The Winds

Now just called «The Winds» for the record.
OK. Picture the scene. You’re wandering round the. shall we say. less salubrious parts of town, but feel the need for a) alcohol and b) music. There’s a few places that will maybe cover one base, but not both. The live pub band scene in Glasgow still lives on.
I know quite a few bands that happily pitch up for a slot in town with no pretentions of ever «making it big» but do it just for the sheer love of music.
Many of those folk will do a gig in here, The Winds.
It’s a small, unremarkable, bland exterior. It’s pretty much that way inside, too — but that’s not the point. It’s the people that make this place such a star. The staff are proper «old school» bar staff, as quick with a scathing put down to a regular as they are with a shot glass.
The taps are standard pub fare, not varying much from other places, but I will say that they have a damn fine pint of Guinness, expertly poured, in here. Worth a visit for that alone!
The regulars themselves — and you’ll know them, they just have that air about them, that this is THEIR pub, THEIR place — happily chat away to all and sundry, dispensing knowledge, wisdom, wit and even the odd conspiracy theory in some cases. If you were to define a typical «Glesga» pub, this would be up there on your list.
The music is live, rough, ready and in your face. Slotted into a corner at the far end, the sound reverberates round the whole pub, and outside. Get a good band, some good songs, and the atmosphere is as good as any stadium corporate production.
Live music in a small pub is a thing of beauty, and should never be allowed to die. Places like The Winds, The Scotia, and all of their many bretheren fly the flag for the local scene.
Pick a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday — pop in, enjoy the band and the Guinness while you can. Support live music in your city!

There will be a day when seedy, shifty, yet strangely comforting boozers such as Westering Winds will be all but gone. There will be no more illegal poker games and pirate DVDs, just a Wetherspoons on every corner.
That will be a shit day.