preview
NEW CLUB Syntax Glasgow: GI, Fri 19 May.
The club space formerly known as Tin Pan Alley has recently opened its doors, and re-branded as G1, with state of the art lighting and a beefed-up PA system, although this may have escaped the attention of most Glasgow clubbers thanks to a low-key approach to promotion. Any doubts about the venue's status should, however, be laid to rest with the launch of their flagship night Syntax this month.
Jason McCreadie (aka DJ Jace) is the driving force behind Syntax, and, like many a Glasgow clubber, he cut his teeth at the ’Alley: ’Back in 1990, when I'd just started clubbing, I got involved in doing PR for a night called UFO at Tin I Pan Alley, so I was always I hanging about there. I got friendly with the DJs, and the place ended up being a big influence on me as far as music and clubbing goes. To go back ' there ten years later with my own 1 night is pretty much perfect.’
Good for the soul: Lee Fields guests at Big Beat, La Belle Angele, Fri 12 May
78 THE LIST 11—25 May 2000
As for Syntax, the night is set to become part of a grand plan, which started with successful one-off events at Qudos and The Glasgow School of Art. 'The goal is to get enough money together and move into the production side of things,’ explains McCreadie. ’Hopefully this is the start of something big, but at the moment we just want to give people the chance to hear the music we love; I hate to put a specific name to it, because everything has been split into I these little categories, but it’s mainly a Detroit- Linfluenced sound with the emphasis on deep techno
DANCEFLOOR JAZZ ACTION Big Beat
Edinburgh: La Belle Angele, Fri 12 May.
With six and a half years behind them, Big Beat the club existed well before, and has long outlived, the breakbeat genre popularly known as 'big beat'. Not that the big beat scene did one of Scotland’s leading jazz-funk clubs any harm. Au contraire, as its founding member and current main DJ Simon Hodge points out: ’When the kids started coming down to the club expecting to hear Fatboy Slim and the like, they realised they were listening to the original records the samples were taken from and they really got into it.’
Initially started to fill a gap in the market, Big Beat has since built up an impressive reputation. Despite venue changes and a shifting DJ line-up, which currently features the multifarious talents of Hodge, Stuart Bennett and Tinku, the club has stuck to its guns and to its mu5ic policy. Hodge has always been keen to avoid a nostalgic take on the scene. ’If you‘ve got a completely retro club
‘Hope fully this is the start of something big’: DJ Jace Syntax, I
and deep electro.’
For the launch, residents Jace, Nik Craig and Adam Marshall are set to stick to the harder end of that Detroit sound, with a touch of lighter house relief courtesy of Jason Pussypower, one half of the Pussypower crew, who have been involved in the Glasgow clubbing scene for some ten years, as well as holding residencies in Prague. Syntax, then, looks set to combine the best of old and new, with a seasoned venue primed and ready for a brand new promotion. (Jack Mottram)
at the new venue, G1, Fri 19 May
then its boring,’ he explains. Seventies
unk gems continue to be played, but i they sit happily alongside nu-jazz, funk, hip hop, Afro and Brazilian , bossa beats.
In terms of live acts, Big Beat are still bringing premiere funk stars to the capital. Previously graced With visits from such jazz funk luminaries as Charles Earland, Reuben Wilson and The Blackbyrds, Big Beat's next date marks yet another Scottish exclusive. Lee Fields, one of the 70s funk originators, was a contemporary of James Brown and, if you can believe it, he's rougher and according to Hodge 'a lot more mental‘ than the Godfather himself. Achieving notoriety and commercial success as Lee Fields and The DeVil’s Own Personal Band in the 70s, Fields has created his own niche at the raw end of the funk spectrum. As Hodge explains ’lt’s been difficult for us to get across how mental he’s going to be, especially because he's far from being i a household name. But saying that, if l you imagine James Brown as Gary ; Lineker then Lee Fields is Vinnie Jones’. Now that just about says it all. 1 (Catherine Bromley)
I having a re-launch party on Saturday
event on Saturdays, Thursdays are turned
j garage from E\‘-./C.'I Kelly, while up-lifting house expert Geoff Montford looks after , Ethos on Fridays, and Sundays feature
the officral LiQiiicl Coo: pie-club wrth
tunes from Babaza‘s Ian Thor'nson.
POPROKIT, A NEW cafe-bar on the site of the old Catwalk, will be launched
with a private party on Thursday 25
‘ The venue has been completely
refurbished, with access on two
. floors, and plans are in place to stage , a series of mini-club events, I showcasing the talents of DJs at club , ; nights like Manga and Substantial.
Club news
Whispers on the dancefloor
IT LOOKS LIKE this year's West End Festival is going to get off to a flying start with Perfect Summer Groove Two. After the success of last year’s event, Firehorse have been invited back to programme two floors of top quality tunes at Glasgow's Queen Margaret Union. Downstairs takes on a funky, jazzy feel, with music from Sidewinder, Paul Welsh and The Elevation Trio. The upstairs floor will have a house and techno theme, courtesy of Daniel lbbotson, LHK, Kovac and a storming finale from Soma's much vaunted Silicone Soul (pictured). The event takes place on Saturday 10 June, and tickets are £10 in advance from Fopp and Virgin, Buchanan Street.
NOMAD’S AFRIKA BAMBAATAA event on Thursday I June has been cancelled, with everyone’s favourite hip hop hero citing studio commitments as the reason why he won't be making it over to Europe. However, he’s promised to pay Edinburgh a zsit later this year; watch this space for details of the rescheduled event.
THE CLUB FORMERLY known as EZK is
20 May to unveil their new name, Ego (you read it first here). George T and 3-Piece Sweet will be supplying the tunes, with many more DJs to be confirmed, and there will be drinks promos and freebie giveaways all night. Tickets to the event are free, to be obtained by phoning the venue on 0131 478 7434/7435. See you there.
BAR Q, THE latest stylish haunt in the Merchant City, has announced its entertainment programme. As well as Solemusic’s Stevie lvllddleiOfl, who launched the bar-club with h.s Soleution
over to Foundation, featuring funked—up
May: the rest of us will be able to get 1 our foot in the door on Friday 26 May.
’ } ... I
Silicone soul l