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Worker's Playtime
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‘THE CLUB PROVIDES AN ANTIDOTE TO THE WORKING WEEK'
Heavenly social
Emily Henderson checks out the Social Club scene in Glasgow and Edinburgh for an alternative take on clubbing
ocial clubs were first established in Victorian
times as places for working class men to relax.
drink and listen to music. Today. they are last shaping up as the best venues for an unpretentious. unusual night out. the perfect shabby-chic alternative to huge clubs churning out the same old chart hits.
In recent months. two great alternative venues in Glasgow have closed: the Riverside Club. a ceilidh hall which played host to Saltlick and l’tter (iutter. and The Royal Air liorce Association which has been put up for sale. forcing nights (including Spit liirel) to relocate to Merchant City. But there is still a great crop of nights running in social clubs for the more adventurous clubber to sample.
Carol Byrne. who runs pre-club night iBop with Karen ()‘llare at Pollok lix-Servicemen‘s Social Cltib in Cilasgow's south side and plays an eclectic mix ol‘ music. thinks the venue‘s appeal is its ‘real character and lack of cool‘.
‘lt's perl‘ect because of its size [the venue holds ()0]. so it’s nice and intimate.” she continues. "l‘he dancet‘loor is right in the centre. with old school leather seats going all the way around and duct tape covering the holes.‘
In the West [End of Glasgow is Woodside Social Club. Tucked ol‘l‘ Great Western Road. the walls could do with a lick of paint. there are drink stains on the carpet and an aroma of cigarettes clings on years after the introduction of the smoking ban. Nobody cares. however. as the atmosphere is friendly. the dancelloor hot and sweaty and the music interesting and varied. ranging from funk to soul. rock to hip hop. lt hosts
the likes of Super'l‘ly and National l’op League. lidinburgh residents can head to llillside Crescent l'or Worker's Playtime (an offshoot ol‘ Acme \\'oi'kers'
Club). organised by Lenny Love who also l).ls under the name l)ino Martini at Vegas? Billed as a night Mr
‘people with more taste than money". club rules state
that those who attend should possess ‘a sense ol‘
humour and a nice lriendly‘ attitude‘. Clubbers can take advantage of cheap drinks and ‘no—l‘rills' l'ood. play dominoes. cards and draughts as well as dance to country. l‘unk. be-bop and soul music.
"l‘he problem with some of the larger clubs is that becatise ol~ their capacity. they have to appeal to a very "mainstream" audience who are. predominantly. in the IS .10 age groupf says Lenny. "l'he idea behind my club night was to provide an early evening night out that‘s fun. and an antidote to the working week. I believe there‘s a steadily growing number ol’ people
who. having enjoyed the contemporary style ol'
clubbing for many years. have now grown up a bit. They still want to go out at night and have some fun. but they don‘t necessarily want or need to stay out till 3am to get their jolliesf
Carol agrees: ‘You get to a certain age and you can't be doing with people checking themselves out all night. and being cooler-than-thou.‘
Worker’s Playtime, 11 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Mar & 4 Apr; iBop, Pollok Ex- Servicemen’s Social Club, Glasgow, Fri 4 Apr; National Pop League, Fri 28 Mar & Superfly, Sat 5 Apr, both at Woodside Social Club, Glasgow.
How’s Your Party? lhis night is fortnightly: instead ot weekly, but the tiiittliiv it; tlooliletl ‘.‘.’|lll the expert llllll it'll) of Plastic Little Of Man and l tl Bangers DJ Melitli 11’.) Apri. Sol) C/tih. Gl.'isgoi~.. lhii Ma! (g 10 ADI.
Bass Syndicate l, xped monster breaks and thundering hassliiies as l‘lllgtfl l it;kiii':; duo Slyde keep the (laneeiloor heaVing. The Bongo Club, EUIHM/fg/l, Fri 28 Mar.
Departure Lounge lull live show of funk folk soul from Eska Mttingwa/i as her hand rock the ]()llll as only they know how. The (Eaves. lr/irihiirgh, In 28 Mar.
Hudson Mohawke and Rustic Members of Glasgow's tech-hep cut up collective Luckylvle w a new pov-rerhouse on the Glasgow scene ~ mark the release of their new H’s with this night. The lwrsterl Wheel. Glasgow, Fri 28 Mar.
Kinky Afro A lWISlOd Dancehall double header. featuring the off-thewall techno mastery of Si Begg and Deadbeat. Sill) C/t/l), G/asgow. Fri 28 Mar.
Mungo’s Hi-Fi Old-school Jamaican reggae originator Earl Sixteen Wlll goite probably be delivering a masterclass here. Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow. Fri 28 Mar.
Jackhammer vs Kontrol Techno the way it should be as the seminal Robert Hood lays down the minimal Detroit beats. Studio 24, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Apr.
Pinup Nights Live bands Bricolage. There Will Be Fireworks and Ross Clark will be playing alongside guest Dds The Teenagers. And you'll be lovin' it. okay? The Winchester, Glasgow, Fri 4 Apr.
Trouble Lush electronics with an old school Detron techno vibe as Ouarion make their live Scottish debut. Cabaret Voltaire, Ed/nburgh, Fri 4 Apr.
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