Nt:\r'v’ CLUB Nl(3l ll UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS Ego, Edinburgh, Sat 28 Jan
With the likely closure of Studio 24 and the demise of the Venue pencilled in for June, 2006 promises to be a difficult time for Edinburgh’s clubs. By the end of the year, the gay club scene may be able to count only Ego as home, with the rest of the action fragmented across several nominally ‘straight’ nights. Even Ego’s position is precarious, with developers circling round
Picardy Place like greedy vultures.
The predicament is felt keenly by Maggie Joy, DJ doyenne and longstanding collaborator in nights like Joy, Mingin’, and the now defunct Wiggle (pictured). ‘lt’ll be interesting to see what’s going to happen, because of the demise of an institution like the Venue and the Calton Studios [Studio 241,’ she says. ‘For new clubs that are evolving, I think it’ll be a struggle for them to find any venue.’
In these uncertain times, it’s necessary to either go underground, or consolidate - and this is where Upstairs Downstairs comes in. Not a homo reconstruction of the 705 saga of masters and servants (oo-er), but more a club in two parts. Upstairs, newcomers Graeme F and Chris Paton spin party anthems, camp tunes and the best (and worst) of the 805 and 905. Downstairs, Maggie and Alan Joy blow away the cobwebs with choice platters from 12 years of Joy’s dirty house grooves.
‘Wiggle had run out of steam,’ says Maggie. ‘l’d heard the two new lads play at Habana, and they seemed to be quite new and fresh and interesting. It’s a section of the market we weren’t really attracting to clubland. We thought, why don’t we combine the forces?’ Whether it’s merely a reinforcement of what’s out there already, or whether Upstairs Downstairs will offer something genuinely different, remains to be seen. (Robin Lee)
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to gay@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Robin Lee.
Thursday 1 9
Glasgow
I Brokeback Mountain (illngt)\\ liilm 'l‘hcati'c. l2 Row Strcct. 332 3128. 2.45pm. 5.30pm & X.l5pm. Scc liilm. pagc 4 l.
I Horse and Hayley Hutchinson 'l‘lic (iaragc. 4‘)” Sauchichall Strcct. 353 Xltlttl. 7.30pm. E l 5. ()\L'l.‘ l4\ \hl)\\. [.t)};tll} supporlcd \ingcr-xongn ritcr pcrlorinx a lull hand \hou to promotc hcr ncn \inglc. ‘Samc ()ld. Samc ()ld'. ahcad ol thc rclcaxc ol' hcr l'orthcoming album. Rn] lluirt't/ (iirl. .“m'l u/‘(t’llit‘ (‘mim'r'liunv
54 THE LIST 1%! .Jai‘. .7) l oi,» I’lti‘t‘)
Edinburgh
I Brokeback Mountain I’ihnhouxc. SH l.olhian Road. 228 2038. 2.45pm. 5.30pm & S.l5pm. Scc l‘ihn. pagc 4]. I Madge v Kylie (‘aharct Voltairc. .30 33 Blair Sll't‘t‘l. 22” ()i7().
l lpm 3am. £5. 'l'hc quccn ol' pop gt)t‘\ hcad to hcad \xith thc pint \i/cd pt‘lllL‘L‘\\. “ith .\ladgc and K}hc all night long. drag quccn look-c likt‘\ and morc. l’rocccdx go to Brcaxt ('anccr A“ arcncxx.
Edinburgh
I Blaze ligo. l4 l’icard} l’lacc. 4‘3 7434. I lpm 3am. £5. D.l .lamc\ Longuorth ignitcx thc ga} \xcckcnd with a chart and ltmk} IltttISt‘ soundtrack.
Glasgow
I Death Disco 'I‘hc .-\rchc\. 30 Midland Strch 0870 240 7528. llpm 3am. £ ll). Januar} \alc ol' cclcctic hcatx u ith ll}\lL'l‘L‘U tlixct and [)J HUI Bath \ DJ (iottd liillllL'X
Edinburgh
I Splash ligo. l4 l’icat'd} l’lacc. 4‘8 7434. Ill.3l)pm 3am. £5 tl'rcc to Big Splthlt Vii) llt‘kcl il()itiCl\l. li‘ilL‘ PCUPIL'
\\ ho brought yin thc Big Splaxh t'l’rcnd} \Vcnd) and Jon l’lcaxcdt rcturn \\ ith a \t'diL‘ti-tit)“ n monthl} ol' houxc. dixco. kitxch and a “litth hcap o‘ inn and l'rolicx. I Mingin’ ‘l‘hc \cnuc. 17 2| (’alton Road. 55" 3073. I lpm 3am. £5 hclorc midnight; £(i altcr. .\ dark. \c\}. dirt} hoth cluh. .v\lan Jo) and Brian Dcinpxtcr arc thc i).l\ hchind thix \mall. intimatc. l'ricndl} and prcdominantl} ga) club. .\lu\ic rangcx l'rom trancc to dccp houxc \\ ith a touch ol' tcchno and hard ilttlht‘ \Ulllt‘lllllL‘\ thrown in.
Edinburgh
I BootyLUSHous \lcdina. 45 47 [.othian Strcct. 225 (i3l3. lllpm 3am. £3 lk‘lot'c midnight; £4 al'tcr. .\lorc ol' a Sunda} \ocial than a lull-on glam al'lair
\\ ith DJ Dalc I.u\h. Simmonc Black and occaxional gucxt \upaxtax mi\ing tip Rtklt. hip hop. \ottl and lunk.
I Taste 'l‘hc liquid Room. 0c Victoria Strcct. 225 25o4. llpm 3am. £5 hcl'orc ll.3llpm; £3 at'tcr t£o mcmhcrxt. l’ixhcr tk l’ricc \uppl} a progrcxxn c mi\ ol hoth and garagc in thc main room and Martin \alcntinc and SIM c \Vanlcxx \\o\\ \\ ith lunk} l'S hoth gcmx through thc hack.
Glasgow
I Passionality (‘uhc. 34 ()uccn Strccl. 226 8000. ll.3llpm 3am. £2 £3. l’lcaxing chartixlr} l'rom D.l Shan n Rohcrtx. uho tillk‘\ lli\ lk‘\l ltt I'L‘\tl\cll;tlt‘ lhc \\ L‘L‘kt‘ltd l'or thc gay’miwd croml.
Tuesday 24
Glasgow
I FUN ('uhc. 34 ()uccn Strccl. 22o S‘Nt). ll.3l)pm 3am. £2 £3. DJ Shana llalliucll mi\c\ oldcr claxxicx and lint tuncx. RL‘t|llL‘\l\ \xclcomc.
Edinburgh
I Vibe ligo. l4 l’icat‘d} l’lacc. 473 7434. llptn 3am. £3. (ia) night \\llll .lamcx l,ttltg\\ol‘lll on lhc dL‘t‘kx Pith lhc Dancing Sttid \illlliltx. Ihc Singing Hair) Blokc and thc .\liming .\'un. Don‘t \a_\
u c didn‘t uarn _\a.
Wednesday 25
Glasgow
I Allure 'l‘hc 'l‘unncl. X4 .\litchc|l Strcct. 2l)4 lltllll. l|.3l)pm 3am. £3. llapp). chccx} pop lrom DJ Darrcn.
I Gossip .\ltl|cr\ liar. Strathc|_\dc l'ni\ct\it_\ l'nion. ()0 John Strcct. 552 1805. .S‘pm lalc. £2 altcr lllpm; li‘cc l'or Sl' \tudcntx tip to lottt' gucxtx allottcd. 'l'hc lirxt ga} night in a Scollixh \tudcntx' union. Drag D.l l-‘ann_\ l’clmct prcxcntx ‘:\ \Varm l‘ann} \Vclcomc l’aro‘ \pinning mi\cd-up pop. clcctro and chart.
Glasgow
I Utter Gutter Rixcrxitlc ('luh. l-‘ox Strcct. 50‘) 7237. Midnight 3am. £o £.\'. lluxlipupp) and Madamc S pla} homo- clccll‘tt. cock-pop. junk-rock. dlxco— \lca/c. dirt} littlISL‘. punk trcatx and lcch» hcatx l'oi‘ non-mainxtrcam tltlt't‘l‘\ and thcir iL‘\\ ga) palx. lt‘x a Stttdio 54 part) llll\ month.
Edinburgh I Blaze [£310. [-1 l’lL‘Lll’d} l’lttt‘t‘. 473 7434. I lptn 3am. £5. Scc Hi 20.
Saturday 28
Edinburgh
I Upstairs Downstairs ligo. I4 l’icard} l’lacc. 478 7434. l lpm 3am. £(i. (‘hrix l’aton and (iracmc l" graduatc l'rom llahana \\ ith a mi\ ol' camp. part) anthcmx and thc hcxt (and \\ttl\ll ol‘ thc Xllx and ‘)()\. Don nxtairx .-\|an and .\laggic Jo} prcxcnt thc lk‘\l ol' .lo_\. l'rom thc lirxt lllgllh to toda} \ Jo} lloorlillcrx.
Edinburgh
I BootyLUSHous Mcdina. 45 47 I.othian Strcct. 225 (i3l3. lltpm 3am. £3 hcl‘orc midnight; £4 allcr. Scc Sun 22.
I Tackno ligo. l4 l’icartl} l’lacc. 478 7434. l lpm 3am. £5 £7. 'l’lic cxcr-xo- loxcl) 'l'rcnd} \Vcndy and hct‘ kllxt‘lt
L‘l;t\\ic\.
Monday 30
Glasgow
I Passionality ('uhc. 34 Quccn Strcct. 226 89‘)”. l l.3()pm 3am. £2 £3. Scc .\itlll 9.
Tuesday 31
Glasgow I FUN (‘uhtx 34 ()uccn Strcct. 22o 8090. I l.3()pm 3am. £2 £3. Scc ’l‘uc ll).
Edinburgh I Vibe ligo. l4 l’icard} Place. 473 7434. llpm 3am. £3. Scc ‘l‘uc 24.
Wednesday 1
Glasgow
I Allure 'l‘hc ltltlltt‘i. 34 \ltlt‘ltcll Sll'L‘Cl. 204 l()()(). l l.3()pm 3am. £3. Scc \\'cd
I l.
I Gossip .\lillcr\ Bar. Slralhchdc l'nixt-rxit} l'nion. Hi) John Strcct. 552 I805. 3pm. £2 al'tcr lllpm; li'cc l'or Sl' \tudcntx tip to tour gticxtx alloucd. D.l Ricci \pinx miwd-up pop. clcctro and chart. Spccial inonthl) \ct l'rom Drag DJ l'ann} l’clmct.
Edinburgh
I Disko Bloodbath ligo. l4 l’icard} l’lacc. 4".\' 7434. llpm 3am. £3. lidinhurgh'x qucci' altcrnatnc night ix an cclcctic mi\ ol~ clcctro. indic. punk and rock l'or thoxc \\ ho arc \ci‘caming out l'or \olncthing dil‘l'crcnt on thc ga_\ \ccnc.
Edinburgh
I Nowhere ligo. l4 l’icartl) l’lacc. 478 7434. l lpm 3am. £3. Baxcd on thc chr- changing .\'c\\ York cluh \ccnc. \\ ith a crond that'x ax cclcctic ax thc music. cha} Bird. DJ .\lichcl|c. thc litmki i)l\;l and DJ Yonix l'calurc.
Glasgow
I Bennets HU-“(l (ilaxxl‘ttt'd Sll'L‘L‘l. 552 57(il. \Vcd ‘l‘hu tk Sun I l.3(lpm 3am. l-"ri Sat ll.3llpm 3.30am. l‘ricndl}. dim It In L‘ttl'llt IdlC-ltlglll dixt‘tt \L‘llllC rcccnll} rct'urhixhcd and rixing lrom thc axhcx al'tcr a major lirc.
I The COCO Club IS Jamaica Strcct. S47 0820. Thu Sun llpm 3am. £l £4. ()l'l'cring l'un commcrcial lttttt‘x and l'unk} pop, (ilttxgun '\ ncucxt ga_\ \cnuc opth its \cgax \hongirl-in\pircd tittttl'x. I The Polo Lounge 84 \Vilxon Stl‘ccl. 553 l22l. .\lon 'l'hu 5pm lam. l-‘ri Sun 5pm 3am. Spacioux. wank}. ga)/mi\cd .\lci'c|iant ('it_\ cluh. \\ ith \cx cral room\ and a don nxtairx danccl‘loor opcn at thc \xcckcnd (£5 al'lcr | lpm).
Edinburgh
I CC Blooms (‘(‘ Bitlttlll\. 2.3 24 (il'L‘L‘ll\ldL‘ i’ltlt‘t‘. 550 "5.3 . \lttll.
l‘ri Sat (ipm 3am; Stiii. ’l‘uc 'l‘hu 8pm 3am. 'l‘hc caxt coaxt \ccnc quccn pump\ out dancc and chccxc dclightx c\cr) night.