Audio Technology student sells out first headline show in just three hours

An Audio Technology student and music producer is preparing to headline his own show at a major music venue in Glasgow, which sold out in just three hours.

Up and coming DJ and final year Audio Technology student Bruce Glenny is set to perform his first headline show at Glasgow’s SWG3 Poetry Club, which went on sale on March 3 and sold out in only three hours.

Bruce, who made his live music debut at Glasgow based music festival TRNSMT back in 2021, feels absolutely overjoyed to have had such a positive response to the event. The show will take place on Saturday 20 May and will feature support acts, including artists such as Newcastle-based DJ Thompa.

Still in disbelief, Bruce has reflected back on the last four years and has dedicated his thanks to his hard working team who have helped contribute to his success.

Bruce provided an insight into the journey he has had as a young music producer and the work involved in breaking into the industry:

Breaking into the industry

“When I started out, I used to do gigs from Wednesday to Sunday and work until 3am every night. I was only 19 at the time so I would usually have to get up really early the following morning for a class, so it took its toll after a while! When the pandemic broke out, it meant that I could get a break from it all and even my mum noticed that I looked better because I was able to actually rest. My manager is really good for checking in on me and making sure I’m taking a break if I need it, which is really helpful.

I get asked a lot about the work that goes on behind the scenes and it shocks people to find out the number of people that are working to help me get to where I am, it’s a proper team effort! Behind ‘Bruce Glenny’ there is genuinely a team of 10 people – managers, lawyers, financial advisors, etc! It’s not just one person, as many people would expect.”

Selling out his first headline show

“I actually felt quite overwhelmed when the show sold out. Selling out a show in a day is a big deal, but the fact it sold out in three hours is just crazy. To know that the demand was there and to have people get in touch to say that they didn’t manage to get tickets was honestly surreal. The idea that people want to come see you is a crazy feeling. It also helped the people around me fully understand what’s going on; my parents have finally clicked onto how big this is becoming! It hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but I think it’s because of how busy I’ve been since it happened.

We’re going to share the official ‘Sold out’ poster soon and announce the supporting act, but it will be so strange seeing it. I’m just a 22 year old guy from Gourock!”

Making a name for yourself

“SWG3 have supported me as an artist since 2019 when I made my debut at TRNSMT, and since then the opportunities increased. The more you perform, your name becomes more recognizable and that’s when the demand starts to grow in terms of people wanting to see your gigs. At that point, I wanted to start creating my own music and developing a unique ‘style’. If you hear a song, people can usually tell who the artist is based on the style of music, so I wanted to make sure that I could create that for myself. I started working with artists like Patrick Topping, Ben Hemsley and Hannah Laing to develop a style which, at the moment, is a cross between house music and techno.

After TRNSMT, a lot of people got in touch to ask if I would ever do my own headline show. I began teasing it on my social media pages, often saying “Headline show incoming!” to see the reaction and it was always really positive so it showed me that there was demand for it. My team decided to go for it and we started to plan the show, discussing dates and other details. The dates of the announcement and the show itself were all planned for a specific time for a reason; the gig date was booked for a weekend where there wasn’t any other acts playing at SWGW, so this helped put more emphasis on the show.”

Preparing for the main event

“I’m quite nervous for it! I’m doing a charity gig soon and I’ll be the only act, so people will anticipate your performance and the focus is on you. When I’m supporting other acts, I tend to start with a set to warm up the audience and I build to songs that I would like to play at one of my own gigs, but then I pull back to put the focus on the main act. Now, I’m in the position where people will be building up to me!

When you’re doing a set like that, it sounds cringey, but you’re trying to tell a story. In my previous gigs, I’ve had people leave comments on social media telling me that my music has made them emotional – which really surprised me! It’s good to hear that though, because my team and I plan out the set so it starts out slow and builds up to a peak. At the end of it, I always try to use emotional songs which sometimes includes audio like voice clips which really adds to it.

Life after Univeristy

“Ideally, I really want the music to work out. I’ve had some job offers from people within the industry that I work in, because the degree I’m doing sets me up with different skills that aren’t necessarily just linked to DJing. I wouldn’t say I’m the best at using those skills, unlike other people in my course, but it’s good to know that I’ve developed contacts with people who have offered me jobs based on the skills I’ve shown them. If the music career doesn’t work out, I’ll still definitely try and work within that industry.”

The importance of networking

“The networking opportunities are so important in the music industry. For example, I recently attended a rave event with my friends but there were people there that I wanted to work with. My friends were out enjoying the rave and I ended up sitting in an office speaking to their team about how we could work together. You really need to take all of the opportunities that you can get. When I met Patrick Topping, I had went through to Aberdeen with Ben Hemsley for his set, and Patrick was the support act. This was the whole reason I decided to go, for the networking opportunity. I paid my way there and purchased the tickets, but these are the things that we need to do to build contacts. I luckily had the chance to meet him so I got his phone number and personal email address. Now if I need help with something, I’m able to get in touch with him.

You need to network if you want to do well in this kind of industry. Everyone knows the phrase “It’s who you know” but it’s so true. So many people have the potential to get into university and complete their degree, but it’s so important to get out there and showcase your skills, prove your worth and build up useful contacts. Being outgoing can go a long way. I might not be the best DJ or best audio engineer, but I know that I have the people skills to help me succeed in other areas.”

Showcasing yourself online

“Having a platform like social media is also a really useful tool to showcase what you’re doing. For me, it’s now more important than ever to make sure you’re coming across in the best way. It’s such a public platform, so you need to be careful – if I mess up at something, everyone will know about it. It’s also about learning how to manage yourself in these situations and how you handle them. You never know who’s looking at your Instagram, so everything that you show online matters. For example, when I perform a gig, I know that people will check my social media pages after that which in turn could help me find more work so it’s important that it looks good.

‘Bruce Glenny’ is a brand now, so I have a team of people to consider as well. They’re not putting in a lot of work behind the scenes for their own benefit, it’s for mine, so I need to make sure that I don’t negatively impact them either.”

Keep up to date with Bruce Glenny on his Instagram page

By Rachael McAlonan

Got a SCEBE or GSBS story? Email me at Rachael.McAlonan@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on social media  here