SPRING festivals i v a l
r i v e r s i d e f e s t ON THE
WATERFRONT Over the last decade, La Cheetah has built a reputation as one of Glasgow’s most exciting and forward-thinking nightclubs. Sean Greenhorn speaks to promoter and resident DJ Grahame Ward, aka Wardy, about the past ten years and celebrating the club’s birthday at this year’s Riverside Festival
T en years ago, when current owner Dario Bernardi took over the 200-capacity basement venue that La Cheetah calls home, he placed an emphasis on raising the profi le of the club, explains promoter and DJ Grahame Ward. He transformed the space on Glasgow’s Queen Street from what was basically a function room, installing a proper DJ booth and sound system, working with promoters like Ward, and investing heavily in luring world- class talent that would draw attention to the club. Over the years, they have poured money earned back into bookings, nurturing new talent and improving the club. ‘When acts see you consistently wanting to improve, it makes them want to play, as they can see you are serious about the space’ says Wardy.
Wardy stresses the importance of collaboration and teamwork in the club’s success. The team behind La Cheetah believe in bringing talent up, starting them with quieter midweek slots and allowing them to grow. Working directly with artists, they offer a residency programme that allows them to curate their own nights and design everything, right down to the artwork. This strengthens the bond between artist and club and has made La Cheetah a fi xture on the global dance music landscape.
34 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2019
To celebrate their fi rst decade, Wardy is clearly honoured to be booking a stage for Scotland’s biggest electronic music event, the Riverside Festival, and the line-up for the La Cheetah 10 stage is diverse and eye-catching. ‘The aim was to make our stage as representative of the club as we possibly could, get a couple of big acts and shows you might not see in other places’ he says. Current La Cheetah residents Shanti Celeste and Objekt will play, along with last year’s resident Éclair Fifi and celebrated names like Omar S and Helena Hauff. In March, the team opened Room 2 – a 450-capacity space on Nelson Mandela Place in the city. ‘People keep asking us if we are worried about booking against La Cheetah, but the answer is no, it just gives us more fl exibility,’ says Wardy, who argues it allows them to put on the best shows for the best venue. ‘We really believe in what this city has to offer’ he insists.
So far, his faith has proven well-placed, with his team offering unforgettable nights and Glasgow crowds responding with packed dancefl oors.
Riverside Festival, Riverside Museum, Glasgow, Sat 25 & Sun 26 May.
BROTHERLY LOVE Clayton Wright, from queer party collective Little Gay Brother, tells Sean Greenhorn about their origins, aims and what to expect from their debut at Glasgow’s Riverside Festival
Little Gay Brother are all about everyone having fun. They work with DJs, clubs and festivals to put on unforgettable shows in spaces that are safe, and where everybody feels welcome to party without prejudice. Starting at Secret Garden Party festival in 2012, the collective has grown in numbers and acclaim, and now tour the UK and international festivals with their performances.
Talking about the opportunity
that Secret Garden Party provided, Clayton Wright says the festival recognised a lack of diversity and wanted to address that. The collective ensure that they make people feel at ease, so even if they don’t understand what Little Gay Brother is at the start, ‘they end up partying with us, and it becomes a place not just for queer people, but for everyone’. Organised by queer people, the collective places inclusivity at the heart of everything they do – if you accept their party, then they will accept you. When asked how queer clubbing
has changed since Little Gay Brother’s inception, Wright states simply that ‘the fact we have started calling it queer clubbing is an amazing thing, as it means everyone can come together and feel represented under that umbrella. It means going to a queer party is about liberation and acceptance and seeing clubbing move towards that is a really positive thing.’ As far as what they’re planning
for the Riverside crowd, Wright says ‘we are going to be whipping the crowd into a frenzy basically . . . we want to party with everyone, change a few minds and make sure everyone has a great time.’ ■ Little Gay Brother appear as part of the Sulta Selects stage, Riverside Festival, Sat 25 May.