Bloc+

January 2021 will see cult independent venue and bar, BLOC+, celebrate its 20th anniversary. Now a cornerstone of not just Glasgow's night-life and restaurant scenes, but the European underground music circuit, BLOC+ will be marking the occasion with the release of “BOOC+”, a diverse anthology of pictures, posters, recipes and testimonials capturing that bar's voluminous, vibrant, hedonistic, moreish, irreverent history.

The brainchild of one of Scotland's 90s rave scene pioneers, John Burns, BLOC+ flourished in a competitive Glasgow bar scene and grew from a simple kitsch boozer into a multi-award-winning restaurant and music venue thanks to a balance of innovative, delicious food, ambitious programming and it's relaxed – some might say raw - sense of humour. You could wear winklepickers or workboots. You could request Radiohead or Rod Stewart. Many did both.

It became the king of viral food memes, like a fried burger in a day-glo blue MD2020 sauce, contrasted by a comprehensive array of critically lauded vegan cuisine. It hosted and help launch some of Scotland's greatest musical exports, with the likes of Frightened Rabbit, Twin Atlantic, Twilight Sad, Admiral Fallow, Young Fathers and more all making early and pivotal appearances. It even managed to upset everyone from UKIP to the Catholic Church.

Now amidst the Covid19 pandemic and the crisis facing the hospitality industry across the globe, the bar continues to survive, promoting charity causes, advocating for young musicians and taking pride as part of a vibrant local community.

And yes, a complimentary signed edition of “BOOC+” will be sent to Nigel Farage.