant cheers, he heard one adoring fan, evidently a keen historical pedant, shout: "It was Green's, ya eejit!""

Elton John brings his wonderfully named "Louder than Concorde" tour to the Apollo for 2 shows in May of 1976.

October 1976 is regarded by many as the occasion when the Apollo crowd helped to create a classic, Status Quo's seminal "Live!" album.   Jackie Lynton introduced the band with "Is there anybody out there that wants to Rock?". The 3 sold out shows were accompanied by the legendary crowd and the atmosphere is captured brilliantly on the album. 

All in all Quo played the Apollo a record 7 times in 1976.  The venue and the audience made a massive impact on the band.  Such was the impression made that 25 years later members of Quo are quoted with saying that the Glasgow Apollo was 'the best venue anywhere in the world'.

Genesis play their first tour without Peter Gabriel.  Phil Collins takes over the mike with Bill Bruford joining the band on drums for the Trick of the Tail Tour.  The Apollo concert on the 9 July is a great success and has been widely bootlegged.

Wishbone Ash record their set at the Apollo which later appears on their "Distillation" compilation.

Yes headline at the Apollo in May, and more than 20 years later John Anderson talks about his Apollo memories to the Armadillo Concert Hall in Glasgow. 'Well!...the Apollo's changed quite a bit since I was here last'.  Fans remember how Rick Wakeman played the keyboard with his bare feet during the 76 Glasgow show.

10cc Apollo-gise (and are readily forgiven) by David Brown, Record Mirror & Disc, 1 May 1976

They had touched down earlier in the year with their UK tour, but flu struck two band members and they had to stop the show after a mere three numbers.

"It was a real martyr job," joked the band. "Two beds and a doctor ready at the side of the stage."

The illness caused the tour to be rescheduled, and the UK dates completed after a European trip. To compensate for their earlier cancellation, they put in an extra date at Glasgow, their three nights there bringing the tour to a close.

Glasgow had obviously forgiven them, all three dates were sell outs.

As the band opened their set at the Apollo they teased the audience about them only doing a few numbers and going off again. But what the audience got in fact was more than two hours of quality rock.

And when they apologised for the previous occasion a voice shouted from the gallery: "Don't mention it."

The full article can be found here.