CLUBS LISTINGS
Creamed off in clubland
The opening night of Liverpool-based Cream’s residency at The Arches in Glasgow last year almost caused a riot. With no tickets in advance, thousands of clubbers turned up hoping to get in. In the ensuing hours, surrounding streets were blocked, people danced on the roofs of parked cars, girls screamed in the crush, fights broke out, bouncers were shouting through megaphones in an attempt to calm the crowd, ambulances couldn’t get through the melee and the police were rendered virtually powerless in the face of such chaos.
Last month however, The Arches ended its association with Cream. Why? lleil Mowat, events co-ordinator at The Arches explains: ‘Cream were with us for a year and they were fantastic but it was never intended to be a permanent event. It ran much longer than it should but it’s taken us this long to realise.’
Clearly, there hasn’t been any major fall-out between the two parties but The Arches message is loud and clear. As Arches boss Andy Arnold says: ‘Cream has sat a bit uneasily with the rest of the underground, alternative nature of The Arches programme.’ In other words, there isn’t any room for
Superclub culture: Scottish o.l Michael l(llkle )olns the comeback against corporate club giants like Liverpool’s Cream
the commercial, corporate ‘superclub’ machine that is Cream.
lot so fast though. Days alter the Arches/Cream association ended, confirmation came in of the Liverpool club’s new monthly venture across the city at the Tunnel. But does Scotland need another big English club in one of its premier venues? Apparently so. What is it that makes thousands of clubbers pay elevated ticket prices and queue for hours for a name like Cream? Does a Cream banner on the wall really carry so much weight? Again, apparently so, as anyone who
remembers the scenes on their launch
night at The Arches will testify.
And it’s not just Cream. The Tunnel previously hosted a monthly session with the mighty Renaissance (Nottingham), while Colours (west coast of Scotland) attempted to hook up with the Ministry Of Sound (London) earlier in the year. Colours, who have since taken over the Cream slot at The Arches bring in guest DJs, but with the emphasis on giving the night a Scottish identity. Similarly, The Arches plans to hold various nights dedicated to promoting homegrown talent as a show of Scottish solidarity.
But, to make matters more complicated, another of the city’s venues, Archaos, has recently secured a residency with Leeds-based superclub llp Yer llonson, despite the fact that nonson has recently been forced out of its home in Leeds because, amongst other things, it wasn’t making the numbers. Then there’s Edinburgh’s Tease, who’re running their night in association with Wolverhampton’s Pimp club. Such is the reputation and the hype behind the name (and the big name DJs on the flyers) 1,300 people turned up last month expecting to get into an 800 capacity venue.
Clearly, this is .what the majority of punters want. But what kind of message are we sending out? What ever happened to believing in what we’ve got rather than settling for second hand superclub cast-offs? (Jim Byers)
Carl Cox and K-Klass DJ at Cream, The Tunnel, Glasgow on Sat 25 Oct.
GLASGOW CLUB lISTlNGS CONTINUED THURSDAY
I Donkey at The Cathouse. l 1pm—3am. £2 (£l/free before 11.30pm) Indie/grunge rock in the new Cathouse with margaritas 50p. Gold Bier and vodka mix £1.
I Easy life at The Tunnel 10pm—3am. £4 (£2 with matric card). New student night at The Tunnel featuring Kevin and Scott (Tunnel weekends) playing a house/indie/disco mix plus some freebie give-aways of real cash. Thursdays revamped and redone — bigger and better than ever before. All spirits £1. bullshy £1.50 (Red Bull and Vodka). Carlsberg lce £1.30 and Hooch £1.30. 31 Oct big Easy Life Halloween party.
I Flaunt it at The Rat Trap. 10.30pm—3am. DJ Christine with 80s rock and pop.
I Fromage at The Hive (Glasgow University Union). l()pm—lam. Free. Students and guests. 1)] Musty playing the very best and worst of classic student tunes.
I Ground Control at The Dark Room (Strathclyde University Union). l()pm—3am. £3 (£2) Students plus up to four guests. The infamous GC duo Kevin Dillon and Nordin play Northern Soul. Rare Groove and hip hop.
I llarri at The Bedsit. ()pin—lam. Godfather of Glasgow clubbing. Harri playing an extremely eclectic mix in the Bedsit bar.
I lli-ltarate at Blackfriars Underground. 8.30pm-midnight. Free. Weekly from 31 ()ct. New night that promises to kick start the weekend with a cut up frenzy of big beat hip hop. punk funk and anything else that comes to mind. Neil McMillan is joined on the opening night by the Sub Club‘s Domenic promising to keep away from the usual house set.
I Lure at R.G.'s. 8pm—midnight. Free. DJs Ziggy and Bob get housey for a crowd heading off to Archaos and the Sub Club. Pre-club.
I Madchester at Fury Murry's. l()pm—3am. £3.50 (£3). 17 ()ct and fortnightly. Edinburgh Mancy crew come west coast with their inspired bagginess. I lied Cell at The Sub Club. llpm—3am. £3. The fleet footed techno individualists who brought us Science. Aquaplanet and UK Gold concentrate their attention on this night to make it one of the deepest. darkest underground club nights in Scotland. The night centres on Mark Ryal with guests Twitch (Pure). Richard Grey (Vapourspace) and Dominic (Subbie Saturdays) making appearances through the month.
I Reds. 11pm—3am. £3 (£2). 1)] Graeme. plus Bud £1.20 and £1 vodka mix and hooch all night. A night ofclassic disco peppered with the best ofcontemporary house and garage.
I Revival at Hotshots. 10.30pm—2am. £2 (£1). Retro night going back to the ()0s in this venue that combines a club. amusement arcade and bowling alley. 31 Oct. Abba tribute band Voulez Vous performing live.
I Bumble at The Garage. 1 1pm-3am. £3 (£2). Cardow and Ross with an exceptionally busy night ofcharty dance faves. cheap drinks and drunk students. Snogtastic! 31 Oct. special Rumble Halloween party.
I Snap, Crackle And Pop at Cafe Quodos (QMU). 8.30pm—2am. £2.50 (£2). DJ Toast with the best in cheese products.
I Velvet Booms 11pm—3am. £3 (£2). DJ Skud playing soulful grooves. mellow hip hop and sexy swing from Busta Rhymes to Marvin Gaye. A groovy alternative to student nights. Bud £1.50. Hooch £1.25. Jack Daniels and mixer £1.25.
Fridays
I Altered Beats at Henry's Cellar Bar. Midnight—3am. £4 (£3). Jungle. hip hop. trip hop cum jazz fusion with local musicians and DJs. With vocals from Under The Influence. deck skills from Fh'.’ Wu n.
I Astromotel at the Honeycomb. 11pm—3am. Curfew 1.30am. £5 members. £6 non members. Prices differ on guest nights. 18 ()ct. Fortnightly. US house and garage in room one with Scott Gallagher and the Tribal Funktion Dls. Hip hop. swing and disco through the back.
I Big at the Jaffacake. 11pm—3am. £3 before midnight. £4 after. New night of mainstream chart sounds. With excellent drinks promos and plenty ofdrinking- related fun and frolics.
I Cavendish 9pm—3am. £5. ()ver 25s only. Smart dress. Live bands every week. Sixties and 70s music. Ground floor only. I Cathouse at The Rocking Horse. 11pm—3am. £3 (£2 with l‘lyer)‘. Price includes entry to Katch and Voodoo Chile. lixtremely popular night featuring post grunge-like rock sounds.
I Century 2000 llpm—3am. £5. ()ver 18s. Commercial dance music under the most expensive lights in Scotland. No ripped jeans. steel toe-caps or trainers.
I Club Latino at La Belle Angele. llpm-3am. £5 (£4). 25 Oct. Monthly. Extremely popular night of Latin dance from the Thelonius crew. Always packed so get there early.
I Dub ’n’ Dance at The City Cafe. 10.30pm—1am. Free. DJ Gaz Long and guests playing dub. garage and house downstairs in City Two. Hot and busy.
I Evol at The Music Box. 10.30pm—3am. £4. Ever popular night of ()0s. 70s and 80s
pop nonsense. Always busy and guaranteed fun. Early arrival is recommended.
I The Getaway at Studio 24 (formerly Calton Studios). 11pm—3am. £4 (£3.50). 25 Oct. Monthly. New indie night featuring old and new classics. With 60s sounds upstairs.
I lloneyfunk at Club Mercado.
l 1pm—3am. Prices tbc. 25 Oct. Monthly. Mix of old skool funk. soul and rap combined excellently with cutting-edge swingbeat and hip hop by Dls Joseph and Fawaz. Well worth a visit.
I l(atch at The Rocking Horse. 11pm-3am. £3 (£2 with flyer). Price includes entry to Cathouse and Voodoo Chile. Eighties and 90s indie dance.
I The Lane at The Lane. 1 lpin—late. £5. Residents Jon Flowers and Kev McGinley with a wide dance-based playlist.
I Litt at the Wilkie House. 9pm—3am. £8 (£6). Members with numbers 1—150 on their cards get in free. 25 Oct. Fortnightly. Lift celebrate their second birthday with an exclusive guest spot from Misjah. one half of the Dutch team behind ‘Access'. one of the biggest tunes of the year. and a live set from DOM (Stay Up Forever). With support from residents Ewan and Paul's and their usual mix of trance and funky techno. See Hit List.
I Loungin’ at Negociants. 9pm-3am. Free. livery Friday except the last Friday of the month. Yogi Haughton and assorted guests with funk. soul. swing. rap and hip hop in the new-look Negociants basement.
I Manga at La Belle Angele. 11pm—3am. £4 members; £5 non members. Lifetime membership £2. 18 ()ct. Fortnightly. Dls Frenzic (xllInm‘p/lt'rt’ Magazine) and Kid (World Dance) join residents G-Mac and MC Frosty for boombastic drum 'n‘ bass pressure. Plus the usual wired Manga visuals from Vls Paul and Ainslie. comic and graffiti art. dancers and performers. The future starts here.
I Marley’s Reggae Klub at Cavendish. l()pm—3am. £4. The city's longest- running reggae night (situated on the middle floor ofCavendish) with a playlist ranging through roots. ragga. lovers. heavyweight dub and dancehall.
I Minus 0ne at The Carlton Highland Hotel. l()pm—3am. £3.50 (free before
1 1.30pm for members). A relaxed. plush venue for the more mature seekers of night life.
I Party at Moray House. 1 1pm—3am. £2 (£1). 18 Oct. Fortnightly. Tropical dance club with Caribbean fun flavour. With drinks promos.
I Partyceilidhdisco at Moray House. l()pm—3am. Free to Moray House students and staff. other students £1 and guests £2. 25 Oct. Fortnightly. Two hour ceilidh followed by three hours ofdisco. With drinks promos (vodka and Tennents lager 75p. all other drinks £1.40).
Irish techno king David Holmes guests alongside non Trent at Pure, Fri 18 Oct
80 The List 18-31 Oct 1996