FESTIVAL _
nightlife/clues
I BRAIN CLUB Playhouse Studios, Greenside Place. Every night during the Festival. tlpm—Aam. London's best new club moves north lorthree weeks. Bury any preconceptions. Artificial boundaries will be broken- move your bodies, open your minds. Featuringthis weekend DJ Graeme Park from the Hacienda, plus Sunsonic and Irresistible Force. Let’s all have a disco!
I DREAM The Mission, Cowgate. Every Friday during the Festival. 11pm—3am. £3. Edinburgh's only regular dance club. with DJ Bootsy spinning a hot mix oltunk and soul, drawing on classic ore-house tracks to avoid reliance on the obvious. Worth a visit.
I MAMBO CLUB Network 2. Tollcross. Every night during the Festival. 11pm-4am. £3.50 (£3). Sir Ossie promises a great party with his eclectic blend olAtrlcan, Latin and salsa, reggae, soca and calypso.
/" . .
..\ A . v” I I NORTH The Mission, Cowgate. Every Wednesday during the Festival. 10.30pm—3am. £3 (£2.50). Everything starts with an M at this indie-dance club which plays the sort ol sounds originating somewhere in the north. Go and scull your Timberlands to the Mondays, Roses, Charlatans. . . Aug 15 isa special “Sound at Young Scotland’ night though, so expect something slightly ditlerent.
I MESSENGER Ill Fl REGGAE SOUND SYSTEM Venue, Calton Road. Every Tuesday during the Festival. Dom-late. £2 (£1.50). A reggae club that
plays Roots, Ragamullln, Lovers Rock and some massive Dub sounds as well as the more mainstream. DJ Zeb also appears on Sugar Bullet's 'World Peace’, which is a lair indication ol ability.
Xmas Xcess
‘ ‘There are always more important
things to consider at Xmas than parties — that tricky present for Aunt Dot, for example — so we thought that we‘d get one worry out ofthe way as soon as possible.’
It is said that festive celebrations begin earlier each year, but August would seem a little premature by anybody‘s standards. Anybody, that is, except those fun-loving lads behind Shag. With only 116 shopping days left until the big event, Edinburgh’s kings of nightlife kitsch, a duo who have based their success on juvenile sexual euphemism, a playlist compiled from American B-movie soundtracks and a propensity for distributing free candy bars, are already planning an obligatory tacky party.
‘You really have to take into consideration our state of drunkenness when we thought this one up‘, confesses Graham Hall, who, with partner-in-crime Graeme Provan, has been responsible for such stunts as a John Noakes look-alike contest, a Cliff Richard Appreciation evening, and a competition which invited clubbers to fill their underpants with cornflakes.
‘I think it‘s the worst idea we’ve
everhad...’
Hard as this may be to believe, its probability becomes apparent upon consideration.
‘There’ll be a Xmas tree,’ explains Hall with enviably childlike enthusiasm, ‘and lots of fairy lights. Plus Scotland‘s biggest ever game of pass the parcel, communal carol singing, a special “chill-out” Subbuteo and Scalectrix room, and ice-poles for that authentic winter feel. Oh, we‘re considering a PA of the Queen‘s speech, too.‘
And other added attractions? ‘There’s also gonna be a Santa‘s Grotto,‘ Hall expounds with gleeful intent, ’so that lots of young girls can
sit on my knee and say what they want me to give them for Xmas. . . ho! ho! ho!‘
And ifall that wasn’t enough,
i
here‘s an indication ofwhat to expect musically. (Avril Mair)
PLAYLIST
1. Merry Xmas Everybody- Slade (the original and best—a classic)
2. I Wish It Could Be Xmas Every Day- Wizzard (torthe sound ol a cash register at the beginning)
3. Last Christmas— Wham (a true story ot everyday teenage angst)
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen (Yo! Merry Xmas to everyone on the beach)
5. White Christmasmas- Bing Crosby (how else can you end a party?) SPECIAL COMMENDATION
Wonderlul Christmastlme — Paul McCartney and Wings (lor the best couplet ot the 70s: ‘The choir at children sing their song / Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong’.
— Positive action
Clubland is renowned lor its constant quest ot hedonism rather than humanltarianism, but lor once the city scene has tound itsell united in an event ot positive action Ior others.
A debt tor this is owed to the 44th lntematlonal Film Festival, who are hosting this unusual occurrance in conjunction with their series ol lilms and teatures concerning the continuing enormity ol the tragedy ol AIDS.
‘We thought that as we have these AIDS-related events-six lilms, a seminar and the memorial quilt exhibition - it would be a good idea to actually raise some money too,’ organiser Oscar Van Heek explains.
The necessity ol such altruism is turther compounded by Edinburgh’s position as the ‘AIDS Capital ot Europe’; a revelatory situation which exposed a dark underbelly to the Festival City lacade.
‘It was lelt that because ol this we should do something special to help
m g. 4* ~ people right here,’ he elucidates, 'so we decided to host a big tund-raising event’
The result was ‘Positive’ — a dance music extravaganza Ior Scottish AIDS Monitor, to be held this Saturday in the unusual setting at Leith Theatre.
‘The venue ltsell is not used at all during the whole ol the year, but it’s a wondertul, wondertul place -very big and old Iashioned. We came upon it purely by chance —I was looking tor somewhere and just happened to drive past. It was boarded up, but when I went inside I realised the potential and luckily enough the Council ottered us It lor Iree.’
Such salubrlous surroundings will be used to their utmost potential, with a mixing together ot disparate elements ol club culture to complement each other in natural consonance.
' .JSL...»
‘We decided to invite DJs with dissimilar styles in order to attract a larger audience, so what we will have are two people Irom the city's main clubs-Devil Mountain, Floral Riot and Saddle Sore - all doing their stult.’
Also appearing are local bands Botany 5 and Mother, doyens ot the blossoming dance scene, as well as ‘some surprises tor country and western tans- but you'll have to come along to Iind out what they are.’
Added attractions are Iamous laces. ‘There'll be the odd Iilm celeb there too — Nicholas Cage Irom “Wild at Heart’ will be there with a Palace entourage, and also Clint Eastwood will be here around about that time, so we may see him.
‘Besides it being tor a very good cause, Positive will also be one at the best clubs to be held in the city tor a longtime — so there’s no reason not to attend.’
Not It you want to see ol' Clint strutting his lunky stull, anyway. (Avril Mair)
Positive: a dance music extravaganza tor Scottish AIDS Monitor, at Leith Theatre on Saturday 25 August, loom—4am. Tickets £4 (including
return transport Irom Waverley) available Irom the Filmhouse Box
OItlce, Virgin and Ripping Records. J
The List 24 — 30 August NW 59