Massive upgrade to Martin Kielty's acclaimed 2005 history of Scotland's most iconic music venue. Over 100 new anecdotes, over 30 new unseen photos (including some by Harry Papadopoulos), dozens of new exclusive interviews.
"A hip-swinging, nostalgic trip down Memory Lane" - Daily Record.
Daily Mail Critics' Choice.
WH Smith Recommended Scottish Book.
As seen on BBC Scotland and featured on STV.
Since Martin Kielty's acclaimed book Apollo Memories was first published it's helped revamp the profile of the much-missed Glasgow institution. Between 1973 and 1985 every musical act of any stature in any genre played in what fans called the 'Purple Palace'. It was acknowledged as one of the best placed on the planet to perform by all the big names in the business.
Apollo Memories recorded hundreds of stories about the venue told by the people who were there: the musicians, the audiences, the staff and the legendary Apollo bouncers. Its publication spawned hundreds of press articles, dozens of radio documentaries and TV features, a series of memorial concerts and even an acclaimed stage show. The Apollo Memories website - www.glasgowapollo.com - created and run by Scott McArthur and Andy Muir, remains one of the most popular Scottish-themed sites in the world.
Martin says: "The book did so well in 2005 that waking it up again was a real concern. Could I make it any better than it already was? "The answer is yes. Back then, a lot of people wanted to know why anyone would bother talking about a rickety old theatre that had been pulled down in the 1980s. After the book received so much attention, they stopped asking. So this time it was much easier to find people to talk about the Apollo. Every aspect of the story has been made better, and I'm even more proud of it now than I was then. This time I spoke to members of Genesis, UFO, Dr Feelgood, Leo Sayer and people who worked with Black Sabbath, the Tubes and others."
Chrissy Boy Foreman, Madness: "In the 1990s I was back in Glasgow. I was in a taxi and I asked the driver where the Apollo used to be. He took me past the site - he told me it had burned down and I felt quite sad."
Jo Callis, Human League and the Rezillos: "If Dante had been alive and living in Glasgow I'm sure it would have inspired a masterpiece! Hallowed ground indeed. The history and the spirit of The Apollo lives on, and it's nice to have been a small part of it."
Chris Glen, Sensational Alex Harvey Band: "I always had a sense of pride taking whatever band I was in to the Apollo. 'You thought that show was good? Wait till we get to Glasgow...' And the Apollo never ever let me down. As long as the people who were part of it are still part of rock'n'roll, the Apollo's still around as far as I'm concerned."
Jake Burns, Stiff Little Fingers: "As a Belfastman - and a proud one - it pains me to admit that the Glasgow audience are the best in the world... very closely followed by the Belfast audience! I miss the Apollo for the fun, but I don't miss the violent bouncers, the state of the place - and I certainly don't miss the high stage. I prefer the contact we get at the Barras. Now... don't pull that down."
Publication information:
Apollo Memories: 2012 Edition
Published by Noisewave
ISBN 978-1-4709-7271-4
220 pages with over 130 illustrations
RRP: £15.0