CLUBS LIST
CLUBS
PREVIEW
LISTINGS: EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW DIARY 70
Edinburgh clubs man ‘Juan’ interviews the inimitable Edinburgh DJ ‘Yogi‘.
Yogi the DJ has 22 carat gold in his teeth. not to mention the diamond. and probably boasts the most comprehensive collection of black contemporary music this side of Manchester. However. he would not be considered one of the best club Dl‘s in Scotland had he not been influenced by his sister. ‘My sister used to go to a club called the Torch in Stoke. which has become synomous with soul music. and she used to bring these records home. That‘s when I clicked — her records were far better than T-Rex and Gary Glitter. I started to play them and it just went on from there‘.
The first club he attended was called the Blue Rooms in‘ Sayle. which along with the Blackpool Mecca. the Ritz in Manchester and the Wigan Casino formed the core of the Northern Soul scene in the mid 70s. ‘The first big event I ever went to was the Ritz Alldayer. I didn‘t dance. I just stood there and absorbed everything. the way people acted and so on. But you should have seen the dancing!‘
If he hadn‘t been prepared for that experience. what happened to Yogi when he first went to the Wigan Casino was something else again. ‘I was at 5 a party one night. I was 17 and I thought. fuck it. I‘ll go. I walked about five miles towards the motorway— it was around 1 1 o‘clock at night. When I got there. I thumbed it to Wigan. I‘d never been there before. I was overawed. absolutely, as anybody would be who had never
; first ‘all-dayer‘ in Fury Murrys. ‘There were only 200 people there. but I saw the potential.‘
' Edinburgh‘s clubbers‘ mecca. the Hoochie. he approached the main partners and asked them if
l he could do an ‘all-nighter‘ there. ‘There had
i been Northern Soul All-nighters in Edinburgh
before. but there had never been a contemporary
' Black music all-nigbter in Scotland. It was
i packed. I couldn‘t believe it! The best thing was
that it was all Scottish DJs.‘
Things were beginning to move for Yogi. he was working in clubs as far North as Aberdeen and far more importantly. his reputation was spreading south of the border. At his most recent all-nighter, held at the Calton Studios. there were at least 1000 people inside and 500 queueing till the early hours trying to get in. ‘I think that you have to believe the tunes you are playing are better than anybody else‘s.‘
Yogi DJ '5 on a Friday at the Spanish Harlem in Edinburgh, Sunday ‘5 at Club 9, Garrion Hotel, Motherwell and at various legal raves or otherwise
around the country.
I Yogi’sTopSCurrent ready to dance.
' Records I Acid Rock: Rhythm I Dextrous Boy: Boy Device (12in Belgian Wonder and En (British import) Mentalll It‘s the
Pre-Belease unissued) Only copy in Scotland.
1 These boys did the
original ofthe massive
: club hit by Doug Lazy ‘Let it Roll‘. I like it because it‘s raw and has the same tempo as Guy Called Gerald‘s ‘Voodo Ray‘.
I Dig This: The KA Posse (Underground Import) Shut the Fuck Up Man and Give Me That Funky Ass Bass Linc — I love records that have swearing in it. This is a DJ‘s dream to get the crowd going. It stops after the intro and then comes in really heavy so the crowd are twice as
first European track that I‘ve ever bought.
I Esta Loca: Latin Age (Easy Dance Bees, US Import) Heard it in New York — good for the ravers! Lots of percussion and chanting.
I DJ Mink: (British unissued) Only two copies in Scotland and I‘m the only DJ who‘s got a copy ofit. Mental intro—it starts off with 7.6.5.4.3.2.I Blow your whistles— heavy drumming. hard rapping and amazing tempo! This track is worth £50 ifyou
been to the Casino before. What was going on there changed my whole way ofthinking. my attitude towards myself and towards other . so-called clubs.‘ | In ‘83 he moved to Edinburgh from his native Manchester. ‘just for a change‘. but found that the club scene was not up to much and decided to do something about it. ‘I was DJ-ing in an Edinburgh club called Manifesto when a friend asked me to do his club in the West coast.‘ That was a major break. His friend was running a night in Glasgow‘s legendary Sub Club. Yogi‘s confidence began to build up and be organised his
In 1985 after being the resident DJ in
can get your hands on it.
TIN PAN ALLEY
As you may remember, in a big clampdown during the summer, the Environmental Health jobsworths closed down Tin Pan Alley and the Sub Club. Both shut their doors in July, but by August the Sub was open for business again thanks to theirappeal. No such luck lorTin Pan, but the owners didn’tspend this time twiddling theirthumbs waiting for autumn to come around. Recently opened again, the interior of the club has been totally renovated at an estimated cost of £500,000 by the Hon McCulloch Design Company (who are responsible tor Chlmmy Chunga’s, Cul De Sac and Henry Alrlkas) and as they said on their press release ‘the end result will be worth taking a look at’, I decided to take a look.
On arrival nothing looks ditterent; the exterior is virtually unchanged and the bouncers are the charming, lovable gentlemen they've always been. Once you begin to climb the stairs though, the dliterences begin; the bright glare of the white walls and the designer illustrations adorning them delinltely give it a more upmarket air. Inside the venue my lirst impression isn't a favourable one. The place seems like an overbearing extrovert with a new Jean Paul Gaultler creation, screaming ‘IMPHESSED?’ -cold, bold, calculated decor with no soul. But lirst impressions can be misleading. Okay, it's sleek, shiny and a bit excessive, but visually striking and in some ways, money well spent. A minor complaint on the night; too bright! Those white walls are partly to blame for this, but turning the general lighting down
would put their brilliant lighting system (particulary the strobes) to much greater ettect.
No ‘name’ clubs are planned until the New Year and no live PAs either, but there is some good news, Club Sandlno is back. Still on the last Saturday at every month (except November) but make a note in your diaries tor 29 December. Still worth supporting, with entrance at £2 unwaged and £3 for everyone else. (Colin Steven)
SPANISH HARLEM
Wilkie House, Cowgate, Edinburgh. As Edinburgh approaches almost a decade at post-punk clubbing it still seems to lack one or other at the elements that make for classic clubs- either a large number of dedicated, knowledgeable dance treaks or the active participation at gays,
traditionally the vanguard of new ideas in straight venues. Fortoo long clubs have had to make do with students and tashion victims with no particular loyalities. Thus they come and go with monotonous regularity and the ‘scene' degenerates into a number of late night hang-outs.
It is encouraging to note, then, that the organisers at Spanish Harlem and Pacific State (Fridays and Saturdays respectively at Wilkie House) are beginning to reverse this trend by doggedly playing new material, using a decent sound system and creating a good environment for people to enjoy themselves in. House is the staple (with a seasoning at hip hop and llavour-ot-the-month ltalian disco) that has turned the tide, packed the venue and made it one at the best in Edinburgh. There’s hope yet. (Alan Campbell) J
The List 24 November— 7 December 1989 69