Left Bank on Gibson Street relaunches as Glasgow's first late-night vinyl listening bar

A West End institution has been given a new lease of life. Left Bank on Gibson Street, which first opened twenty years ago, has relaunched under new ownership as the city's first late-night vinyl listening bar.

The bar sits in a former Clydesdale Bank corner unit high on the west bank of the River Kelvin, a few minutes from Kelvinbridge. For two decades it has been a bohemian neighbourhood bar with an all-day kitchen, and the new owners are keeping that spirit while putting music at the centre.

Jim McLaughlin and David Low, both locals, want to keep Left Bank independent. McLaughlin said the bar has been on Gibson Street for twenty years and is a West End institution, and they want to build on that. Glasgow, he said, does not have anything quite like it, because it has been built around sound: music first, atmosphere first.

The interior has been refreshed with new lighting, and at its heart is a vintage Bose sound system installed in the main bar and the listening bar, fed by two Technics turntables and a rotary mixer. Programming is vinyl-first, and the system is designed to spread sound across the whole room, creating what the owners call a room you feel as much as hear.

The opening night saw local pop star Bobby Bluebell behind the decks, with his Bluebells bandmate Ken McCluskey, actor Tony Curran and Turner Prize-nominated artist Jim Lambie among the guests. McLaughlin, who has been a Glasgow DJ for more than two decades under the name Jim Da Best, played during launch week, and DJ sets now run every Friday and Saturday.

Early guests included Malcolm McKenzie of funk and soul duo Hustlin', Made In Glasgow label head Gary Lawson and Yogi Haughton, widely credited with bringing house and techno to Scotland and an early resident at the Sub Club.

Food remains a big part of the offer, with brunch until four, dinner from four, food until midnight and the bar open until 1am, seven days a week.

The Left Bank is at 33-35 Gibson Street, Glasgow. Menus, DJ listings and table bookings are at theleftbank.co.uk.