Festival CLUBS
BEST OF BONGO The Bongo Club’s best bang at ‘The Belly’
‘I t’s an amazing building,’ says the Bongo Club’s manager Ally Hill of the long- serving cult venue’s new premises in a multi- level warren which stretches between Victoria Street and the Cowgate, ‘and we’re glad to be the ones making sure it’s not only used one month a year. It’s a wee bit like a return to [the first Bongo Club on] New Street with the shape of the new main room and the low ceiling. It’s great for atmosphere.’
The new space he’s talking about will be familiar to festivalgoers as the Underbelly, with the Bongo’s eviction from their old Holyrood Road premises last year leading to a smart and very welcome arrangement whereby the Bongo uses the building outside of festival time. Hill says he’s sad not to see the usual Bongo schedule of events continuing throughout August, but that Underbelly have been receptive to creating
100 THE LIST FESTIVAL 1–8 Aug 2013
an overlap between the programmes of the two organisations. Although some of the Bongo’s ideas for this year had to be scaled back to concentrate on the move in the spring, one plus is that the Underbelly’s 2013 Fringe schedule will involve the Bongo’s best club nights for the first time. On the festival’s first weekend that will mean 5am-licensed shows from cross- genre performance art sleaze-and-strangeness fest Confusion is Sex on Friday, and swing, soul and doo-wop at Soulsville on Saturday, with more to come on the same nights later in the month from reggae institution Messenger Sound System, soul-jazz club Four Corners, bass music soundsystem Electrikal and more. (David Pollock)
Underbelly, Cowgate, Fri & Sat throughout Aug.
For more info go to LIST.CO.UK /FESTIVAL
HITLIST THE BEST DANCEFLOOR ACTION
✽ We Own Festival Opening Party Super-cool clothing line and tropically charged party crew We Own kick off their festival season with a one-off event at Sneaky Pete’s. Expect a carnival atmosphere and some seriously slick house music till 5am. Sneaky Pete’s, 225 1757, 3 Aug, 11pm–5am, £5 (members free).
✽ #notsosilent With previous guests including Joy Orbison, Midland and Shadow Child, #notsosilent are certainly making a worthwhile noise. Opening 99 Hanover Street’s August run, you’ll find specialist sets from Leon Vynehall and Jon Phonics. 99 Hanover Street, 225 8200, 1 Aug, price and times tbc.
✽ Fly Club Holding court every Friday at Cabaret Voltaire, Fly Club open a series of
festival parties with Rinse FM’s Klose One and Spencer Sweeney. Low- slung bass and jacking beats are the order of the day. Cabaret Voltaire, 2 Aug, 11pm–5am, price tbc.
✽ Confusion Is Sex ‘Where The Weird Is
Normal’. Offering up a sin-tillating mix of glam techno, electro and indie punk, Confusion Is Sex presents something a bit different. ‘Belly Dancers’ and ‘Spanking Area’ are some of the key words here. Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, 2 Aug, midnight–5am, £6–7.
✽ Thunder Disco Club presents The 80s Heist TDC makes its monthly trip to the capital with Glaswegian party-starters Freaky Freaky in tow. Leave your inhibitions at home: this one is all about feelgood flavours and letting loose. Cabaret Voltaire, 3 Aug, 11pm–5am, £7.