The dog’s whiskers

Unsurprisingly enough, the Salty Dog has taken to city life like a proverbial duck to water and is now unleashing a brand new pre-club roster.

Having already been named Scotland’s Best New Style Bar of the Year (Dram), Best New Bar of the Year (Theme) and with staff picking up individual awards for their management and drinks mixing, it seems that getting started with a bang in Glasgow couldn’t be any easier down Princes Square way.

With a varied menu and a relaxed and comfortable environment it seems that Salty Dog had all the perfect ingredients for success, but few could have expected the impact it has made since opening late last year.

The bar has become a popular pre-club haunt for people heading out to a broad range of clubs across the city and this popularity looks set to increase as owner Colin Barr has drafted in a number of Glasgow’s most respected DJs to play every weekend.

Both Cris Biguzzi on Friday nights and Craig O’Connell every Saturday bring big reputations to the venue after touring for several years as two of the city’s most respected exports.

Having earned his reputation during the house music explosion in Glasgow in 1991, Cris arrives in Glasgow off the back of a stream of successful residencies in Spain, including his most recent one in Valencia where eight to 11-hour sets became the norm.

Meanwhile, since winning the Muzik Bedroom Bedlam award in 1999 Craig O’Connell has clocked up hundreds of air miles travelling to London, the US and Australia to play sets in some of the world’s most famous clubs.

He has also earned a reputation as an artist in his own right, recording house tracks under names including Denord, and now runs his own events and promotions agency.

Sunday nights are also handed over to a DJ with experience behind the decks overseas in the shape of Ally Sandler.

Ally has played in Liverpool, Manchester and even had a slot on Sydney’s Bondi FM, but is best known in Glasgow for gigs in the Cul De Sac, Corinthian and most recently in the Bier Halle.