Skyline’s Graham Chalmers interview: “If you love prog house, this is the place'
We spoke to Skyline’s Graham Chalmers about progressive house, why he started Skyline, and what’s to come in Skyline’s future.
Last updated: 21st Aug 2024
Originally published: 20th Aug 2024
Skyline is known for bringing in some of the best progressive house artists in the world to Radisson Red, a rooftop bar overlooking Glasgow’s River Clyde. Known as “the glass box in the sky”, the club welcomes performances from artists who are rarely seen on other event lineups in the UK. Many prog house artists make their Scottish or UK debuts at Skyline to an intimate crowd of devoted “Skyliners”.
Seeing as plenty of Skyliners travel from outside of Scotland, sometimes even from outside of the UK, to experience these events, it begs the question, what’s so special about Skyline? We asked Skyline founder Graham Chalmers this question as well as why Skyline was created, and if there will be any more collaborations with record labels like Selador in the future.
Let’s start right at the beginning. Why was Skyline founded? What is it you wanted to achieve or provide to Glasgow’s music fans?
"Skyline started life like most of the iconic clubbing brands down the decades - it was born because no one was putting on the nights I wanted to go to. I’ve gone clubbing all over the world and still do, and it was frustrating that Glasgow missed out on the most exciting and inspirational talents from the sound that’s always been my passion - progressive. We would occasionally get some of the big guns stopping into the city but there wasn’t a night devoted to my music, growing and developing talent. My mates got sick hearing me go on about it and said, well why don’t you do it then. So I did.
I run Radisson RED Glasgow so we had the perfect venue. I took a gamble and people really bought into the brand and the idea, and here we are two years on, one of the most acclaimed club nights in the world, which is bloody ridiculous to say out loud. DJs I have followed as a fan for years now not only come and play for me, but they’ve become friends. That’s wild."
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Bringing some of the best prog house talent in from across continents which sees many artists making their Scottish and UK debuts, many of your fans have praised Skyline for delivering some of the best lineups in the genre to Glasgow. How do you guys determine which DJs to enlist for your events?
"I’ve been passionate about progressive house since the late 90s and got my first set of turntables in the early 2000s. Having spent hours listening to extensive sets online and trawling through record websites and shops such as 23rd Precinct in Glasgow, 3 Beat Records in Liverpool, and online record stores such as Beatport and Juno, I’ve built up my knowledge of producers, artists, and DJs from around the world.
I always want to see something new and fresh and push boundaries, and it’s been amazing to see what every Skyline event has become - a room full of friends old and new. We lead, we don’t follow. We’re helping to showcase some of the most talented people on the planet – to feel we play some small part in helping them build their careers is incredibly rewarding."
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Speaking of Skyline’s fanbase, you have some very loyal followers. I’ve seen that some have attended just about every single event and others are happy to travel from quite far away. Why do you think Skyline events are so addictive?
"It’s all of it. Skyline is unique. I try not to overthink it because then you start changing things and risk messing it up. Skyline is its own thing, it has taken on a life of its own. It’s no longer my night, it’s our night - it belongs to all the Skyliners. The way people embraced it and have turned up time and time again is just mind-blowing.
We have the perfect venue - a glass box high above Glasgow - with a killer Void sound system, and a great production team. The DJs are truly exceptional - we’ve been astounded by everyone. But I think the secret is our crowd. They’re just incredible. I can’t thank them enough for bringing the energy and enthusiasm month in, month out."
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Many event brands put their events on between Thursday and Saturday but Skyline events are always on a Sunday, is there a particular reason you chose Sundays?
"We like to be different. I wanted to test myself, to create something totally new. So not only was I launching a night built solely around a style of music that’s not really common in Glasgow, I was doing it on Sunday all day too. It really was a gamble… but I just somehow knew. The special thing about a Sunday is that only genuine fans will come along - some local, some from the wider UK, and even mainland Europe and beyond."
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Skyline has collaborated with Selador Records a few times this year, to many Skyliners’ delight. Will there be more collabs with Selador or other brands or labels in the future?
"We’re lucky to have established incredible relationships with many key players and brands - some in the last two years but others from clubbing. Dave (Seaman of Selador) has been really supportive of Skyline from the start and has been very keen to involve Selador which is great. The right record labels who do things the right way are key to the future of electronic music, so again we feel it's important to showcase the good guys like Selador!
We have now worked with four record labels like Nick Warren’s The Soundgarden, which debuted here in 2023 and returns in October 2024. Hernan Cattaneo’s Sudbeat came to Scotland for the first time last year and has two shows here this year too. We were extremely honoured and privileged to welcome Guy Mantzur’s Moments label to the UK for the first time last year. The DJs and record labels entrust us with their brand which is a huge responsibility and honour, and it’s highly rewarding to see them be successful in Glasgow."
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Finally, for those who are thinking about attending their first Skyline bash, can you let them know what to expect?
"We like to think that Skyline is the progressive house party in the UK if not Europe. It’s special.
Travel links from the UK and Europe to Glasgow are plentiful, we are less than 20 minutes away from the airport and train stations, and what’s really attractive to the audience is that you can stay right here in the venue with our overnight packages. Hernan Cattaneo himself, following his second show in April, announced on his social media “The best Sundays are in Glasgow.” This sort of recognition from arguably the best progressive house DJ in the world is truly humbling and has driven me to not only continue but improve the brand and never take it, the audience, artists or agents for granted.
If you love progressive house and want to see these awesome artists in a truly unique venue and the most intimate show they play in the world - this is the place for you. This is Skyline."
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This Sunday (August bank holiday weekend), Skyline will welcome Anthony Pappa, Guy Mantzur, Ezequiel Arias, Eli Nissan, and more from 12pm until 1am. Secure your tickets for this bank holiday prog house bash below. Or find all upcoming Skyline events.
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
Header image credit: Skyline Events