Speakers: Donald MacLeod MBE [Director - CPL], Lindsay McIntyre [KSG Acoustics], John MacFarlane (Dumbo) [Director - MAD Crew] Mike Grieve [NTIA Scotland Chair / Sub Club] & Cara McLaughlin [Event Manager - Scottish Event Campus]
Glasgow's night-time economy is facing threats of its existence and is in crisis. Championing change and progress, Donald MacLeod (Cathouse, The Garage, CPL) will be chatting to members who work in different roles that are continuing to make sure our nighttime economy is still going. This panel will look at factors that have caused this situation to arise and discuss how we can challenge them.
DONALD MACLEOD MBE
Donald C MacLeod MBE, MD of Holdfast Entertainment Group and live music promoters CPL. A driving force of Glasgow’s celebrated nightclub culture and veteran of Scotland’s live music industry. Owner of Glasgow’s most iconic and globally recognised clubs, The Garage and Cathouse Rock Club which have hosted famous names such as: Prince, Coldplay, Anthrax, Pretenders, One Direction, Fun Lovin Criminals, Barns Courtney, Queens of the Stone Age and promoter of some of the world’s biggest names, including: Oasis, Noel and Liam Gallagher, Fall Out Boy, FLC, Panic! At the Disco, Black Stone Cherry, Rob Zombie, Rammstein and Marilyn Manson. In 2020 he was awarded an MBE, for services to music and charity Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland (NRS). Responsible for delivering The Scottish Music Awards (formally The Tartan Clefs) which since its inception 23 years ago, has celebrated the works and achievements of many of Scotland’s talented array of musicians, artists, and bands. Names such the Simple Minds, Emili Sandi, Biffy Clyro, Amy Macdonald, Dougie Maclean, Stephanie Cheape Paulo Nutini to name but a few, raising millions of pounds in the process to support and maintain vital music therapy services in Scotland. Convenor of Glasgow Licensing Forum, vociferous supporter of Scotland s beleaguered Hospitality Sector and member of trade bodies SLTA, NTIA, and CPA. Former live musician (guitarist). Hobbies include Aikido and flying R44 helicopter.
Cara McLaughlin
Cara is an event manager for the live entertainment sector at the Scottish Event Campus, where she has worked for two years, across their three venues, the SEC Centre, SEC Armadillo and OVO Hydro.
With 6 years of experience, Cara’s previous roles include event manager at Platform and Queen Margaret Union.
Cara’s career started in artist and tour management with Kingdom management where she worked with artists including Lewis Capaldi and Aaron Smith. Cara also worked as project manager for artist development programme Ignite, before moving to event management.
John McFarlane (Dumbo)
I got my start in this business 32 years ago in The Cathouse in Brown Street. Myself and friends were regulars at the club and one day Donald Cameron Macleod of the Clan Macleod asked us if we would give a band a hand loading in their gear and that was how we all became roadies!
After sometime myself and two friends set up MAD Crew and as the time went on we became a proper company and started to build a reputation as well as a healthy clientlist.We are now very proud to be a highly sought after crew company who are known worldwide and whose MAD Crew swag is much sought after and recognised
everywhere anyones wears it. We have a crew list of 70 crew just now, over 100 clients, many of whom have been with us for over 30 years. We have worked with countless bands in many, many venues. We also do festivals, corporate events, charity events, some theatre work and much more.
Mike Greive [NTIA Scotland Chair / Sub Club]
Mike Grieve started his club career as a DJ and promoter 38 years ago in mid 80’s Aberdeen, before opening trailblazing club ‘Fever’ in the city in 1989.
In 1994 he was appointed GM & head promoter at Glasgow’s Sub Club which has legendary status as one of Europe’s best and longest running clubs, having first opened in the Jamaica Street basement in 1987.
In 1999 the club was forced to close by a major fire which completely destroyed the next-door building. During the course of the next 3 years, Mike and his then partner Paul Crawford bought over the business, and completely rebuilt the fire damaged venue before reopening in 2002.
Ironically the site next to the club still lies vacant and 5 years ago was the subject of a successful judicial review action brought by Sub Club in an ‘Agent of Change’ legal challenge following the grant of planning approval for a major hotel development.
Meantime the club continues to thrive, and Mike and his team also operate a number of festival styled events every year.
Having joined the board of the NTIA in 2015, Mike is Chair of NTIA Scotland and was a founder member of Glasgow City Council’s exploratory NTE Commission set up in 2019.