Youth culture within Glasgow has long been an issue of concern ranging from 1930s mythology surrounding the razor gangs to present controversy over the "nu metal" kids and other groups who congregate around the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow's city centre. The activities of the young have constantly evolved through developments in taste and through advances in technology, central to this being the need to find places to gather and socialise.
The dance hall remained hugely popular in the 1950s, but with the fifties and sixties came rock and roll, and dance halls and live bands gave way to clubs and discos. The popularity of the cinema peaked during the war years and went into a steady decline in the 1950s and 1960s. Not until the 1990s did cinema again become an attraction for young people.
The public house in the 1950s remained a male environment and women did not gain acceptance until the 1960s. Not until the 1970s did the whole culture of pubs begin to change with the deliberate intention of attracting women. From then on there was a revolution in design and decor specifically aimed at attracting the young, with designer drinks to match the designer clothes.
Entertainers such as the Ian Campbell Folk Group, The Clutha and Matt McGinn took centre stage during the folk-song revival of the 1950s and early 1960s. The folk scene attracted many young people, particularly those who were politically aware. But by the end of the 1960s commercial pop music was sweeping in. Glasgow, over the next three decades, produced many highly acclaimed groups such as the internationally acclaimed Hue and Cry and innovative performers such as Texas and Travis.
At present Glasgow is a leading player in the international music scene, producing not only diverse groups, but also cultivating a healthy local live music scene in popular venues such as Nice n' Sleazy and King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. The Arches is renowned for its eclectic club nights, exhibitions, live music and for utilising an unconventional area as an innovative theatre space. Glasgow's growing art scene is demonstrated by the recently refurbished CCA building which caters for diverse contemporary art, cinema and music all under one roof.