Blues Reviews: The Record Factory

Dear readers,

Welcome to a new addition to my little blog! This is ‘Blues Reviews,’ a recurring section where I will recount my experiences at various blues, jazz and swing venues across the beautiful city of Glasgow, and rate the venues on a scale of 1-10 sexy saxophones.

These reviews might look a little different from other venue and music reviews, however, because I will also be rating venues on their accessibility. As a disabled person, this is a big deal for me, and can determine whether I’m able to make return visits to a joint.

So with this in mind, let’s crack on with our very first Blues Review, of The Record Factory on Byres Road.

It was a hot Easter Sunday afternoon when my boyfriend and I visited The Record Factory in Glasgow’s well-heeled West End. We decided to go specifically because it is the new host of a Sunday residency for one of our favourite local bands; The Shiverin’ Sheiks. They play there every Sunday afternoon between 2 and 4pm, possibly replacing their previous Sunday evening spot at the much-missed Gumbo, just up the road. Keen to see one of our favourites play in a new spot, we skipped over from the city centre on the Subway, though it should be noted that Glasgow’s Subway system is completely inaccessible for wheelchair users.

The same cannot necessarily be said about The Record Factory. When I first saw the narrow doorway, I was worried that there would be stairs leading to a basement or attic. This is not the case; one walks through a flat corridor to a much larger back room, although there are 5 or 6 steps leading down to it. These make the venue inaccessible for the solo wheelchair user, but more navigable if you have a friend to help you with the few steps. There are also accessible toilets, but the route to them is hindered a bit by tables and a busy crowd. So not the most accessible venue in the world, but certainly better than a lot of basement or attic venues across the city. Accessibility: 6 sexy saxophones out of 10.

The room itself is wide and dark, with the occasional bright neon sign behind the bar. On that hot day, I was grateful for the coolness that the darkness provided. Photographs and paintings of famous musicians adorn the walls and add to the rock’n’roll atmosphere. I liked the variety of the crowd here, which ranged from young families watching the muted football game to middle-aged and older people. Some people committed to the vintage theme with retro dresses and suits, while others simply wore jeans and t-shirts. It’s a crowd of people who aren’t shy of dancing either, and as soon as the band started to play, the dancefloor filled up. It appears to be a favourite haunt of members of the city’s swing and lindyhop dance groups, as some dancers’ moves looked very well-practised. Crowd and atmosphere: 9 sexy saxophones out of 10.

We ordered drinks and food, and found them to be fairly-priced and generously proportioned. Don’t order the large nachos unless you have an incredible appetite; I was recovering from a hangover and still found it a challenge. The food was tasty, if a little basic. You can find the same ‘nachos, burgers and pizzas’ menu in just about every restaurant in town. My only let-down was the side of onion rings, just a tad too soft for my liking. Food/Drink: 7 sexy saxophones out of 10.

The truth is, people don’t really come to places like The Record Factory for the food. As the name suggests, everyone’s here for the music. As I said before, The Shiverin’ Sheiks is one of our favourite local bands, and they didn’t disappoint. They play consistently energetic, fun covers of old rock’n’roll songs, slathered in doo-wop harmonies. The moustachioed lead singer brings confidence and a fine singing voice to proceedings, while the drummer, bassist and guitarist all got their time to shine in solo sections. Their long performance of the almost lyric-less classic ‘Tequila!’ could have easily become a slog, were it not for the guitarist’s virtuous and varied solos throughout. My personal favourites included covers of ‘Hit The Road, Jack!’ and the endlessly fun ‘Don’t Let Go.’ Their enthusiasm for the 1950s, which doesn’t so much seep through their performance as explode through it, is absolutely infectious. Music: 10 sexy saxophones out of 10! (11 if you count the bonus point I always give for a handsome bass player!)

So there we have it, folks. We had a great afternoon at The Record Factory, listening to The Shiverin’ Sheiks, enjoying the energy of a bouncing crowd and eating slightly soft onion rings!

Thanks for reading,

Rebecca