Clubs
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THERE ARE CLUBS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE M8 ON CHRISTMAS DAY Hitlist THE BEST DANCEFLOOR ACTION*
Armin Van Buuren
✽✽ Tunnel Rocks Cockney danger man and pwopah geezah Danny Dyer (pictured) DJs. Might be awful. Might be awfully good. Who knows? The Tunnel, Glasgow, Thu 17 Dec. ✽✽ Fortified Ragga-dancehall pioneers Shut Up And Dance add to their 20-year long CV with a date at Glasgow’s best dubstep night. School of Art, Glasgow, Fri 18 Dec. ✽✽ Tronicsole Motor City Drum Ensemble, aka Stuttgart producer Danilo Plessow, makes a guest appearance. Admiral Bar Basement, Glasgow, Sat 19 Dec. ✽✽ 45s for 45 Charity night which invites Glasgow’s finest DJs to play their favourite 45s for 45 minutes each. Black Sparrow, Glasgow, Sun 20 Dec. ✽✽ Taste: Escape Xmas Party You can’t fault their dedication to the cause, Fisher & Price come out with all guns blazing for another Christmas Day bacchanal. The GRV, Edinburgh, Fri 25 Dec. ✽✽ Sunday Circus Ronnie and Affi Koman introduce 2020 Vision’s Ekkohaus on Boxing Day, then play an all-day set on their usual patch and an aftershow with Sensu on New Year’s Day. SWG3, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec; Courtyard, Glasgow, Fri 1 Jan; Sub Club, Glasgow, Fri 1 Jan. ✽✽ Hogmanay Far be it from us to tell you where to spend the biggest party night of the year. See feature page 15 and listings for details. ✽✽ The Go-Go You’re officially allowed one day’s rest before heading out. Catch Them Beatles (live) at this 60s garage rock night. Studio 24, Edinburgh, Sat 2 Jan. ✽✽ Luvely Or plump for some frisky house action at Luvely’s ‘naughty nautical’ January Sail. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 2 Jan. 17 Dec 2009–7 Jan 2010 THE LIST 43
Clubbing with bells on David Pollock runs through some Christmas Day and Boxing Day highlights for the best in real festive clubbing
It’s comforting to know that even the hard-partying Scottish club scene has got one eye on sitting under the tree on Christmas morning. Like Teamy and David Barbarossa of Fun Size (La Cheetah, Glasgow, Thu 24 Dec), for example, who declare for their Christmas Eve bash that they’ll ‘start a bit earlier and see how it goes. We’ll be licensed ‘til 4am but chances are we’ll all run home to see what Santa’s brought us earlier than that.’ The guest on the night is Optimo’s JG Wilkes – so not too early, we hope.
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without the annual Taste Escape Xmas Party as Fisher & Price supply the underground dance goodness (GRV, Edinburgh, Fri 25 Dec). And anyone whose festive season means hitting the dancefloor will find a few clubs at both ends of the M8 willing to help them out. The List recommends Edinburgh’s The Hive and Glasgow’s Garage for lively, unpretentious fun right through from the Thu 24–Sat 26.
Alternatively, you might just want to sleep off the turkey/nut loaf and save it for Boxing Day. There’s a choice of two fine nights on Blair Street in Edinburgh, with City Vibes (Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 26 Dec) offering minimal and tech house from Soma’s Alex Smoke and Dare! (Cabaret Voltaire’s Speakeasy, Edinburgh, Sat 26 Dec) being the second instalment of Jon Pleased Wimmin’s new monthly residency at the venue. Also on offer in the capital will be JakN’s Boxing Day bash (GRV, Edinburgh, Sat 26 Dec), where the residents will be playing techno, or the first-class house night Playdate (Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Sat
26 Dec). Giving up their traditional Hogmanay slot for the first time in a decade, the Headspin (Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 26 Dec) team play hip hop, funk, house and more. Where to start with Glasgow’s array of big post- Christmas nights? How about the Colours Winter Party (Arches, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec), which will this year feature Armin Van Buuren? Or there’s always Subculture (Sub Club, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec), with fast-rising Glasgow producer Sei_A playing a guest set, and the currently-travelling, er, circus that is Sunday Circus (SWG3, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec) staging a house party in another new venue with guest Ekkohaus (2020Vision).
There’s no messing from techno night Men & Machines (Stereo, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec), who promise us ‘Chrimbo-a-go-go’, joined by Ewan Chambers and ‘a special mystery guest’. Those with more specialised tastes, meanwhile, might be persuaded by indie-pop night Spit Fire (Blackfriars, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec) or old school R&B, soul and new jack swing date Groove Theory (Hummingbird, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec), not forgetting rare groove specialists Weak at the Knees (V Club, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec). Or, for those who say the real meaning of Christmas has been forgotten, there’s always Twisted & Brainfire (The Ferry, Glasgow, Sat 26 Dec) – that is if your nativity scene substitutes Three Wise Men for Ophidian, DJ D and an assault of pure hardstyle and gabba techno.
See listings for full details.