A MUCH-MOURNED music venue is to come to life again next Sunday when internationally renowned DJ and producer Will Atkinson launches his debut album in an exclusive stream.
The trailblazing trance producer has chosen Glasgow’s legendary nightclub, The Arches, for the event because of its immense influence on the music scene.
As well as attracting people from all over the world, the club played a significant role in Atkinson’s life from the moment he set foot in the club – now an events and food space called Platform.
Leaving his Orkney home to live in Glasgow was a big enough culture shock, according to Atkinson, but was nothing compared with walking into The Arches and hearing one of his own tracks, Enough Is Enough, being played.
“If moving to Glasgow from Orkney was an eye-opener for me, my first night in The Arches was a straight-up jaw-remover,” he told the Sunday National.
“That first moment I walked in and joined the notorious cloakroom queue I could not believe my ears when I heard one of my own tracks being played. Literally the first track I ever heard in this hallowed institution of electronic excellence was one of my own tracks.”
Atkinson said he could have left the club then as he thought there was no way the night could get any better but it did when another of his tracks was played later.
“I still get goosebumps thinking back to that life-changing moment when I walked in,” said Atkinson.
“I heard my track pounding out of the thunderous main arch sound system in a warm-up set from legend William Daniel. Then later on Eddie Halliwell dropped another one of my records.
“In those few hours I understood everything. I just got it. This wasn’t just a venue, a club or a derelict space used for raves. This was a mecca, a place of worship and education. And so back I would come week after week to worship and to learn, obsessed, addicted and driven by the sound of drums, basslines and 303s. I was part of it.”
In the years that followed he said he was “incredibly lucky” to play many “epic” shows in the venue and, like thousands of others, was completely devastated when it closed.
“I don’t think I ever got over that. It hurt me more than any girlfriend breakup, that’s for sure,” said Atkinson.
Another huge blow came this year when he was all set for the biggest summer of his career with a gig schedule he had always dreamed about and a debut album written. The gigs, of course, were all pulled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was everything I’d ever wanted and to have Covid-19 pull all my dreams away was heartbreaking,” Atkinson said.
With no shows on the horizon for the foreseeable future he decided he had to think of “something special, something game-changing” to launch his album.
The stream will be broadcast at 4pm on Sunday, November 15, on Facebook and YouTube.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here