| 13th Note | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Founded | 1997 (Closed 2023) |
| Capacity | 100 |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Website | 13th Note Official |
13th Note was a bar, restaurant and indie venue based in Glasgow, Scotland.
History[]
From its beginnings on Glassford Street (what is now Bar Bacchus), the 13th Note moved to its present site on King Street in 1997.[1] A few years later, the 13th Note franchise expanded to include a larger club venue on Clyde Street. The holding company that owned both venues went into receivership in November 2001.[2] In the summer of 2002, The 13th Note Club was bought over by the Channelfly Group (owners of the Barfly franchise), leaving only the café venue still open under the original 13th Note name. The venues of the 13th Note have hosted concerts by a number of notable acts, including Idlewild, Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand among others.[3]
The basement of the original location was iconic in the Glasgow Indie scene. Hosting many club nights; for example, The Kazoo Club was launched by Jim Byrne (Dexter Slim and the Pickups). Solo performers and bands could come along and play no matter their experience. There was no charge for entry. Alex Kapranos, the lead singer and guitarist of Franz Ferdinand prior to forming the band was one of the first performers, later taking over the running of the club night and even becoming the music programmer at the venue, hosting the Kazoo Club and 99p Club. The current music programmer is Brendan O'Hare. On the opening night everyone who came along was given a kazoo. Local artists drew in charcoal on paper pinned to the walls behind the musicians as they played. The venture was a big success and the owners introduced an entry fee.
In 2023 the owners of 13th Note were recently embroiled in a dispute with their workers over contracts, safe working conditions, and a living wage. It was the first time in twenty years that workers of the bar had went on strike. One of the workers was reported to have said that the cafe's owners were 'so used to operating outwith the law that they are now at a point where they don't even understand it'. However, in response to this, on the 19th July, 2023, the bar announced that it would be closing it doors for the last time, and that all 18 workers would be losing their job as a result.[4][5]
Selected Performers at the Venue[]
- Church of Misery
- Acid Mothers Temple
- The Cosmic Dead
- Black Bombaim
- Beehoover
- Naam
- Sourvein
- Spirit Caravan
- Beaver
- Mogwai
- Bong
- Gnod
- Conan
- Slabdragger
- Mark Deutrom
- Franz Ferdinand
- Borbetomagus
- Pinback
- Cave-In
- Sleater-Kinney
- Cannibal Corpse