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Glasgow may well be sitting pretty as far as clubs are concerned but at long last Edinburgh may be about to catch up. James Haliburton discovers why the city needs the soon-to-be opened Citrus Club when he spoke to manager Stuart Ferguson.
It may seem hard to believe but the next few months may well see Edinburgh suffering an embarrassment of riches as far as decent clubs and dance venues are concerned. Rumours are currently circulating that before Christmas at least two new venues will be opening, both in rather intriguing locations. One venture that has already got beyond the rumour and speculation stage is The Citrus Club. Situated in Grindlay Street in what was formerly Top O’s, from 1 Nov it will provide Edinburgh clubbers with an alternative to the haphazard network currently on offer. Anyone with bad memories ofTop O’s tasteless decor need fret no more as all traces of the past have been removed and replaced by aluminium fittings and white-washed walls. A massive sound system and 30ft bar add the finishing touches.
Stuart Ferguson, who has designed The Citrus Club and will be manager, is quite clear what The Citrus Club will be able to offer the city.
‘I moved up from London six months ago to start up a venture with some partners of mine. We weren‘t specifically looking at Edinburgh to open our first club but as a person who likes to go clubbing a lot I just couldn’t find anywhere in Edinburgh that was going to suit what I was wanting to go to. Obviously, with all the stuff about the casuals and the safety it just didn‘t appeal to me to go out in Edinburgh so I‘ve been
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LISTINGS: GLASGOW 65 EDINBURGH 66
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CITRUS
off out in Dundee, Glasgow, even London. In the last six months I‘ve been out in Edinburgh twice, I didn’t experience any problems. but the clubs themselves didn‘t seem to be very well run. they were in, perhaps, kind ofdodgy venues, they just didn‘t seem to have any coherent idea of what they were doing at all. It just looked like they‘d opened the doors, got a DJ there, a couple of flashing lights and a bar and that was it. That’s why Edinburgh needs the Citrus Club.‘
'I couldn’t find anywhere in Edinburgh that was going to suit what I was wanting to go to.’
No doubt, quite a few of the current club runners would take exception to Ferguson’s views yet on the other hand, there must be an increasing number ofwould-be clubbers disaffected by the current crop ofclubs who would welcome The Citrus with open arms. To overcome any potential problems of violence the club will operate a strict security policy. Closed circuit television will operate both outside and inside and all customers will be screened using a hand held metal detector. Furthermore, over the first few weeks of0pening all customers will be offered the chance of membership. All applications are to be screened by the police and, for a fee of £5. members will be guaranteed entry before midnight as well as receiving regular mail-outs and a 10 per cent discount card for Cruise. Such attention to detail is, of course, very important but the success of the venture will, at the end of the day, be determined
by the music policy.
‘The main three nights that I‘m promoting are Thursday, Friday and Saturday‘ Ferguson points out, ‘and the music policy will be much the same. although there will be different DJs. For want of a better term it’s the Balearic side of things, it’s not heavy Techno, it‘s basically about playing anything people will dance to. Obviously a lot of the music will be Euro-House and Italian but a lot ofit’s indie, home-grown stuff from Glasgow like
Dove and various other bands. It‘lltake time. I think we‘ll have to educate people in Edinburgh
into what we‘re into instead ofgoing down the road and getting a Top 20 Italian chart hit or a Top 20 Belgian chart hit. It‘s going to take a bit oftime but we think people will learn and people will realise what we are doing is good fun.’
On Thursdays regular DJ Scott Ferguson will be joined by Stuart Mitchell ofO Zone and Cubik and Michael Kilkie ofThe Tunnel and Dundee’s Rhumba Club. Fridays will see Scott joined by guest DJs (including Kevin Hurry, Kevin Swain and Craig Walsh) with regular monthly appearances from Slam and London‘s Flying Organisation (including Dean Thatcher, Terry Farley and Fabi Paras). Saturdays will see Scott joined by Windsor’s Richard Bell.
The music policy deviates considerably on Wednesdays when Brian Chalmers hosts Teaseage, a student-orientated indie/dance club and on Sundays when Edinburgh stalwarts, Bootsy and Kenny present Utopia.
The Citrus Club opens on 1 Nov. See listingsfor
details.
“BELIE- i IJimBoamPromotlon ’
10 Nov sees Glasgow‘s Tunnel playing host to a special Jim Beam
promotion. The evening ' ',lIv “1
will feature a specially I {flak Sfiuhl‘ d laser light show ' gt,“ “1
create . I . , , “fl ‘ “m
Man Machine, and Will be “was 1w“, , n
accompanied by a robotic N w "’,,.....u“' '
dancer, Mr 30. Everyone
attending the evening will be given a hologram ticket which can be exchanged for a free shot ofJim Beam. If you would like to be one of those lucky enough to attend. you will be relieved to know that The List has five pairs of tickets to give away. To win a pair simply send your name and address to
The List, 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH] ITE. Mark the envelopes ‘Jim Beam Competion‘ and the first five to write in will find a pair of tickets in the post. providing we can discern the handwriting. I Cuba News also reaches us of an exciting all-day event at Glasgow‘s Mayfair on the same day
ON FOLLOWING PAGES: MARC CABAPIET'S FAVOURITE DISCS
(10 Nov). The event is to be staged by The Noise Box team and will go under the title Cuba. Current chart stars, Bizarre Inc will be previewing their forthcoming single, Playing With Knives and Glasgow‘s 'ITF will be showcasing songs soon to be found on their debut
Futurama EP. Guests DJs are Ayr‘s Scott Gibson, Mark Smith (Heaven) and Davie Graham (Move). Tickets priced £8 are available from Just The Ticket. 23rd Precinct. Lost In Music (all Glasgow) and Bomba Records in Ayr. The whole event kicks off at 8pm.
64 The List 25 October- 7 November 1991