Queeriosity strikes again!

First came the Drag Party 1 & 2, then this fabulous bedazzled beast morphed into Queeriosity - now with Haberbashery & Prawn knocking out some of the best tunes of the 90s! Who knew how well Alanis Morrisette went with B*Witched and the Venga Boys?!

Prawn and Habs, providers of quality music and entertainment.

Prawn and Habs, providers of quality music and entertainment.

There were glowsticks, a hula hoop, plenty of dungarees and more grunge than you could shake a stick at! It fast became apparent that some of us could get a degree in All Saints lyrics and enthusiastic dancing and the tunes just kept on coming!

Thanks are due to all the volunteers who made this event possible - from setting up, stocking the bar, staffing the event and not forgetting our talented DJs! We're grateful, as always, to the Garnethill Multicultural Centre staff for letting us use their space.

I told you there were glowsticks.

I told you there were glowsticks.

But don't be too sad if you missed it - there's another one planned for August (details to follow) & you too could be part of the awesomeness that is Queeriosity. We aim to provide lots of fun, good times and tunes, and most importantly a safe space for everyone to enjoy themselves. Why not come along next time and see for yourself?

Skating but not as we know it

On Wednesday, our training session was cancelled because of a minor event the next day (some sort of election?), meaning our usual hall was otherwise occupied. Apparently, someone thinks that roller derby isn't as important as the democratic rights of the people. Pfft!

A group of us decided that no one - not even Nicola Sturgeon - could stop us getting our skates on, and we headed to Unit 23 Skatepark in Dumbarton.

Team Skatepark, consisting of Janie Bones, Mad Natter, Puma Thurman, Shona Mercy, Mona Rampage, Jen Fleming, Marshall Lawless and Sarah McMillan.

Team Skatepark, consisting of Janie Bones, Mad Natter, Puma Thurman, Shona Mercy, Mona Rampage, Jen Fleming, Marshall Lawless and Sarah McMillan.

A few of us had never been to a skatepark before, and there was some initial trepidation about the existence of non-flat skating surfaces, but everyone soon got stuck in! Very quickly we were all pushing our boundaries, whether that was dropping into the biggest bowl LIKE A BOSS or just trying out some of the smaller ramps.

Shona Mercy & Marshall Lawless sporting some GRD merchandise while contemplating the next ramp

Shona Mercy & Marshall Lawless sporting some GRD merchandise while contemplating the next ramp

Unit 23 is a fab venue for skating and we'll definitely be back! If you want to see more of the action, head over to our Instagram where you'll find video evidence of us nailing it (and the times it didn't quite work out!).

Sometimes things don't quite go to plan, and you end up lying on the floor trying to figure what to do differently the next time!

Sometimes things don't quite go to plan, and you end up lying on the floor trying to figure what to do differently the next time!

We hope to see you back on flatter ground on the 21st of May to watch the Maiden Grrders facing up to Blackpool Roller Derby. Get your tickets online here or on the door. It's going to be a good one! And if you like any of the GRD merchandise modelled so wonderfully in these photos, check out our shop for some old classics or our newest pins and patches.

Queeriosity #2: 90's Night

Come as you are, as you were, or as you'd want to be to our 90s themed fundraiser night tomorrow!

Image courtesy of Nuclaire Art. 

Image courtesy of Nuclaire Art. 

It's not too late to get advance tickets for £2 from our website , or just £3 on the door (free for asylum seekers and refugees).

 "But just what delights will I get for my hard-earned cash?!" I hear you cry! We'll have Habs & Prawn playing some of the finest 90s tunes ever heard, in a space where everyone is welcome AND there's a bar. It's going to start early and end at midnight, so perfect for a pre-club warmup if you so desire.

From personal experience of past events, expect to dance until your feet feel like they might fall off but have no regrets (even if everyone finds out you know every word ever sung by the Backstreet Boys).

All the money raised goes straight back into GRD, allowing us to continue being the best we can be & is partly used to arrange future events.

Speaking of which, our Maiden Grrders take on Blackpool Roller Derby on 21 May & you could be there taking in all the action! And did you know that we're hosting a boot camp with the one & only Stefanie Mainey from London Roller Girls on 22 May?! Get your ticket now or regret it! 

#ThrowbackThursday : Riots Of Spring

The sport of roller derby is constantly evolving - from its start in the roller marathons of the 1880s, to a more recognisable contact sport on roller skates in the 1930s, to the game we play today. The WFTDA rules set is constantly updated to improve the game (and to give me the fear every time our annual rules test comes round, I suspect). Even the language we use has changed: they're not bouts any more, we play games and we're no longer the Glasgow Roller Girls, we're Glasgow Roller Derby.

It occurred to me that it would be good to have a look back through GRD's past, and for my first in this series of nostalgic posts I've jumped way back to a time of themed bouts, fishnets and mini-kilts: GRG's first ever bout on March 29 2008.

The poster for the Riots of Spring bout between London Rollergirls and Glasgow Roller Girls, 29 March 2008.

The poster for the Riots of Spring bout between London Rollergirls and Glasgow Roller Girls, 29 March 2008.

At that time, we were a one-team league and the Irn Bruisers made the long trip down south to face up to London Brawling. It was a tough game against a more experienced side and ended in defeat for the Bruisers (featuring some guest skaters from Birmingham Blitz Dames, Central City Rollergirls and London Roller Girls) with a final score of 163-31 to Brawling. While it wasn't a happy ending, I'm sure it was a great learning experience and I love that LRG's bout report includes comment on the band, Earl Grey & The Tea Ladies, who played at half time!

Something else which has changed: these days we just give awards to the Best Jammer, Best Blocker and MVP but back in the day we also celebrated Penalty Queen (it really is what it sounds like!) - Bette Noir for LRG and Jaci Dodger for GRG.

This is to be the first in an ongoing series of blog posts on GRD history - I've only just started digging and have struck gold with some absolutely brilliant old photos, videos and posters - so keep checking back for more!

If future events are more your thing, check out our Events Page to see what's coming up.