Double Bank Holiday - Part 1 - Lost Souls

Lost Souls, 150 West Campbell Street, Glasgow

Two bank holiday weekends in a row mean decisions. Eight non-school nights in very quick succession, and one can’t do every one of them, can they? Some will pace themselves, others go out to enjoy drinks in the sunshine and retire well before the nights get interesting. The Bar Biographer was out on a few occasions to survey the wreckage, sorry, scene…

The first Thursday (22nd April) saw a fair amount of bodies about around the Charing Cross area, The Drake, Black Sparrow, Chinaskis popular but not heaving, their sheltered smoking areas giving some protection from the biting evening wind that followed the warm afternoon.

LJ and I headed up Bath Street after a few snifters, looking for the after work crowds. Moskito continues to surprise with its immense popularity. A mainstream joint, certainly, but it achieves its simple aims, providing reasonable drinks in a pleasant enough atmosphere, in the proximity of the late-night Bath Street venues to which many punters will head later. Though, quite a few, dressed in their office attire, looked like this drink would be their last.

I do believe I spotted the back of Heather Suttie DJ as we made our exit, a backless dress and pink bra straps catching my eye, fashion rules notwithstanding. But the exit was beckoning.

Lost Souls


Lost Souls may become the kind of place to beckon passing travellers whether they need rest and refreshment or not. An upstairs bar on West Campbell Street between Sauchiehall and Bath streets, the old Caskies bar. Billed as a late lounge with nights till 3am Thursday to Sunday, it seems to have not yet attracted enough attention to make extended hours viable.

The grim doorman at the street entrance may lessen the place’s chances even more, though his forbidding demeanour does lend a certain atmosphere, making you think what the hell kind of sinister place is upstairs. But that’s a bit of a disappointment. A semi-industrial look with massive grey pillars, eclectic furniture and a pink glass backdrop to the bar. There is a good window view over Sauchiehall Street but at night the light isn’t right for the vantage point to be fully appreciated.

Lacklustre bar tending and only a smattering of guests hardly gave us an incentive to stay longer than the one drink but the vintage 80s house music did make us pause slightly – White Horse (1983) was always a favourite of mine – but the sounds seemed lost on the youngish clientele. Lost Souls has some work ahead of it.

Rejoining the street scene we found it diminished in size, less and less folk as we walked towards the Merchant City. Corinthian seemed busy at the door but inside the main room far less so. Downstairs was shut, and the other smaller bars at the front and upstairs as quiet as a normal midweek evening. The question arises again, can Glasgow sustain a place of this size and overheads?

We retreated for a couple of nightcaps to One Up, which was also relatively quiet, but its modest size means atmosphere can be retained with smaller numbers. Just as well on this night.

So, a night that started promisingly and petered out. Maybe a pointer for the rest of the double-header?