AROUND THE BLOC+ LICENSEE INTERVIEW
BY MAIRI CL ARK
BLOC+ BAR IN GLASGOW’S BATH STREET HAS BEEN A FIXTURE ON THE LIVE MUSIC SCENE FOR MANY YEARS, AND ACTUALLY CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. DRAM SPOKE TO FOUNDER AND OWNER, JOHN BURNS ABOUT WHAT THE LAST TWO DECADES HAVE BEEN LIKE.
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wenty years ago, the design of Bloc+ was a breath of and embodied the electronic techno that John felt needed fresh air in Glasgow’s on-trade. John Burns, then in his an outlet. He says, “I was already a huge fan of Russian late twenties, had been on the club scene for a good constructivism and that interest, combined with my newfew years, flyering and running nights at The Tunnel, Archaos found love of that part of the world, was a galvanizing factor and over in Edinburgh. But the rave scene of the nineties was behind BLOC’s design and feel. Constructivism is described dwindling, raves were getting cracked down on and, with a as: “Abstract and austere, [aiming] to reflect modern young family, by 2001 Burns felt it was time to start getting industrial society and urban space, [rejecting] decorative a proper income. stylization in favour of the industrial assemblage of materials. He says, “I originally thought I was opening a pub by day and Constructivists were in favour of art for propaganda and techno Mecca by night. I had never run a pub, but when you’re social purposes, and were associated with Soviet socialism, that age, you think “it can’t be that hard”. Well, it was. After the Bolsheviks and the Russian avant-garde.” That last part in months of exciting and exhausting planning and discussion, particular resonated with me.” we opened our doors on January 11th 2001. These were my And from there the unmistakable look of Bloc+ was born. formative years in the bar trade. Collaboration and discussion “We were more of a style bar with designer Jonathan Scott, back then, with banging techno the designer behind many I WAS ALREADY A HUGE FAN at the weekends. In reality we of the early covers of The OF RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM were more of a meeting room for Shamen. sheriff officers! We never made a John says, “It was this steady, AND THAT INTEREST, COMBINED penny in those days. unforced, organic evolution WITH MY NEW-FOUND LOVE OF “Luckily, back then I was a master that brought us to where of disguise and also suffered from we are today. Of course, THAT PART OF THE WORLD, WAS a rare and convenient hearing the transition wasn’t always A GALVANIZING FACTOR BEHIND disorder whenever they asked to smooth. What was needed speak to the owner. “Naw mate, rather was a gang-hut for BLOC’S DESIGN AND FEEL. I’ve never heard of him.” creative, awkward, alternativeJOHN BURNS “That was also the era of the minded folks of many stripes to good old Glesga gangster, taxing meet, merge and make magic anyone they could, which brought happen.” us a few hairy moments and the odd “You’re getting ripped In 2003, John had about a fiver in the bank, having invested when we come back”. So that was fun! It certainly was a lively all his savings in the pub. Enter David Parry – known fondly by place with lively characters passing through and I guess that John as The Madman. sums up our city as well.” John says, “Davy is a one-man party that never ends and has The inspiration for Bloc+ came from a pivotal moment in also been my best friend for the last 30 years. He played an John’s life the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He says, “I enormous part in BLOC’s survival in the early days when the vividly remember watching the TV in awe as that symbol of company was on its arse and on the brink of bankruptcy. He dictatorship was torn down. So BLOC+ for me meant showing saved us from disappearing into the growing abyss of failed the positive sides of the Eastern Bloc through music, art and small independent pubs and a belief that things would come design. good eventually.” “Throughout the early ‘90s, my love was all things techno It was the arrival of Craig Carrick in 2005 that ruffled a few and I was a huge fan of the rave scene, so it’s fitting that feathers. some of the old school types were unimpressed by I attended my first proper festival in 1991, in the reunified the amusing new signs that he put up and they let us know. Berlin. It was called “The Love Parade” and it was an incredible John explains, “Craig put up signs such as “It’s not only canoes display of unity, packed with top-class techno and rave shows that tip”, “Nae winching’ at the bar (unless it’s a very close and a good 250,000 people, partying and celebrating over relative so we can phone the polis)” which brought out a few one very long weekend. This trip quite literally changed my life funny glances. and opened my eyes to all sorts of possibilities.” “By around 2004/05, the pub had acquired its own identity At the time, John was planning his debut in the trade, Scottish and, ultimately, that became more meaningful than any vision band The Shamen had enjoyed nearly a decade of success, I ever had to start with.”
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DRAM JANUARY 2021
