THE FINAL DAGGER? SAUCHIEHALL STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL FAILS TO THRILL

FESTIVAL REVIEW | STAG & DAGGER 2025 | GLASGOW 3rd May 2025 by Anne Kelly

Billed as ‘Scotland’s original multi-venue event and biggest new music showcase’, Stag & Dagger Festival promises an experience to be desired. Having hosted household names such as Ed Sheeran, Michael Kiwanuka and Lizzo amongst their alumni, there’s a sense that you might just discover the next best thing. Now, well over a decade after finding it’s Glasgow home, it seems that Stag & Dagger may have finally lost it’s spark

Much has changed over the years for its Sauchiehall Street host, once wall to wall with nightlife, the area is a ghost of its former self. Not only have we lost the iconic ABC venue after a second Glasgow Art School blaze in 2018 ripped through the venue, in the past year the once thriving strip has succumbed to even more devastation with basement bars Broadcast and Dannsa amongst other venues both forced to close their doors. The ever changing landscape has put Stag & Dagger organisers under pressure to fill the gaps, and this year the festival would include The Garage, G2 and The Attic all under one roof, neighbouring Nice n Sleazy’s bar plus welcoming the nearby Renfield Centre and The Berkley Suite to its venue roster, just a short walk from Sauchiehall Street.

Micky 9s from Glasgow had the honour of launching the music festivities at Renfield Centre shortly after 2pm, marking a vibrant start for new music enthusiasts. The lineup promised additional early bird highlights featuring local acts, The Zebecks and The Era, however, it soon became clear that The Era would not be performing, as they took to social media after the festival to explain their decision, waving the first red flag of the day.

We wanted to express our frustration for not playing this years Stag & Dagger Festival, the event organisers and the venue left us in a position with no technical or professional support, jeopardising the show we normally play. It’s hard to be an independent artist and the incompetence of PCL Presents UK belittles the time, the graft and money to do what we love.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by THE ERA (@the.era.gla)

With most venues not opening until at least 5pm, we arrived a little later too. Directed towards the Renfield Centre to grab our wristbands, we were surprised to be met by a conference centre. Whilst the atmosphere on arrival felt cold and corporate, it seemed unfair to make too much of a judgement before we actually went inside. Holding off the reveal, we popped into The Garage across the street instead, where the first band of their 3 band line-up was ready to go. First up, dynamic rock quartet DAYTIME TV who belonged on the main stage tonight. They delivered a well polished yet predictably safe set and whilst the crowd were pretty sparse, they injected a hefty dose of energy which commanded the crowd.

Back over to the Renfield Centre for Liverpool’s STONE, my first impression fears were now confirmed. A band that I was anticipating to be the highlight of the festival, has since cemented itself as a core memory for all the wrong reasons. As a venue choice, Renfield Centre was nothing short of atrocious. Opening the hall doors the room emitted a “school disco” vibe, unveiling on one side a heavily curtained stage bathed in an unflattering yellow light, while on the other, a row of folding tables surrounded by stackable plastic chairs, suggesting that we were about to go “eyes down” for bingo night, rather than the rock gig we showed up for.

STONE seemed just as uncomfortable with the setup as the audience. Frontman Fin Power kicked things off by urging the crowd to move closer, joking that he didn’t want to dive off the stage and land flat like that scene in School of Rock. The turnout was decent, but the awkward-ness lingered in the air. The venue was ill-suited for amplification and as a result stung the sound quality. Nevertheless, the band rose to the occasion, professionally powering on like they always do. As soon as Stone wrapped up their set, it felt like a mass exodus, nobody intended to hang about longer than they already had.

Heading back to The Garage, Boston band VUNDABAR were well underway, commanding the now robust crowd. An unscheduled stop at Nice n Sleazy’s led to an unexpected highlight of the festival. Without as much as a wristband check, we made our way to the dimly lit basement and finally discovered the vibrant live atmosphere we craved, thanks to WATER MACHINE, a Glasgow-based band that brought infectious energy, complete with party hats. Though their set was brief, it became a standout moment of the night, reminding us of the unique charm that grassroots venues contribute to the live music scene.

I was really looking forward to seeing GRANDMAS HOUSE, even if that meant heading back to the Renfield Centre. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you can expect, it wasn’t going great. Issues with the sound had only got worse, with the band left scrambling to salvage their set while apologising, asking the audience not to judge them too harshly, hoping for a chance to win them over in the future. I felt the apology wasn’t for them to make, wishing Grandmas House and all the other unfortunate souls performing at the Renfield Centre would give Glasgow another shot! Known for one of the most vibrant music scenes in Europe, this wasn’t the Glasgow welcome they deserved.

Stage clashes are inevitable at these sort of events, and the toughest one came towards the end of the night. Like picking a favourite child, it was locals MARTHA MAY AND THE MONDAY‘s that swung it. The Attic was rammed, yet the bar was closed before the headliners took to the stage. Martha May’s lead exuded star quality, while The Mondays delivered a tight performance that had the crowd buzzing with excitement. At the end of their set, they announced they would be donating their festival fee to Mermaids UK, showing solidarity with the trans community and protesting against the venue’s owner, Donald MacLeod, due to his controversial support for President Trump.

Stag & Dagger 2025 was a weird one. Despite the strong line-up the event just fell a bit flat, it was as if organisers had already given up on it and were edging for it’s retirement. For the most of it, the venues felt sparse and lacking in any sort of energy and Stag & Dagger’s presence felt invisible. If you didn’t know it was happening then there was no evidence left to find out.

The criticism isn’t with the venues really, or even the fault of the organisers and promoters directly either, and it is certainly no reflection on all the bands who delivered on the day. Instead, it highlights the unfortunate demise of an event meant to champion new music and support grassroots initiatives. This situation underscores the growing desperation within the music scene. As much as we mock the venue choices, the reality is there were no other viable options without lifting and relocating the festival elsewhere, which would deliver yet another blow to what remains on Sauchiehall Street. If there were a stronger commitment to grassroots music and venues, we wouldn’t find ourselves resorting to soulless corporate alternatives. The multi-venue festival is not dead yet, but there needs to be a renewed commitment from the entire community involved to get behind each other.

Is it too late for Stag & Dagger? My gut says it is.