CLUBS listings
Phactfile
Renowned for his legendary residency at Back To Basics in Leeds, Ralph Lawson has also founded 20I20 Vision, and a new club called Basics. Jack Mottram gets the lowdown.
Name? Ralph Lawson.
Occupation? DJ, producer and founder of the 20/20 Vision label.
What should we know him for? Ralph has been a face on the house scene since '89 when he was a resident at Northern Club Joy. He is chiefly known, however, for his lengthy spell as resident at Back To Basics.
Back to what? 828 was a legendary night in Leeds that opened its doors in 1991 and quickly established a reputation as one of the best nights out in Britain, thanks in part to the high calibre of guest Dis, but mainly due to Ralph's super-charged five hour sets and .a crazed, super-hedonistic atmosphere. Indeed, when the club shut down in ’97, it sounded the death knell of the glam, ludicrously up—for-it house scene that dominated Northern clubbing for years.
What else does he get up to? Since the glory days of Back To Basics, Mr “Lawson has done a stint as resident at :Gatecrasher (well, nobody's perfect) and found the time to set up 20/20 Vision, a label that puts out top notch house by the likes of Felix Da Housekatt and Blaze and is the force behind the acclaimed Transvision Express tours, which sold out across Europe.
Does he make records too? Yup, as .well as releasing a ton of stuff on 2000, he put out the memorable {Percussion Obsession' on Some and, along with Derrick Carter and Andy ,Weatherall, recorded a cracking mix album to celebrate five years of 828. What’s he up to at the moment? Ralph is busy with Basics, a reincarnation of 828 in a smaller venue, famed like its predecessor for a wild party-up atmosphere. He also has plans to take the 20/20 stable on tour again, this time across the US and Australia.
I Ralph Lawson 015 at Tribal Funktion, "the Venue on Sat 20 Nov.
BB TIIE UST 18 Nov-2 Dec 1999
clubs
Edinburgh clubs
Pro-club
I Catwalk at Catwalk. 9pm—1am. Free. Open decks session. Phone 225 5583 or 0411 807925 for more information.
I Club Java at Club Java. 10pm—1am. Free. Weekly. A restaurant, bar and club which could be your one-stop shop.The club opens at around 10pm playing mainstream music.
I Cuba Norte at Cuba Nortc. 10pm—1am. Free. Weekly. Great Cuban bar and restaurant with salsa and Latin DJs on rotation.
I Don't Stop at The Cocteau Lounge. Midnight—3am. Free. 11 Nov. Fortnightly. Entrance through The Outhouse Gardens (Broughton Street Lane). Different DJs every night.
I La Fromagerie at The Meadows Bar, downstairs. 9pm—3am. Free. 25 Nov. Fortnightly. Easy listening, mellow jazz, hi-NRG disco and tasty cheese.
I Love Breaks at Po Na Na. 11pm—3am. £2. Weekly. DJs Simone and Dr Jon do the new and old classics thing.
I Machine at The Tap O‘Lauriston. 8pm—1am. Free. Weekly. Underground indie music, expect punk to Pavement, sonic sound to Chemikal Underground. I Made In Iguana at Iguana. 9pm—1am. Free. Weekly. George Mae (Manga) presents all the latest liquid funk, break beats and drum & bass at this popular bar. I Opus De Jazz at The Cocteau Lounge. 8pm—late. Free before 10pm; £3 after. 18 Nov. Fortnightly. Soul dive Nicola King and DJ Tinku do the mellow jazz and soul thing.
I Salsa Con Sabor at Baracoa. 10pm—lam. Free. Weekly. DJ Hector maintains an exceptionally popular salsa night with hot music, great ambience and friendly people. Call 225 5846 or salsaclub@hotmail.com for more info.
Club
I Aswang at The Venue. 10.30pm—3am. £6 (£5). 18 Nov. Monthly. A brand new night of psychedelic trance and dub with DJs from London, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Lots of freebies, chillout and some hammocks.
I Beat at The Vaults. The Vaults are closed until January.
I Black Projects at La Belle Angele. llpm-3am. £5. 2 Dec. Monthly. Hip hop, drum & bass and house music from Richie Rufftone, Jamie Watt and Ross Duckering for a more student crowd.
I Block-Party at Noa. 10pm—3am. £3 (£2.50). Weekly. Striking a chord with the punters is this two room hip hop, beats, funk and drum & bass feast. Catch Colin Millar and Adam Bray (both Muzt'k magazine Bedroom Bedlam winners, doncha know) mucking about on three decks and effects (18 Nov), while El Degunda leave their normal haunt of the Bongo for the West End, catch DJ Red 6, Kristo and Bobby Spartacus represent (25 Nov) and the absolutely fabulous 3 Piece Suite — Nikki F, Trendy Wendy and Sally Findlay — descend upon Noa and the girls are gonna do hip hop (2 Dec).
I CC. Blooms at CC. Blooms. 11pm-3am. Weekly. Free club downstairs at this popular gay bar, playing a mix of dance and hi-NRG house.
I Da Break at La Belle Angele. llpm-3am. £4. 18 Nov. Monthly. New monthly funky hip hop and classic soul night. Tim King (The Cuban Brothers) joins residents Demon and Bertie.
I Dust at Studio 24. 10pm—3am. £2. Weekly. Popular alternative club offering up a selection of metal, industrial, goth and a bit of punk to an appreciative crowd. I Dysfunction at The Venue. 10.30pm-late. £4. 25 Nov. Fortnightly. A brand new night of ‘uncompromising rock — think Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails and Deftones and you’re getting there.’
I El Segunda at The Bongo Club. 10pm-3am. £4 (£3). 18 Nov. Monthly. A great night of live hip hop and the like from this collective of like-minded DJs.
Residents include Red 6, Toastie Tailor (of New Flesh For Old fame), Christo, Bobby Spartacus, Zero, Out of Order and Trenton. I Future Primitive at The Venue (The Cooler). 10pm—3am. £2. 2 Dec. Monthly. A wide spectrum of dance music - down tempo weirdness through to nu skool hard techno (midway between Richie Hawtin and Rob Gee, they tell us).
I Havoc at La Belle Angele. 10pm-2am. £5. 25 Nov. Fortnightly. A new night of divine acid jazz and funk with DJs and live bands.
I Jazz Joint at Henry’s Cellar Bar. 10pm—3am. £5 (£4). Weekly. A funky little hangout for many of Edinburgh’s jazz and soul musicians, with local talent on rotation each week with support from DJs. I The Mambo Club at The Cavendish. 10pm—3am. £5 (£4). Weekly. Still going strong - Sir Ossie offers a mix of salsa and R&B.
I Mode Organic at The Citrus Club. 11pm-3am. £2. Weekly. Ska, mod, Northern soul and 605 beats.
I The Money Shot at The Bongo Club. 10.30pm-3am. £3. 2 Dec. Monthly. Fonnerly ofThe Wee Red Bar, hip hop, funk and drum & bass night with DJ Extra and live MCing from Scotland Yard.
I Negociants at Negociants. 9pm-3am. Free. Weekly. Archie offers up his fave selection of hip hop and ragga.
Chart & party
I The Ark at The Ark. 10pm—3am. price tbc Weekly. Mind melting drink promos and full-on party music to take you into the wee hours.
I Bubbalicious at Club Mercado. 10.30pm—3am. £4 (£3 with flyer). Weekly. A new student night at this very gorgeous venue with Vince Stilton the Cheesemaster and suitably discounted bevvy.
I Funky Underground at Revolution. 10pm-3am. £4 (£3). Weekly. The student night at this giant venue with Daddy Cool laying on the cheese.
I Graduate at Gaia. 9pm-3am. Free before midnight; £3 after. Weekly. There’s full-on party music on the main floor, and make sure that you check out the excellent low fi and electro upstairs.
I Ignition at Eros/Elite. 9pm—3am. £3 (£2) before 11pm; £4 (£3) after. Weekly from 18 Nov. Brand new night at this humungeous new club. Tonight’s a student night — expect charty nonsense and lots of gawking at the themed bar.
I Loca at Loca. Spin—3am. Free entry before 11pm; £2 11pm-1am; £4 after lam. Weekly. A commercial mix of chart, dance and disco in the city centre.
I Mother's Milk at Wilkie House. 10.30pm—3am. Free. Weekly. Chan and mainstream dance.
I The Subway West End at The Subway West End. 4pm—3am. £1. Weekly. DJs playing chart music for a drinking crowd. I Thursday Night Fever at the Liquid Rooms. 10.30pm—3am. Students free with matric card before 12.30am or in 705 costume; £3 otherwise. Weekly. ‘Slick-ass funk and disco all night’ for those that wanna go-go.
EDINBURGH FRIDAYS
Pro-club
I Baracoa at Baracoa. 9pm—1am. Free. Weekly. If you’re lucky, you might catch The Cuban Brothers dropping by for a bit of cabaret naughtiness.
I Club Java at Club Java. 10pm-lam. Free. Weekly. Combining restaurant, bar and club in the new development of Commercial Quay. The club starts up around 10pm-ish with DJ Jonny.
I Cuba Norte at Cuba Norte. 10pm—lam. Free. Weekly. Flamenco trio Flamenco Puro live with DJs afterwards.
I eh‘l more at ehl. 9pm-1am. Free. DJs on rotation at this popular city centre bar. I Don't Stop at The Cocteau Lounge. Midnight—3am. Free. Weekly. Different DJs every night.
I Jam Friday at Heriot Watt Union. 4.30—9.30pm. Free. Weekly. Some very cheap promos and charty music to kick start the weekend.
I Keep It In Czech at Pivo. 9pm-1am. Free. Weekly. Pre-club. The very
wonderful Gareth Sommerville heads down to Pivo (19 Nov) for some smooth housey, garagey kind of grooves while Laurence Hughs (26 Nov) will demand some attention at this excellent and popular bar.
I Made In Iguana at Iguana. 9pm—1am. Free. Weekly. Yogi Haughton blends the best in black music, R&B, future jazz, obscure boogie cuts and rare grooves. If you ask him really, really nicely, he might even play S club 7.
I Moroccan Clouds at Po Na Na. 10pm—3am. Free before 11pm; £2 after. Weekly. The still gorgeous DJ Nicci plays disco, funk and house in this very groovy and popular bar.
I Rebel Waltz at City Cafe 2. 9pm—3am. Free. 19 Nov. Fortnightly. Murray Richardson is back at the helm at this great deep house night. Look out for a Mantis Records do on 3 Dec.
I Roadblock at Po Na Na. 11pm—3am. £3. Weekly. Nicci digs up the best in funk, disco, house, timeless gems and block rocking beats.
I What It Is at City Cafe 2. 9.30pm-1am. Free. 26 Nov. Fortnightly. Bob Cairns throws down a mixture of jazz funk, old and new soul right through to Latin grooves and stomps firmly all overit
Club
I Alpha Beat Soup at The Potterrow. 10pm-3am. £5 (£3). 26 Nov. Monthly. Big beat with residents Menace and Supa Soul at this student union.
I Apex at Studio 24. Monthly. Next date 10 Dec.
I Barry Cabanas at Eden. Monthly. Next date 10 Dec.
I Biff Bang Pow! at The Venue (top floor). 11pm-3am. £3. 19 Nov. Fortnightly. A brand new night of indie classics, 605 pop, soul, swingers with some Northern soul and Hammond grooves showing cult videos.
I Boogie Mo Dynamo Meets Headspin at The Bongo Club. 10.30pm—3am. £6 (£5). 26 Nov. Monthly. Look out, the Headspin All-Stars are back with the big beat larks from Boogie Mo. The atmosphere will be buzzing like a bee that’sjust stubbed its toe (circa Judge Jules, cheers mate), with four deck trip hop, hip hop and house in the main room, while the back becomes a little mental. If you want to check this out, you’ll want to get there sharpish, as the queues form early.
I Circus Circus at Eden. 10pm—3am. £6. 19 Nov. Fortnightly. Mr Todd (Higher Ground) and Simone (Tribal Funktion) dish out a mix of funk, soul, disco and gara e.
I Cfilb Latino at The Bongo Club. Monthly. Next date 10 Dee.
I Cosmic at The Vaults. The Vaults is closed until January.
I Disuko at Wilkie House. Monthly. Next date 10 Dec.
I Evol at The Liquid Rooms. 10.30pm-3am. £4. Weekly. Edinburgh‘s original indie night still going strong.
I Funk Latino at Gala. 9pm—3am. Free before midnight; £4 after. Weekly. Funk and Latino on the main floor with DJ Chidi while upstairs goes all Salsa Con Sabor with DJ Hector.
I Higher Ground at La Belle Angele. llpm-3am. £6 (£5). 26 Nov. Monthly. Magnificent real deal deep house and garage from Mr Todd and Brian Ilunter, appropriately attracting one of the best . crowds in the city. It‘s pure quality at this club, and definitely worth a look.
I Ignition at Studio 24. 19 Nov. Monthly. No further information available at time of going to press.
I Intergalactic at The Potterrow. _ 10pm—3am. £5 (£3). 5 Nov. Monthly. Big beat and indie student night.
I Jazz Joint at Henry’s Cellar Bar. 10pm-3am. £5 (£4). Weekly. Catch the High Heeled Sneakers on a weekly residency at the Joint. DJ Sly Si supports both nights.
I The Mambo Club at The Cavendish. 10pm-3am. £5 (£4). Weekly. chgac,. ragga, soul, funk, swing and R&B delights provided by Sir Ossie.